Nuclear Engineering Program

A Look at Nuclear Science and Technology

Larry Foulke

Module 1.6 Grand Tour of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Supplemental File of Calculations

Mass and Energy Calculations

Calculate the mass of U-235 per metric ton (t) of uranium ore assuming the total uranium is 1 wt% of the ore. (Note: U has 0.711wt % U-235)

Mass and Energy Calculations

Calculate the mass of U-235 per metric ton (t) of uranium ore assuming the total uranium is 1 wt% of the ore. (Note: U has 0.711wt % U-235) Answer: 1000 kg of ore x (0.01 kg U/kg ore) = 10 kg U U-235 is 0.711 wt% of U so mass of U-235 = 0.00711 x 10 kg U = 0.0711 kg or 71.1 grams
See Segment 1.6 calculation for Slide 3. xlsx

Concept of a Mole
Let n represent the number of moles A mole is the number of atoms or molecules of a substance or element equal to 6.022 x 1023 (Avogadro's number, NAV). For example: a mole of uranium is roughly 6.022 x 1023 uranium atoms.

Image Source: See Note 1

Concept of a Mole and Molecular Mass

The number of moles, n, of a mass, m, of material is given by: n moles = mass of material, m, in grams divided by the molecular mass M (gm/mole)

m ( grams) nmoles = M (grams / mole)

M molecular mass (weight) in gm/mole

For uranium, MU 238 gm/mole For oxygen, MO 16 gm/mole The molecular mass of an isotope is just its atomic weight

Concept of a Mole
What is the molecular mass of MU3O8 ? We combine 3 moles of uranium with 8 moles of oxygen to get:

(3moles) (U gm / mole) + (8 moles) (O gm / mole) = (3) (238) + (8) (16) = 842 gm / mole
So the molecular mass of U3O8 is 842 gm/mole

See Segment 1.6 Calculation for Slide 6.xlsx

Mass and Energy Calculations

Uranium when mined is often in the form of Uranium Oxide, U3O8. How many kg of Uranium is in 100 kg of U3O8? Answer:
We just created the molecular mass of U3O8 We took 3 parts of uranium at (3 moles)(238 gms/mole)= 714 grams We took 8 parts of oxygen at (8 moles)(16 gms/mole)= 128 grams To get a total of 714+128=842 gms So the weight fraction of U in the U3O8 is (714 gms/842 gms)=0.848 So if we have 100 kg of U3O8 we have (0.848)(100 kg)=84.8 kg U
See Segment 1.6 Calculation for Slide 6.xlsx

Mass and Energy Calculations

Presume the total weight of UO2 fuel in a PWR is 150 metric tons (1 metric ton = 1,000 kg). If the enrichment of U is 4 wt% U-235, how many tons of uranium ore (with 0.711 wt% U-235) must be mined if the total uranium in the ore is 0.5 wt%? (This is kind of involved, so think through the steps carefully).

Choices for answers a) 150MT b) 170 MT c) 750 MT d) 150,000 MT

See Segment 1.6 Calculation for Slides 8 12.xlsx

Mass and Energy Calculations

Presume the total weight of UO2 fuel in a PWR is 150 metric tons (1 metric ton = 1,000 kg). If the enrichment of U is 4 wt% U-235, how many tons of uranium ore (with 0.711 wt% U-235) must be mined if the total uranium in the ore is 0.5 wt%? (This is kind of involved, so think through the steps carefully) Answer: about 148,776 MT of ore (or 150,000 metric tons ore) How did we get that?

See Segment 1.6 Calculation for Slides 8 12.xlsx

 What is the molecular mass of MUO2 ? We combine one mole of uranium with two moles of oxygen to get:

Concept of a Mole

(1 moles)(U gm / mole)+ (2 moles)(O gm / mole) =( 1)(238)+ (2)( 16)= 270 gm / mole

So the molecular mass of UO2 is 270 gm/mole and the fraction of the mass that is U is (238/270)=0.881 So there is (0.881)(150 MT)= 132 MT of U in the UO2
See Segment 1.6 Calculation for Slides 8 12.xlsx

Mass and Energy Calculations

As implied in the problem statement kind of involved. Lets look at the solution. Consider 132 metric tons (MT) of U in 150 MT of UO2. So the 132 MT U is enriched to 4 wt% in U-235. So the amount of U-235 in the core is (0.04)(132.23 MT) = 5.29 MT U-235.
See Segment 1.6 Calculation for Slides 8 12.xlsx

Mass and Energy Calculations

How much natural uranium must be mined to get 5.29 MT U-235? Natural uranium consists of 0.711 wt% U-235; hence, to get 5.29 MT of U-235 we must mine enough ore to give (5.29 kg/0.00711 MT U-235 per kg of Unatural) = 743.87 MT Unatural. If the Unatural content of the ore is 0.5 wt%, we must mine 743.87 MT/0.005 = 148,773 MT of ore.

