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The navies also use fuel enriched up to the level of a nuclear weapon, supposedly about 97% for the US navy [0] making more energy dense designs possible. Weapo

The navies also use fuel enriched up to the level of a nuclear weapon, supposedly about 97% for the US navy [0] making more energy dense designs possible. Weapons-grade are usually said to be above 90%. Wouldn't want those reactors placed in unstable regions. [0]: https://web.archive.org/web/20070209223424/http://www.nti.org/e_research/e3_74.html https://web.archive.org/web/20070209223424/http://www.nti.or...

rich_sasha 5y ago
Does the higher enrichment make them somehow easier to build, or safer? If not, my point stands, I’m not suggesting to copy the designs, rather that mass produced reactors can be viable.
- QuarterReptile 5y ago
  It supports designs that are very safe, but most reactors for commercial power don't need to be able to safely collide with underwater mountains.
  - rich_sasha 5y ago
    Interesting, are there any articles you could point an amateur nuclear enthusiast at?
    - QuarterReptile 5y ago
      The Wikipedia article is worth a read for some considerations [0]. If you haven't read section 3 of the Navy's Applied Engineering Principles manual [1], that's a good place to start thinking about what highly enriched uranium buys you in your core design. To my knowledge, you can't really read about the many safety systems attached to and around the Navy reactors. 0.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_naval_reactors https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_naval_reactors 1. (https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Portals/103/Documents/NNPTC/Electrical%2520Eng/applied_ee_v1.pdf&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwizmYykx9HzAhXcmmoFHehDAI4QFnoECAUQAg&usg=AOvVaw3B1wYqDy4ApFSsF2e8C8FJ https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Por...)