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Nuclear reactors have been used on submarines for decades. McMurdo base in Antarctica was powered by a nuclear reactor for 10 years which ended in the 70s.
by mmaunder 10y ago
Nuclear reactors have been used on submarines for decades. McMurdo base in Antarctica was powered by a nuclear reactor for 10 years which ended in the 70s.
- privong 10y ago> McMurdo base in Antarctica was powered by a nuclear reactor for 10 years which ended in the 70s. Yes, but I'm not sure that was an overwhelmingly positive example supporting increased use of widespread reactors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMurdo_Station#Nuclear_power_1962.E2.80.931972 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMurdo_Station#Nuclear_power_... As a result of continuing safety issues (hairline cracks in the reactor and water leaks), the U.S. Navy Nuclear Power Program decommissioned the plant in 1972. Or course, one would hope that more modern design would be safer.
- tyingq 10y agoFor comparison, the reactor described here outputs 50 megawatts, and is 15 feet in diameter and 76 feet long (~54,000 cubic feet). The S6G reactor in Los Angeles class submarines outputs 150 megawatts and is 33 feet in diameter and 42 feet long (~144,000 cubic feet).
- microcolonel 10y agoThe newer revision outputs 165MW, apparently.
- tbihl 10y agoSo, I'm calculating a material buckling for S6G that's only one-fourth that of the described SMR, and I know S6G is highly enriched. Why is the SMR so close to parity for power density, especially if it's using natural circulation?
- tbihl 10y agoI would have said geometric buckling above.
- ci5er 10y agoI'm getting bleary eyed from a day that has gone on too long, but how does something approximately 33x33x42 feet equal 140k ft^3? Same question with the first one too. The cubic-feet measurement is including something else, right? What might that be?
- tyingq 10y agoOops...thanks for the catch. Used diameter instead of radius when calculating the volume of each cylindrical object. So, the cubic footage is off...but for both. So, corrected: For comparison, the reactor described here outputs 50 megawatts, and is 15 feet in diameter and 76 feet long (~13,500 cubic feet). The S6G reactor in Los Angeles class submarines outputs 150 megawatts and is 33 feet in diameter and 42 feet long (~35,000 cubic feet).
- ci5er 10y agoYeah -- I figured that out after I caught a little shut-eye. If my brain had been operating at all, I would have seen that and not even asked. Sorry.
- acidburnNSA 10y agoThere was also one powering a US Army ice base in Greenland called Camp Century. The video of it is actually pretty awesome [1]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ujx_pND9wg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ujx_pND9wg