Table of Contents
- 1 What kind of nuclear reactors are in submarines?
- 2 How big is the nuclear reactor in a submarine?
- 3 What are nuclear submarines used for?
- 4 How does nuclear power work on a submarine?
- 5 What happens to nuclear reactors used to power aircraft carriers?
- 6 What happens to nuclear reactors when they are no longer used?
What kind of nuclear reactors are in submarines?
After the Skate-class vessels, US submarines were powered by a series of standardized, single-reactor designs built by Westinghouse and General Electric. Rolls-Royce plc built similar units for Royal Navy submarines, eventually developing a modified version of their own, the PWR-2 (pressurized water reactor).
How big is the nuclear reactor in a submarine?
Reactor sizes range up to ~500 MWt (about 165 MWe) in the larger submarines and surface ships. The French Rubis-class submarines have a 48 MW reactor that needs no refueling for 30 years. The nuclear navies of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation rely on steam turbine propulsion.
What are nuclear submarines used for?
Almost all modern nuclear attack submarines are capable of two basic functions: to attack enemy surface ships and to destroy enemy submarines.
What is used in nuclear reactor?
Reactors use uranium for nuclear fuel. The uranium is processed into small ceramic pellets and stacked together into sealed metal tubes called fuel rods. Typically more than 200 of these rods are bundled together to form a fuel assembly.
How does a nuclear submarine work?
Reactors in a nuclear-powered submarine are typically fuelled with uranium. In turn, more neutrons are released and the process continues in a so-called “nuclear chain reaction”. The energy is given off as heat, which can be used to drive turbines that generate electricity for the submarine.
How does nuclear power work on a submarine?
Nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers are powered by onboard nuclear reactors. Atoms in the nuclear reactor split, which releases energy as heat. This heat is used to create high-pressured steam. The steam turns propulsion turbines that provide the power to turn the propeller.
What happens to nuclear reactors used to power aircraft carriers?
The USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier powered by two nuclear reactors, is docked near San Diego, California. Source: U.S. Navy. When the nuclear reactors used to power submarines and aircraft carriers are disposed of, the Department of Defense maintains and monitors the radioactive parts.
What happens to nuclear reactors when they are no longer used?
When the nuclear reactors used to power submarines and aircraft carriers are disposed of, the Department of Defense maintains and monitors the radioactive parts. When submarine and aircraft carrier nuclear reactors are no longer being used, the compartments are shipped to the final disposal site on barges.
Did any nuclear reactors ever sink a US Navy ship?
While reactor accidents have not sunk any U.S. Navy ships or submarines, two nuclear-powered submarines, USS Thresher and USS Scorpion were lost at sea. The condition of these reactors has not been publicly released, although both wrecks have been investigated by Robert Ballard on behalf of the Navy using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHIGMSQtF4E