See Segment 1.6 Calculation for Slides 8 12.xlsx

Number of Atoms Or Number Density

Now we are in a position to calculate the number of atoms in a mass of material. Here is a formula that is used often:

gm 1 mole atoms N ( atoms / volume) = 3 x x N AV cm M gm mole

Or

atoms 1 mole N ( atoms) = m (gm)x x N AV M gm mole

Mass and Energy Calculations

Presume that a volume of pure U-235 is the size of a Tootsie Pop. How many atoms of U-235 will there be in the Tootsie Pop? (We will use this result In a future problem) Here are the steps that you need to go through: Estimate the volume of the Tootsie Pop (Volume = Calculate the mass assuming the density of pure uranium metal Calculate the number of atoms in the uranium mass
3 4 Volume = (r ) where r = radius 3 Get the density of uranium metal off the web as 19.1 gm/cm 3
See Segment 1.6 Calculation for Slides 14 16.xlsx

Mass and Energy Calculations

Estimate the volume of the Tootsie Pop (Volume = Presume r = 2.8 cm/2 = 1.4 cm so
3 4 4 Volume = ( 1.4cm) = (3.14) (2.744)= 11.5 cm3 3 3 Get the density of uranium metal off the web as 19.1 gm/cm 3

Calculate the mass assuming the density of pure uranium metal So the mass of a Tootsie Pops volume of pure uranium-235 is

gm mass = 19.1 3 11.5cm3 219.5 gms U 235 cm

See Segment 1.6 Calculation for Slides 14 16.xlsx

Mass and Energy Calculations

Now the final step using our formula Calculate the number of atoms in the uranium mass

220 gms U 235 # 23 23 N (#) = x 6.022 x10 = 5.63 x 10 atoms mole 235 gms mole

See Segment 1.6 Calculation for Slides 14 16.xlsx

Fuel Cost Impact

Lets do one more problem to calculate the cost of nuclear fuel.

Fuel Cost Impact

Fuel cost is a minor factor for nuclear power. Increasing the price of uranium would have little effect on the overall cost of nuclear power Doubling the cost of natural uranium would increase the total cost of nuclear generated electricity by about 5 percent. If the cost of natural gas were doubled, the cost of gas-fired electricity would increase by about 60 percent.

Image Source: See Note 2

Estimate the cost of 1 kg of 3 wt% enriched uranium. Yellowcake (U3O8 cost) = Conversion cost = Enrichment SWUs required=

See Segment 1.6 Fuel cycle cost calculator. xlsx

Estimate the cost of 1 kg of 3 wt% enriched uranium.

Image Source: See Note 3

http://www.uxc.com/review/uxc_PriceChart.aspx?chart=spot-u3o8-full

Image Source: See Note 4

Estimate the current cost of 1 kg of 3 wt% enriched uranium. Yellowcake (U3O8 cost) = $62.50/lb U3O8= (2.2 lb/kg)($62.50) = $137.50/kg U3O8 Conversion cost = Enrichment SWUs required=

See Segment 1.6 Fuel cycle cost calculator. xlsx

http://www.uxc.com/review/uxc_g_2yr-price.html

Image Source: See Note 4

Estimate the current cost of 1 kg of 3 wt% enriched uranium.

Yellowcake (U3O8 cost) = $62.50/lb U3O8= (2.2 lb/kg) ($62.50) = $137.50/kg U3O8=
kg U 3O8 (3)(238 )+ (8 )(16 ) = x$137.50 kg U 3O8 = $162.15 / kg U (3)(238 )kg U

Conversion cost = $12.50/kg U as UF6 Enrichment SWUs and feed required = (See Knief, Table 17-3 and assume 0.2% tails)

See Segment 1.6 Fuel cycle cost calculator. xlsx

Enrichment Requirements
(From Table 17-3 of Knief)

Image Source: See Note 5

Eq.17 4 Mf pt 3.0 0.2 = = = 5.479 M p f t 0.711 0.2

Eq.17 5 SWU = V ( p ) + V (t )( F 1) V ( f )F Eq.17 6 V ( ) = (2 1)ln

See Segment 1.6 Fuel cycle cost calculator. xlsx

Image Source: See Note 5

3% enriched 0.2% tails Mf/Mp=5.479

See Segment 1.6 Fuel cycle cost calculator. xlsx

SWU = 4.306 kgSWU/kg product

Image Source: See Note 5

Estimate the current cost of 1 kg of 3 wt% enriched uranium.

