A dissolver design was demonstrated on a laboratory scale for the electrolytic dissolution of nuclear fuels. Simplified electrodes are used which need not touch the fuel pieces, thus avoiding the usual problems of achieving adequate electrical contact between the fuel and the anode basket. Because a series of electrolytic cells are formed along the length of the dissolver, current efficiency is enormously increased; this technique allows for the use of higher voltage and much lower current than is presently considered essential in plant-scale electrolytic dissolution. (auth).