High initial cost is one of the major barriers for the nuclear power industry. Small modular reactors (SMR) may be a solution to this problem... Show moreHigh initial cost is one of the major barriers for the nuclear power industry. Small modular reactors (SMR) may be a solution to this problem because they have a much smaller financial barrier. In this thesis, parametric cost estimation modeling studies have been performed for the SMR integrated reactor vessel (IRV) under a factory environment. Based on different prior fabrication experiences, three scenarios have been studied, and the corresponding possible manufacturing costs of the entire IRV and its subcomponents have been estimated. To explore the cost allocation, the total cost has been divided into five cost contributors: labor, material, tooling labor, tooling replacement, and other. The results have been analyzed and discussed. M.S. in in Mechanical, Material and Aerospace Engineering, December 2013 Show less
