Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!emory!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Rickover and Safety (was seawolf submarine) Message-ID: <1990Dec5.031131.6896@cbnews.att.com> Date: 5 Dec 90 03:11:31 GMT References: <1990Nov30.023259.10033@cbnews.att.com> <1990Dec4.003257.11205@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington IN. Lines: 19 Approved: military@att.att.com From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) *>|Rickover killed the liquid sodium reactor in part because he felt it *>|represented an unacceptable safety margin. In doing so he knew he was *>|giving up more power with less weight. The soviets, on the other hand, *>|have developed liquid sodium reactor propulsion, and their boats are the *>|fastest at sea. *>Does this explain why the Soviet subs have a very poor safety record? They do seem to have problems with submarine fires.. and a huge amount of metallic sodium in such close proximity to water would be a fairly big fire/explosion hazard, no? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iskandar Taib | The only thing worse than Peach ala Internet: NTAIB@AQUA.UCS.INDIANA.EDU | Frog is Frog ala Peach Bitnet: NTAIB@IUBACS ! Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com