Technological Perspectives for Propulsion on Nuclear Attack Submarines

Rafael Radé Pacheco,Delvonei Alves de Andrade

doi:10.4236/wjnst.2018.81001

Abstract

This work aimed at proposing a new combination of technologies to improve military performances and reduce costs of nuclear attack submarines, without overlooking safety constraints. The last generation of nuclear attack submarines increased size to meet safety and operational requirements, imposing huge burden on costs side, reducing fleet size. The limitations of current Technologies employed were qualitatively discussed, explaining their limitations. There are new technologies (plate and shell heat exchangers) and architectural choices, like passive safety, and segregation of safety and normal systems, which may lead to reduction of costs and size of submarines. A qualitative analysis was provided on this combination of technologies, stressing their commercial nature and maturity, which reduced risks. The qualitative analysis showed the strong and weak points of this proposal, which adopted the concept of strength in numbers. Concluding, new Technologies enabled the existence of 3800 t nuclear attack submarines with powerful propulsion systems and good acoustic discretion.

Highlights

After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world woke in August 6, 1945 for a new era
Controlling a nuclear reaction demanded the development of new technology, overlooked in the rush of the Manhattan Project, Light Water Reactors were soon presented as a safety way to attain the control of a nuclear reaction
The objectives of this paper is to present the historical context in which took place the development of the technology of relief tanks, linked to the phenomenon of direct contact condensation, related to nuclear generation power plants

Summary

Introduction

After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world woke in August 6, 1945 for a new era. From the 1950s onward, North American politics sought a new presentation for nuclear power, not related to an uncontrolled nuclear reaction. Safety relief tanks were soon presented as a suitable tool to absorb the discharge of high energetic vapor produced within these boiling pressure vessels, instead of a direct discharge in the environment, which might cause personal injuries and damages. Relief tanks allowed a high velocity discharges to be recollected in small space condensation chambers, what is much recommended to recollect steam in suppression pools of a BWR. These two characteristics are related to the phenomenon of direct contact condensation, which started to figure in the academic literature after 1972. Newspapers of that time worked as sources for this research

Assumptions and Scope

Water Coolant Reactors

Naval Propulsion

Generation of Energy

Development of Pressurizer Technology

Conclusions