Naval Nuclear Power
MM1(SS) Ryan Reed
Nuclear Field Coordinator
NRD Michigan
R
TH
E
O
IL
O
AS
G
O
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HY
DR
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CL
E
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AL
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NU
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55% COAL
100
90
22% NUCLEAR
80
10% NATURAL
70
60
GAS
50
40
9% HYDRO
30
3% PETROL.
20
1% SOLAR, WIND, 100
BIOMASS,
GEOTHERMAL
CO

AR
POWER GENERATION
BREAKDOWN
What is nuclear power?
Extracting usable energy from atomic
nuclei via controlled nuclear
reactions.
History
Fission experimentally achieved by Enrico
Fermi in 1934 by bombarding uranium with
neutrons.
 First nuclear power plant used for civil
purpose was launched in 1954
 The Navy’s first nuclear powered ship USS
Nautilus was put to sea in 1955

So why would the Navy want to
use Nuclear Power?
Efficiency
 Zero emissions
 Longevity

ENERGY EQUIVALENCY
CONS OF FOSSIL FUEL
SOURCES
COAL
 NATURAL GAS
 OIL

PROS & CONS OF
RENEWABLE SOURCES
SOLAR
 WIND
 BIO-MASS
 GEO-THERMAL

Coal vs. Nuclear Power

How long can one pound of coal light one
100 watt light bulb, once all of its energy
is converted to electricity?

Approximately 9 hours

How long can one pound of uranium light
the same bulb?
3,000 YEARS!!!!!
Nuclear power plants use a series of physical barriers to make sure
radioactive material cannot escape. In today’s water-cooled reactors,
the first barrier is the fuel itself: the solid ceramic uranium pellets.
The pellets are sealed in zirconium rods.
Why do you think the Navy takes
advantage of this technology?

Prior to this, submarines relied on diesel
generators to charge the ships batteries. This
limited the submarine submergence time to a
maximum of 12 hours before it would have to
resurface and recharge. Today, submarines
have the ability to stay submerged and
perform several types of missions without
being detected for up to 90 days (limited on
food and supplies)!!
Longevity
Navy’s nuclear ships can run for decades
without refueling.
 Allowing our submarines to remain
submerged, and aircraft carriers to stay on
station without having to return to port to
refuel.

Why can an atom produce so
much energy?
First, consider the type of reaction that is
taking place?
 Second, what are the individual particles
that make-up the atom?
 Which particles are in the nucleus and what
electrical charge do they possess?
 What holds the nucleus together?

Nuclear Physics
“Nuclear Strongforce”



The nucleus always has a smaller total mass than the
sum of its component masses.
That is if you weighed the protons and neutrons
individually they would weigh a total of 235 atomic
mass units.
However, when grouped to form the nucleus some of
the mass is converted to energy (nuclear strongforce)
holding it together which makes it weigh less.
This is derived from:
E = mc2
Nuclear Physics
“Fission”
What causes fission to occur?
Nuclear Physics
“Fission”
Addition of a neutron to the nucleus, causes
it to become unstable. In order for the
nucleus to reach stability again, it fissions
(breaks apart) releasing the energy (nuclear
strongforce) in the form heat.
 Also, 2 to 3 more neutrons are released.

Basic fission reaction
235
92
1
U + 0n
236
92
U
*
134
100
1
54
38
0
Xe +
Sr +
n +
1
0
n + E
Nuclear Physics
“Fission”
Are the neutrons “born” from fission
important?
 Yes!
 They go on to cause more fissions to keep
the chain reaction continuing.

