CSM Testbed Development and Large-Scale Structural Applications

A research activity called Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center is described. This activity is developing advanced structural analysis and computational methods that exploit high-performance computers. Methods are developed in the framework of the CSM Testbed software system and applied to representative complex structural analysis problems from the aerospace industry. An overview of the CSM Testbed methods development environment is presented and some new numerical methods developed on a CRAY-2 are described. Selected application studies performed on the NAS CRAY-2 are also summarized

Fuel Cycle Costs for a Plutonium Recycle System

The costs of the chemical and metallurgical steps in the fuel cycle for large desalination reactors are estimated. Both capital and operating costs are presented at varying plant capacities for a Zircaloy-clad fuel element containing depleted uranium and recycled plutonium as the oxides. UO/sup 2/-0.5% PuO/sub 2/. The chemical steps are reported at throughputs of 1, 10, and 30 short tons of uranium per day; and the metallurgical or fabrication step at throughputs of 1, 3, 5, and 10 tons per day, as specified by the Office of Science and Technology. The total estimated cost of all the chemical and metallurgical steps drops from .17 to .68 per kilogram of uranium as the cycle throughput is increased from 1 to 10 tons of uranium per day. All steps decrease in cost as plant capacity is increased, with the most impressive decrease in the irradiated assembly processing step, which decreases from .19 to 10 to 07 per kilogram of uranium as throughput is changed from 1 to 10 to 30 tons of uranium per day. The contained data in conjunction with previous studies of a natural uranium fuel cycle and results of a current reactor optimization study will yield complete fuel cycle costs and plutonium value in recycle. (auth

Radioactive Waste Management Centers: An Approach

Radioactive waste management centers would satisfy the need for a cost-effective, sound management system for nuclear wastes by the industry and would provide a well integrated solution which could be understood by the public. The future demands for nuclear waste processing and disposal by industry and institutions outside the United States Government are such that a number of such facilities are required between now and the year 2000. Waste management centers can be organized around two general needs in the commercial sector: (1) the need for management of low-level waste generated by nuclear power plants, the once-through nuclear fuel cycle production facilities, from hospitals, and other institutions; and (2) more comprehensive centers handling all categories of nuclear wastes that would be generated by a nuclear fuel recycle industry. The basic technology for radioactive waste management will be available by the time such facilities can be deployed. This paper discusses the technical, economic, and social aspects of organizing radioactive waste managment centers and presents a strategy for stimulating their development

Sol-gel sphere-pac activities for the fuel refabrication and development program. Quarterly progress report for period ending December 31, 1977

Development of the sol-gel sphere-pac process for remote refabrication of highly-gamma-active fuels was assigned to ORNL. Activities at ORNL have been subdivided into seven work areas or subtasks: sol-gel sphere-pac fuel technology status and performance assessment, sol preparation, sphere forming, washing and drying, sintering, fuel rod loading, and fuel rod inspection. Progress in each subtask is reported