A1B reactor

Last updated

The Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) underway in the Mediterranean Sea in August 2023 230811-N-TL968-2612.jpg
The Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) underway in the Mediterranean Sea in August 2023

The A1B reactor is developed by the United States Navy for the Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Each ship will be powered by two A1B reactors. The new reactor was named A1B, following the Navy's reactor-designation scheme of type, generation, and manufacturer: A for aircraft carrier, 1 for the maker's first reactor plant design, and B for Bechtel, the company making the reactor. [1]

As Navy planners developed requirements for the Gerald R. Ford class, they concluded that the A4W reactors that powered the previous Nimitz-class aircraft carriers offer too little power for current and anticipated future shipboard needs, [2] and decided to commission a new reactor design from Bechtel Corporation, [3] which has "performed engineering and/or construction services on more than 80 percent of [land-based] nuclear plants in the United States." [3] The A1B reactor is more efficient, more adaptable, smaller, and lighter than the A4W design. It also has improved operator interfaces.

Nuclear reactors power aircraft carriers by the fission of enriched uranium to boil water, causing turbines to turn and generate electricity. This process is largely the same as in land-based nuclear power stations, but with one notable difference. Naval reactors directly use turboshaft power for turning the ship's screws. Over decades of development several other design differences have emerged between naval reactors and the usually much larger power station reactors.

It is estimated that the thermal power output of each A1B will be around 700 MWth, some 25% more than provided by the A4W. [4] Improved efficiency in the total plant is expected to provide improved output to both propulsion and electrical systems. Using A4W data [5] with a 25% increase in thermal power, the A1B reactors are likely to produce enough steam to generate 125 megawatts (168,000 hp) of electricity, plus 350,000 shaft horsepower (260 MW) from just one reactor to power the four propeller shafts. [6]

The greater electrical generation capacity will allow for elimination of service steam on the ship, reducing staffing requirements for maintenance. [7] In addition, the use of electromagnetic aircraft catapults (EMALS) will free the ship's air wing from the constraints of pressurized steam, used aboard the Nimitz-class carriers.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newport News Shipbuilding</span> American shipyard

Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the sole designer, builder, and refueler of aircraft carriers and one of two providers of submarines for the United States Navy. Founded as the Chesapeake Dry Dock and Construction Co. in 1886, Newport News Shipbuilding has built more than 800 ships, including both naval and commercial ships. Located in the city of Newport News, Virginia, its facilities span more than 550 acres (2.2 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States naval reactors</span> Classes of nuclear reactors used by the United States Navy

United States naval reactors are nuclear reactors used by the United States Navy aboard certain ships to generate the steam used to produce power for propulsion, electric power, catapulting airplanes in aircraft carriers, and a few more minor uses. Such naval nuclear reactors have a complete power plant associated with them. All commissioned U.S. Navy submarines and supercarriers built since 1975 are nuclear powered, with the last conventional carrier, USS Kitty Hawk, being decommissioned in May 2009. The U.S. Navy also had nine nuclear-powered cruisers with such reactors, but they have since been decommissioned as well.

<i>Nimitz</i>-class aircraft carrier US Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier class

The Nimitz class is a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. The lead ship of the class is named after World War II United States Pacific Fleet commander Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who was the last living U.S. Navy officer to hold the rank. With an overall length of 1,092 ft (333 m) and a full-load displacement of over 100,000 long tons (100,000 t), the Nimitz-class ships were the largest warships built and in service until USS Gerald R. Ford entered the fleet in 2017.

The A2W reactor is a naval nuclear reactor used by the United States Navy to provide electricity generation and propulsion on warships. The A2W designation stands for:

The A3W reactor was a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to provide electricity generation and propulsion on warships. Like all operational U.S. naval reactors it was a pressurized water reactor (PWR) design. The A3W designation stands for:

The A4W reactor is a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to propel warships and generate onboard electricity.

The S6G reactor is a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to provide electricity generation and propulsion on Los Angeles-class attack submarines. The S6G designation stands for:

<i>Gerald R. Ford</i>-class aircraft carrier Class of supercarriers for the U.S. Navy

The Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are currently being constructed for the United States Navy, which intends to eventually acquire ten of these ships in order to replace current carriers on a one-for-one basis, starting with the lead ship of her class, Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), replacing Enterprise (CVN-65), and later the Nimitz-class carriers. The new vessels have a hull similar to the Nimitz class, but they carry technologies since developed with the CVN(X)/CVN-21 program, such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), as well as other design features intended to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, including sailing with smaller crews. This class of aircraft carriers is named after former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford. CVN-78 was procured in 2008 and commissioned into service on 22 July 2017. The second ship of the class, John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), is scheduled to enter service in 2025.

