Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!bionet!ig!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!att!cbnews!nelson_p@apollo.com From: nelson_p@apollo.com (Peter Nelson) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Nuclear navy in combat (was cold fission) Message-ID: <5538@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 11 Apr 89 05:04:15 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Lines: 44 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Peter Nelson >> 1) yes, fission plants will probably be more weight and size efficient >> ; that's why I recommended them for cruisers and carriers ; you >> only want the fusion plant because it eliminates the need to >> depend upon potentially difficult to supply enriched uranium and >> oil ; if you only have a few large surface ships using fission >> power, you have no uranium supply problem.....so stick with >> fission for CVNs and CGNs. Fusion is the obvious choice for the >> more numerous classes of surface ships (DDs/FFs), though. > >The Navy would love to power its DDs/FFs with nuclear power TODAY, but >they are having problems manning nuclear powered ships as it is with >the expertise that is necessary. They don't want to add to the problem. >A nuclear powered escort complements the CVNs and CGNs and frees them >from the logistics of tankering large amounts of fuel oil (or diesel) >for these ships. Do fission-powered vessels present any particular problems in a combat situation? That is, if they are hit, hulled, catch-fire, etc, do they present any unique hazards by virtue of having radioactive fuel? Is there any danger of leakage of radioactive material, con- tamination of the crew, 'melt-down', etc? I am not very familiar with the technology involved so if this is a stupid question, break it to me gently. Thank you. --Peter [mod.note: I should think that fusion plants would, by and large, be less dangerous when hit. If the reactor is hit, the worst that could happen is the release of superheated heavy water steam [am I correct to guess that said would be much less radioactive and toxic than uranium compounds and reaction products from a fission plant ? ] The described fusion plant can't melt down, that's a fission phenomenon. On the other hand, it seems that it might be much more difficult to repair a fusion plant at sea; at least, considering that the loss of, say, an electrical switchboard or breaker panel could shut down the plant, and it could be 10 hrs plus to get the reactor back on line. - Bill ]