SENSITIVITY OF NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE COST TO UNCERTAINTIES IN NUCLEAR DATA.

The sensitivities of the fuel cycle cost of a pressurized water reactor are determined with respect to some ninety nuclear parameters both for a normal fuel cycle and for a throw-away fuel cycle. Particularly large dollar implications are found for thermal and resonance range cross sections in fissile and fertile materials. Sensitivities constrained by adjustment of fission neutron yield so as to preserve agreement with zero exposure integral data also are compared. It is found that some sensitivities are greatly reduced by this constraint, but others, notably for fissile and fertile reactions, are aggravated. This analysis suggests that an investment in a selective nuclear data improvement program can result in substantial savings in the fuel cycle cost for pressurized water reactors.