The A1W reactor is a prototype nuclear reactor used by the United States Navy to provide electricity generation and propulsion on warships. The A1W designation stands for:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuclear marine propulsion</span> Propulsion system for marine vessels utilizing a nuclear powerplant

Nuclear marine propulsion is propulsion of a ship or submarine with heat provided by a nuclear reactor. The power plant heats water to produce steam for a turbine used to turn the ship's propeller through a gearbox or through an electric generator and motor. Nuclear propulsion is used primarily within naval warships such as nuclear submarines and supercarriers. A small number of experimental civil nuclear ships have been built.

A nuclear navy, or nuclear-powered navy, refers to the portion of a navy consisting of naval ships powered by nuclear marine propulsion. The concept was revolutionary for naval warfare when first proposed. Prior to nuclear power, submarines were powered by diesel engines and could only submerge through the use of batteries. In order for these submarines to run their diesel engines and charge their batteries they would have to surface or snorkel. The use of nuclear power allowed these submarines to become true submersibles and unlike their conventional counterparts, they became limited only by crew endurance and supplies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Electric LM2500</span> Industrial and marine gas turbine produced by GE Aerospace

The General Electric LM2500 is an industrial and marine gas turbine produced by GE Aviation. The LM2500 is a derivative of the General Electric CF6 aircraft engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S9G reactor</span> Naval nuclear reactor

The S9G reactor of the United States Navy is designed to generate electricity and propulsion for the Virginia-class attack submarines. The name S9G follows the designation scheme of platform type (submarines), generation, and the contractor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S6W reactor</span> US Navy nuclear reactor

The S6W reactor is a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to provide electricity generation and propulsion on warships. The S6W designation stands for:

<i>Taymyr</i> (1987 icebreaker) Nuclear-powered shallow draft icebreaker

Taymyr is a shallow-draft nuclear-powered icebreaker, and the first of two similar vessels. She was built in 1989 for the Soviet Union in Finland, at the Helsinki Shipyard by Wärtsilä Marine, by order of the Murmansk Shipping Company. Her sister ship is Vaygach.

In the United States Navy, Refueling and Overhaul (ROH) refers to a lengthy refitting process or procedure performed on nuclear-powered naval ships, which involves replacement of expended nuclear fuel with new fuel and a general maintenance fix-up, renovation, and often modernization of the entire ship. In theory, such process could simply involve only refueling or only an overhaul, but in practice, nuclear refueling is always combined with an overhaul. An ROH usually takes one to two years for submarines and up to almost three years for an aircraft carrier, performed at a naval shipyard. Time periods between ROHs on a ship have varied historically from about 5–20 years (for submarines) to up to 25 years (for Nimitz-class aircraft carriers). For modern submarines and aircraft carriers, ROHs are typically carried out about midway through their operating lifespan. There are also shorter maintenance fix-ups called availabilities for ships periodically at shipyards. A particularly lengthy refueling, maintenance, and modernization process for a nuclear aircraft carrier can last up to almost three years and be referred to as a Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntington Ingalls Industries</span> American shipbuilding company

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) is the largest military shipbuilding company in the United States as well as a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. HII, ranked No. 375 on the Fortune 500, was formed on 31 March 2011, as a divestiture from Northrop Grumman.

The United States Navy Nuclear Propulsion community consists of Naval Officers and Enlisted members who are specially trained to run and maintain the nuclear reactors that power the submarines and aircraft carriers of the United States Navy. Operating more than 80 nuclear-powered ships, the United States Navy is currently the largest naval force in the world.

References

  1. ↑ Ragheb, M. (2015). "NUCLEAR MARINE PROPULSION" (PDF). p. 8.
  2. ↑ Schank, John F. (2005). "MODERNIZING THE U.S. AIRCRAFT CARRIER FLEET: Accelerating CVN 21 Production Versus Mid-Life Refueling" (PDF). RAND. p. 76.
  3. 1 2 "Nuclear Power Plant Project Construction -". Bechtel. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Nuclear-Powered Ships: Nuclear Propulsion Systems". World Nuclear Association. May 22, 2017.
  5. ↑ "US Navy Propulsion Systems". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on October 9, 2006. Retrieved February 2, 2019. power per reactor ... 140,000 shp
  6. ↑ 104 MW + 25% = 130 MW x 2 = 260 MW (350,000 SHP).
  7. ↑ Petty, Dan. "The US Navy -- Fact File: Aircraft Carriers - CVN". www.navy.mil. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.