Basic Nuclear Reaction (Fission)
Xenon
Xenon
U 235
Xenon
U 235
Strontium
Strontium
= Neutron
= energy released (heat)
U 235
Strontium
= Fission Products
Nuclear Physics




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If one neutron produces one fission and three
neutrons are “born” and they cause three fissions to
occur how many do we having at the beginning of
the third generation?
9
Fourth and so on?
27, 81, 243, 729, 2187
How is the reactor responding to this increase in
neutron population per generation?
It is increasing at an exponential rate, resulting in the
reactor to operate near or above its designed limits.
Nuclear Physics



To control the neutron population within the reactor,
operators use control rods which are made of nonfissionable materials such as Boron or Hafnium.
These elements are “neutron sponges” they can
absorb neutrons, to prevent them from interacting
with Uranium.
The control rods are remotely controlled and can be
raised and lowered to control the neutron population
within the reactor.
At steady state levels of operation, one neutron causes
a fission, an only 1 of 3 born from fission goes onto
to cause another fission. This is called “criticality”.
CONTROL ROD
THREADED SHAFT FOR DRIVE MOTOR
CONTROL RODS ARE MADE OF A MATERIAL
WITH A VERY HIGH PROBABILITY OF
NEUTRON ABSORPTION, USUALLY BORON
OR HAFNIUM. THIS ALLOWS THE CONTROL
RODS TO BE RAISED AND LOWERED IN THE
REACTOR CORE TO CONTROL THE RATE AT
WHICH FISSION OF U-235 OCCURS. THE RODS
ARE CONTROLLED AS A GROUP BY MOTORS
AND ELECTRONICS FROM A LOCATION AWAY
FROM THE REACTOR.
CONTROL ROD
TOP VIEW OF REACTOR CORE WITH CONTROL
RODS AND FUEL CELLS
OUT
CRDM
CONTROL ROD
FUEL CELL
IN
How do we do it???
The Nuclear Reactor



Made of Corrosion
Resistant Stainless
Steel
Built to withstand high
temperature and
pressure
Initial Containment for
radioactive material
We then convert the heat from the fission reaction to steam in a steam
generator. The primary coolant passes through tubes which have
cooler secondary coolant sprayed on them. The secondary coolant
flashes to high pressure steam.
Steam
produced
Heat
The steam then flows down a pipe where it will turn generators to
generate electricity and on ships to turbines. The steam will spin the
turbines at a high rate of speed. This will be reduced by reduction gears
to a useful speed to turn the shaft and ultimately the screw on a ship or
submarine to propel the vessel through the water.
Steam
Generator
Turbine
Completing the Cycle



The steam, which is now low pressure and
exhausted of its’ energy, is condensed back to
secondary coolant.
This secondary coolant is pumped back into the
steam generator to be used again.
The primary coolant, after transferring its’ energy,
is pumped back through the core repeating the
cycle.
NUCLEAR REACTOR
OPERATION
STEAM
SECONDARY
SHIELD
TURBINE
SW OUT
CONDENSER
REACTOR
STEAM
GENERATOR
PRIMARY SHIELD
SW IN
COOLANT PUMP
REACTOR COMPARTMENT
CONDENSATE PUMP
Common concerns regarding
nuclear energy
 Explosions
 Meltdowns
 Radiation
 Toxic
Waste
 Mutations
TYPES OF
RADIATION
GAMMA RAYS - no electric charge,
most penetrating.
ALPHA PARTICLES - identical to a
Helium-4 atom, ingestion hazard.
BETA PARTICLES - electron with a
- or + charge.
NEUTRON - no electric charge.
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
KILL OR DESTROY
CELLS.
 GENETIC
DEFECTS.
 CANCER
 NOTHING.

RADIATION LIMITS &
EXPOSURE
GOVERNMENT
NAVY
5,000mrem/yr
500mrem/yr
Average exposure working with nuclear power:
150mrem/yr
Average exposure received in the United States:
360mrem/yr
Medical X-rays:
60mrem/dose
Smokers:
1300mrem/yr
HEALTH EFFECTS OF
RADIATION EXPOSURE

0-25 Rem
25-100 Rem
100-200 Rem

200-600 Rem

600-1000 Rem

1000-2000 Rem



None detectable
Minor blood changes, nausea, fatigue
Disability, blood changes, vomiting. Several
weeks to recover
Blood changes, internal hemorrhaging,
disability, vomiting. 50% die w/o treatment
Accelerated symptoms. Death may occur w/in
2 weeks, with delayed mortality of 100% w/o
medical treatment
100% fatality w/o medical treatment
1 Rem = 1000mRem
`
CHERNOBYL: AN ACCIDENT
WAITING TO HAPPEN
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Boiling Water Reactor
 Runaway Reactor => 7% to 50% in 3 sec
Slow Control Rods
Loss of coolant due to operator error
Graphite Moderator vice water
No Containment
RECENT NUCLEAR
ACCIDENTS

