5 ms·

How does the Navy acquire nuclear powerplants for their vessels? I assume maritime powerplants are much smaller.

supergarfield 8y ago
Maritime power plants are tiny, but they typically require much more enriched uranium, which is frowned upon for civilian programs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_marine_propulsion#Differences_from_land_power_plants https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_marine_propulsion#Diff...
- akvadrako 8y ago
  Which is another policy decision - we could allow civilian plants with richer fuel.
  - btilly 8y ago
    The closer civilian fuel is to weapons grade, the easier it is to convert civilian fuel into bombs. I like the current policy.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
- mjevans 8y ago
  Why not have a branch of the military / DoE run plants for power production? Or at least provide security at the plants and clearances for working at them?
adventured 8y ago
There's a mash of entities involved, including numerous contractors, the Department of Energy, etc. Bettis Atomic Power Labs for example has been run since 2008 by Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp., under the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. Westinghouse previously ran it for 50 years until 1998. https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/missions/powering-navy https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/missions/powering-navy
hwillis 8y ago
There are plenty of presses that can make pressure vessels that small. That's why smaller civilian reactors are such a good idea!
noselasd 8y ago
The current state of nuclear reactors is largely thanks to one man , Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. A quite interesting character who through his work for building up a nuclear powered fleet had to build up the entire supply chain of suppliers from uranium mining, transportation through reactor development,construction , operation and maintenance. Tasks where he had to fight as much for through internal navy policy and the congress as he had to for the technical and scientific challenges.

Maritime power plants are tiny, but they typically require much more enriched uranium, which is frowned upon for civilian programs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_marine_propulsion#Differences_from_land_power_plants https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_marine_propulsion#Diff...

akvadrako 8y ago
Which is another policy decision - we could allow civilian plants with richer fuel.
- btilly 8y ago
  The closer civilian fuel is to weapons grade, the easier it is to convert civilian fuel into bombs. I like the current policy.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
mjevans 8y ago
Why not have a branch of the military / DoE run plants for power production? Or at least provide security at the plants and clearances for working at them?

adventured 8y ago

There's a mash of entities involved, including numerous contractors, the Department of Energy, etc. Bettis Atomic Power Labs for example has been run since 2008 by Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp., under the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. Westinghouse previously ran it for 50 years until 1998. https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/missions/powering-navy https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/missions/powering-navy

hwillis 8y ago

There are plenty of presses that can make pressure vessels that small. That's why smaller civilian reactors are such a good idea!

noselasd 8y ago

The current state of nuclear reactors is largely thanks to one man , Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. A quite interesting character who through his work for building up a nuclear powered fleet had to build up the entire supply chain of suppliers from uranium mining, transportation through reactor development,construction , operation and maintenance. Tasks where he had to fight as much for through internal navy policy and the congress as he had to for the technical and scientific challenges.