The nuclear solution for boat propulsion is not an absolute novelty, but has so far remained confined almost exclusively to large military ships and submarines. New opportunities open up with new generation mini-reactors for merchant ships
There nuclear propulsion Can it be a sustainable technology for commercial ships? This solution has been used for some time on large military ships, such as American aircraft carriers, on submarines and on some Russian icebreakers. Given the large operating and infrastructure costs, however, it has never spread to merchant ships. However, as recently confirmed by Fincantieri CEO Pierroberto Folgiero al Corriere della Serathe idea of using so-called mini-reactors for merchant ships is already being studied by the Italian group. According to the manager, this type of propulsion could allow a vessel to travel for 20-25 years without refueling, significantly reducing environmental damage.
How it works
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The technology behind a nuclear-powered ship is the same as that of power plants. Here too, in fact, there is a reactor, generally a reactor pressurized water: generates steam by heating the main circuit through the fission reaction that occurs in the nuclear fuel. The water vapor is then channeled into a turbine, sometimes connected to a gearbox or an electric generator, which produces the energy needed to move the ship’s propellers. A naval reactor produces on average a few hundred megawatts of energy, compared to over 1,500 for a land-based power station. The smaller size usually means a higher percentage of uranium-235, which in turn means less need for replenishment. A nuclear ship is self-sufficient for very long periods thanks to the possibility of reusing the water vapor heated by fission, which is recondensed and reintroduced into the cycle, with any losses that can be compensated for by desalinated water extracted from the sea.
Fourth generation
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Nuclear technology is moving towards the fourth generation and therefore towards overcoming pressurized water technology. As stated by Folgiero, the solution under study is that of molten lead coolingwhich guarantees great advantages in terms of safety because any leakage of radioactive material would be shielded by the flow of refrigerant. Furthermore, it does not require pressurization because the reactor operates at atmospheric pressure and in the event of an accident the coolant would solidify around the core, blocking the radiation inside. In addition to uranium, these reactors can use plutonium as a fuel element, a product that is generated as waste from the fissions of nuclear power plants and which would therefore be easier to supply, without the need to turn exclusively to the extracting countries.
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Nuclear ships today
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Nuclear propulsion is currently confined primarily to military applications due to high operation and infrastructure costs. There are currently 12 in service nuclear aircraft carriersincluding 11 in the US Navy and one in the French Navy, as well as several other US and Russian ships and submarines also operated by India, the United Kingdom, France and China. Civilian applications, however, are very limited, with a handful of commercial vessels serving briefly as pilot projects, before being converted back to traditional propulsion. Russia instead employs several icebreaker nuclear powered.
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