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REPORT ON IN NAVAL NUCLEAR JUNE, 1995

REPORT ON IN NAVAL NUCLEAR JUNE, 1995

REPORT ON IN NAVAL NUCLEAR JUNE, 1995

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LOW-E~TR}CHED URANIUM<br />

<strong>IN</strong> NA VAL <strong>NUCLEAR</strong> PROPULSI<strong>ON</strong><br />

SECTI<strong>ON</strong> A -TECHNICAL C<strong>ON</strong>SIDERATI<strong>ON</strong>S<br />

This section of the report contains:<br />

.a summary of the technology of Naval nuclear propulsion reactors, and<br />

.a study of the specific technical impacts on this technology of using low-enriched uranium in place of<br />

highly-enriched uranium for Naval nuclear propulsion.<br />

A discussion of the general theory and practice of nuclear fission reactors is included as Appendix A<br />

L DESIGN OF NA VAL <strong>NUCLEAR</strong> PROPULSI<strong>ON</strong> REACTORS<br />

The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program started in 1948. In the nearly five intervening decades, the<br />

Program has made a major contribution to the defense of the United States, providing propulsion systems<br />

for the world's first true submarines, making possible the virtually undetectable sea-based arm of the<br />

strategic triad, and giving major surface combatant ships essentially ine~austible propulsion power<br />

independent offorward 10gistical support. Forty percent of the Navy's combatant ships are nuclearpowered,<br />

and because of their demonstrated safety and reliability, these ships have access to principal<br />

seaports throughout the world.<br />

The Program also has made significant contributions to the civilian nuclear power industry with<br />

development of basic technologies, with the Nation's first nuclear central power Station at Shippingport,<br />

Pennsylvania, and with the world's only light-water-cooled breeder reactor.<br />

A Essential Functional Reguirements:<br />

Applying nuclear power to a mobile military platform imposes unique functional requirements on the<br />

reactor that are not encountered in land-based civilian applications:<br />

.Compactness: Reactor must fit within the space and weight constraints of a warship, leaving room for<br />

weapons and crew, yet be powerful enough to drive the ship at tactical speeds for engagement or<br />

rapid transit to an operating area.<br />

.Crew protection: Crew lives and works for months at a time in close proximity to the reactor.<br />

2

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