CHERNOBYL-1986


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TECHNICIANS REMOVE ALL 30
CONTROL RODS, LOSE CONTROL
OF ENERGY
ATTEMPT TO SHUT DOWN
REACTOR, ONLY INSERT 6
CONTROL RODS
RAPID INCREASE OF HEAT
CAUSES COOLANT TO EXPLODE
INTO STEAM, RUPTURING
REACTOR VESSEL
CONTAIMENT BUILDING
RUPTURES RELEASING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
CHERNOBYL: AN ACCIDENT
WAITING TO HAPPEN
RECENT NUCLEAR
ACCIDENTS

THREE MILE
ISLAND- 1979

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WORKERS DISABLE CONTROL
AIR SYSTEM
SECONDARY SYSTEM SHUTS
DOWN, LOSS OF WATER IN
STEAM GENERATORS
REACTOR SCRAMS, PRIMARY
SYSTEM OVERHEATS, RELIEF
VALVE GETS STUCK OPEN
LOSS OF COOLANT IN PRIMARY
SYSTEM, CORE IS UNCOVERED
FUEL RODS BREAK DOWN
RELEASING HYDROGEN INTO
REACTOR VESSEL AND BLDG
GASES RELEASED TO
ATMOSPHERE TO PREVENT
HYDROGEN EXPLOSION
Three Mile Island



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Maintenance stopped feedwater to Steam
Generators => Rx automatically shutdown
Emergency Core Cooling System malfunction
Leaking pressure relief valve
Partial Meltdown
Almost fully contained
Turned the tide on public sentiment for Nuclear
Power
Public Radiation Exposure From
Three Mile Island
Highest whole body dose to any one
individual <100 millirems
 Dose rate within a 10-mile radius <1.5 mr
 Dose rate within a 50-mile radius <.5 mr

Radioactive Decay Particles

a = alpha particle => Helium nucleus with a
penetrating power in air of 1-3 cm. Shielded by
paper, clothing, dead skin cells.

b- = Beta minus => High energy electron with a
penetrating power of 17-24cm. Shielded by thick
clothing, aluminum foil.

g = gamma => photon with an infinite penetrating

power, shielded by lead
n = neutron => nucleic particle with a high
penetrating power, shielding by water
The Cookie Question: If you had an alpha,
a beta, a gamma, and a neutron cookie, which
would you:
away
 a Alpha
 put in your
particle
pocket
 b- Beta particle
 eat
 g gamma
 hold in your hand
 throw
n
neutron
Cookie Question Answer:



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Alpha particle: Hold in your hand because it is
shielded by dead skin cells.
Beta particle: Put in your pocket because it is
shielded by thick clothing.
Gamma: Eat, because one gamma is very small,
and the chances are low that it will even contact
any part of your body.
Neutron: Throw away because we use water to
either moderate or shield neutrons, and your body
is made of 70% water.
Training Pipeline
Upon completion of basic training: “A”
school for 13-26 weeks depending on rate.
 Nuclear Power school for 6 months.
 Naval Nuclear Prototype training for 6
months in either SC or NY.

BENEFITS
Entry level bonus- $12,000 cash
 Advanced promotion to E-3 upon graduation
from basic training
 Advancement to E-4 within 6-9 months (More
$$$)
 College level credit - ~80 credits worth
 Re-enlistment bonus- up to $120,000, and first
time advancement to E-5 (MORE $$$)
 Technical experience, leadership skills, a
security clearance level of “Secret”, and Highly
specialized training
 Great opportunities for Officer selection

Any Questions???
MM1(SS) Ryan Reed
 Phone: 269-270-7314
 Email: ryan.t.reed@navy.mil
