S3W_reactor

S3W reactor

S3W reactor

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The S3W reactor is a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to provide electricity generation and propulsion on warships. The S3W designation stands for:

  • S – Submarine platform
  • 3 – Third generation core designed by the contractor
  • W – Westinghouse was the contracted designer
USS Skate

Design

This nuclear reactor was a variant of the Submarine Fleet Reactor (SFR), an advance on the pressurized water reactor (PWR) plant design employed on USS Nautilus.[1] The S3W plant utilized horizontal U-tube steam generators. This concept developed into vertical U-tube steam generators in the S5W reactor plant, and is in common use today on commercial PWR power plants.

History

USS Halibut and the four Skate-class boats were built with S3W reactors: USS Skate, USS Swordfish, USS Sargo, and USS Seadragon.[2][3] USS Swordfish and USS Seadragon had the S3W reactor installed in the S4W reactor plant, which was an alternate arrangement of the same components.

References

  1. [1]
    Ruzicka, Dee. "HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY U.S. NAVAL BASE, PEARL HARBOR, RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY BUILDING (Facility 1274)" (PDF).
  2. [2]
    Mizokami, Kyle (2020-01-18). "Russia Feared This Submarine More Than Any Other". The National Interest. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  3. [3]
    Carlin, Maya (2023-12-18). "Skate-Class: The U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine That Broke All of the Rules". The National Interest. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
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