Talk:Separative Work Units (SWUs)

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 Definition:  "bizarre unit" used in determining the price for enriching uranium in various plants, involving the amount of energy or time spent and the total mass processed. [d] [e]
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Calculation section

Hi there, I am seeing two or three issues at the beginning of this (Calculation) section. Just for context, I am a physicist but did not work in this area. First, the section is mostly using the term "product" consistently, except in the opening sentence, which says "output." Could this be changed for better clarity? Maybe in the first sentence it could say "the enriched product" or "the enriched product (output)"? While I was able to figure out by "process of elimination" that output and product refer to the same thing, I think it would be better if people did not have to do that. Second, I am unclear what "assay" means. Is there a simple definition that could be added? From the examples, it seems to be a measure of the purity of the feedstock, product, or tailings (whatever that is). So, a third issue, for me at least, is that I have no idea what "tailings" refer to. Perhaps it is assumed that there is a target audience who would know this, but we usually want to write for a more general audience.Mark Widmer (talk) 12:14, 4 August 2024 (CDT)

Good suggestions. I've re-written the Calculations section. I've also asked my physicist friends to provide a better explanation for the origin of these equations. The Bernstein paper seems to be the best, based on Dirac's original thermodynamic model, but even Bernstein admits it doesn't make much sense. I have a draft of a simple model in my sandbox. Jump in if you can help. David MacQuigg (talk) 19:29, 4 August 2024 (CDT)

Would benefit from a key for acronyms; and, differing Uranium 235 notations

David, I know this came from Wikipedia, and thus the overuse of acronyms is completely out of control. Here are some of them (not counting the need for math variable definitions to be better). In order for a normal human to parse this topic, these need a key, and when possible, maybe just spell them out:

  • LEU (Low Enriched Uranium)
  • MW
  • kSWU (kilo-Separative Work Units??? really???)
  • HALEU
  • HEU (Highly Enriched Uranium)
  • MEU (Moderately Enriched Uranium
  • NU
  • SWU (Separative Work Units)

There are also two, maybe three, different notations in use for 235U, and sometimes 235 appears before the word Uranium, which just seems weird but I see has been adopted in places out on the WWW. Again, as this is from Wikipedia, not surprising, but let's shoot for consistency. Note that I used the <sup>235</sup>U notation to get a superscript.Pat Palmer (talk) 12:21, 4 August 2024 (CDT)

Done. I like U-235 because it reads like it sounds. MEU-20 is my own suggestion, instead of the awkward backronym HALEU. David MacQuigg (talk) 19:32, 4 August 2024 (CDT)
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