MWd/tU is a unit used to express burnup. Which statement best describes MWd/tU?

MWd/tU is a unit used to express burnup. Which statement best describes MWd/tU?

• A. MWd/tU is the energy produced per unit mass of fuel, expressed as megawatt-hours per metric ton of uranium.
• B. MWd/tU is the amount of time the fuel lasts in the reactor.
• C. MWd/tU is the energy produced per unit mass of fuel, expressed as megawatt-days per metric ton of uranium.
• D. MWd/tU is the energy produced per unit mass of fuel, expressed as megawatt-days per metric ton of uranium.

Answer: (D)

MWd/tU expresses how much energy has been produced by the fuel, normalized to the amount of uranium in the fuel. The “MWd” part means megawatt-days, an energy unit obtained by multiplying power by time (1 MWd = 1 MW running for 24 hours, i.e., 24 MWh). The “/tU” part normalizes that energy to the fuel’s mass, giving energy produced per metric ton of uranium. So the description that matches this unit exactly is energy produced per unit mass of fuel, expressed as megawatt-days per metric ton of uranium. This makes clear both the quantity (energy) and the basis (mass of uranium). It’s not simply a time measure, and it isn’t the energy expressed in megawatt-hours, which is a derived form but not the standard expression for this unit.

MWd/tU expresses how much energy has been produced by the fuel, normalized to the amount of uranium in the fuel. The “MWd” part means megawatt-days, an energy unit obtained by multiplying power by time (1 MWd = 1 MW running for 24 hours, i.e., 24 MWh). The “/tU” part normalizes that energy to the fuel’s mass, giving energy produced per metric ton of uranium.

So the description that matches this unit exactly is energy produced per unit mass of fuel, expressed as megawatt-days per metric ton of uranium. This makes clear both the quantity (energy) and the basis (mass of uranium). It’s not simply a time measure, and it isn’t the energy expressed in megawatt-hours, which is a derived form but not the standard expression for this unit.