Five years ago, when the relevant cost index was 135, a nuclear centrifuge cost $32,000. The centrifuge had a capacity of separating 1250 gallons of ionized solution per hour. Today, it is desired to build a centrifuge with capacity of 3500 gallons per hour, but the cost index now is 270. Assuming a power-sizing exponent to reflect economies of scale, x, of 0.72, use the power-sizing model to determine the approximate cost (expressed in today’s dollars) of the new reactor.
Padre works for a trade magazine that publishes lists of power-sizing exponents (PSE) that reflect economies of scale for developing engineering estimates of various types of equipment. Padre has been unable to find any published data on the VMIC machine and wants to list its PSE value in his next issue. Given the following data calculate
2-55 the PSE value that Padre should publish. (Note: The VMIC-100 can handle twice the volume of a VMIC-50.)