Yellowcake (U3O8 cost) = $62.50/lb U3O8= (2.2 lb/kg) ($62.50) = $137.50/kg U3O8=
kg U 3O8 (3)(238 )+ (8 )(16 ) = x$137.50 kg U 3O8 = $162.15 / kg U (3)(238 )kg U

Conversion cost = $12.50/kg U as UF6 Enrichment SWUs and feed required = (See Knief, Table 17-3 and assume 0.2% tails) Natural U feed required = 5.479 kg SWU required = 4.306 kg SWU
See Segment 1.6 Fuel cycle cost calculator. xlsx

http://www.uxc.com/review/uxc_PriceChart.aspx?chart=spot-u3o8-full

Image Source: See Note 4

Estimate the current cost of 1 kg of 3 wt% enriched uranium. Yellowcake (U3O8 cost) = $62.50/lb U3O8= (2.2 lb/kg)($62.50) = $137.50/kg U3O8=
(3)(238 ) + (8 )(16 ) kg U 3O8 x$137.50 kg U O = $162.15 / kg U = 3 8 (3)(238 )kg U

Conversion cost = $12.50/kg U as UF6 Yellowcake + Conversion to UF6=$162.15+$12.50=$174.65/kgU Enrichment SWUs and feed required = (See Knief, Table 17-3 and assume 0.2% tails) Natural U feed required = 5.479 kg SWU required = 4.306 kg SWU Cost of UF6 = (5.479 kg)($174.65/kg) = $956.91 Cost of enrichment = (4.306 kg SWU)($155) = $667.43 Total Cost = $956.91 + $667.43 = $1624.34
See Segment 1.6 Fuel cycle cost calculator. xlsx

Estimate the current cost of 1 kg of 3 wt% enriched uranium.

Yellowcake (U3O8 cost) = $62.50/lb U3O8= (2.2 lb/kg)($62.50) = 3 238 + (8 )(16 ) kg U O x$137.50 kg U O = $162.15 / kg U $137.50/kg U3O8 = ( )( (3))(238 )kg U Conversion cost = $12.50/kg U as UF6 Yellowcake + Conversion to UF6=$162.15+$12.50=$174.65/kgU Enrichment SWUs and feed required = (See Knief, Table 17-3 and assume 0.2% tails) Natural U feed required = 5.479 kg SWU required = 4.306 kg SWU Cost of UF6 = (5.479 kg)($174.65/kg) = $956.91/kg Cost of enrichment = (4.306 kg SWU)($155) = $667.43 Total Cost = $956.91 + $667.43 = $1,624.34
3 8 3 8

Plus cost of fuel fabrication of $460/kg for total cost of $1,624.34 + $460 = $2,084.34 for 1 kg of 3 wt% U-235
See Segment 1.6 Fuel cycle cost calculator. xlsx

Image Source: See Note 6

Image Image Source: Source: See See Note Note 6 4

Mass and Energy Calculations

Presume that a volume of pure U-235 is the size of a Tootsie Pop. If the average annual energy consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer is approximately 11,496 kw-hrs* per year, how many years would this amount of U-235 power the average home if all the U-235 atoms were fissioned and converted to electricity? Assume 180 MeV of recoverable energy per fission and a conversion efficiency of 0.33 (thermal energy to electrical energy). In this hypothetical case, what would be the approximate volume of waste produced after all the U-235 is fissioned?
*In 2010, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 11,496 kWh, an average of 958 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month. See http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm? id=97&t=3

Image Source Notes

1. Public domain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ File:Avogadro_Amedeo.jpg 2. Reprinted with permission from World Nuclear Organization. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/EconomicAspects/Economics-of-Nuclear-Power/ #.UWh_Q0rSl4c 3. Reprinted with permission from Ux Consulting. http://www.uxc.com/review/uxc_prices.aspx 4. Reprinted with permission from Ux Consulting. http://www.uxc.com/review/uxc_PriceChart.aspx? chart=spot-conv-ful

Image Source Notes

5. Reprinted with permission from the American Nuclear Society. Nuclear Engineering Theory and Technology of Commercial Nuclear Power by Ronald Allen Knief, 2nd Edition, American Nuclear Society. Copyright 2008 by the American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, Illinois. Table 17-3.
6. WISE Uranium Project. Free for non-commercial use. http://www.wise-uranium.org/nfcc.html