A4W reactor
The A4W reactor is a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to propel warships and generate onboard electricity.
The A4W designation stands for:
- A = Aircraft carrier platform
- 4 = Contractor's fourth core design generation
- W = Westinghouse, the contracted designer
History
These nuclear fission pressurized water reactors (PWRs) were jointly designed by Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory[1] and built by Westinghouse Electric Company. Their reactor cores are expected to operate for about 20 years.[1] The only ships to use these nuclear reactors are the Nimitz class supercarriers, which have two reactors rated at 550MWt each. These each generate enough steam to produce a 100 MW electricity supply plus 140,000 shaft horsepower (104 MW).[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 "A4W". US Navy Propulsion Systems. Federation of American Scientists. 1999-02-27. Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
current cores for the NIMITZ Class aircraft carrier ... last on average about 20 years
- ↑ "US Navy Propulsion Systems". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
power per reactor ... 140,000 shp
External links
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