Process-Dependent Energy Requirement

The availability of a resource depends on the degree to which it is localised in one or a few countries (making it susceptible to production controls or cartel action) on the size of the reserves, or, more accurately, the resource base (explained shortly) and on the energy required to mine and process it. The influence of the last two (size of reserves and energy content) can, within limits, be studied and their influence anticipated. 

Since the energy required to strip the electrons from plutonium metal at the anode is exactly matched by the energy returned at the cathode, the potential required by the process is only that required to overcome time invariant (i2r) losses in the cell circuit, and time dependent resistance (electrode polarization). 

As the flow-dependent terms have been dropped, the simplified equation is applicable to both static (non-flow) systems and flow systems. It can be used to estimate the energy requirement for batch processes. 

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