Optimum operating conditions for a laser uranium enrichment plant

Abstract

Operating conditions of the laser uranium enrichment plant to obtain cheaper enriched uranium are optimised by using the standard optimisation procedure. A simple kinetic model is given to obtain the ion production rate as a function of the laser energy density, ultraviolet light energy density, atomic density and depth and height of the reaction region. The unit cost of enriched uranium is chosen as a value function instead of the unit cost of the separative work. The construction cost is expressed by means of an exponential function to take the scale merit into account. Two numerical results are given. In case 1, the laser power and efficiency are subject to the restraints determined by the present technical levels and in case 2, they are free. The unit cost of the enriched uranium is higher than those of the gaseous diffusion and gas centrifuge methods by a factor of 2 ∼ 11. Results indicate that laser uranium enrichment is probably competitive with the other uranium enrichment methods, provided that the laser efficiency is improved by up to 1% and the laser lifetime is extended several times.