MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU (Michael Edelman) (05/06/91)
From: Michael Edelman <MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU>
Why have their been no successors to the Savannah? A major reason may
be that shipboard reactors- at least those in our Navy- use highly
enriched uranium fuel. Some or all is actually weapons grade, from what
I've read. In general, the US Gov't doesn't like to see weapons grade
fuel out sailing the seven seas unless it's surrounded by a few hundred
armed sailors and marines.
--mike edelman medelma@cms.cc.wayne.edunewcomb@world.std.com (Donald R Newcomb) (05/08/91)
From: newcomb@world.std.com (Donald R Newcomb) Michael Edelman <MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU> writes: >Why have their been no successors to the Savannah? The Japanese say, "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down." I understand that some years back the Military Sealift Command looked at taking over the Savannah for transport or hydrographic duties. The problem comes from the nuclear power. Many countries will not allow nuclear vessels in port. They tend to draw protest groups and unlike oil fueled ships pose a great risk if sunk or damaged. I don't think the uranium fuel in this type reactor is highly enriched. Donald Newcomb newcomb@world.std.com
mst@relay.EU.net (Markus Stumptner) (05/13/91)
From: vexpert!mst@relay.EU.net (Markus Stumptner) > From: Michael Edelman <MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU> > Why have their been no successors to the Savannah? The reason why the 'Otto Hahn', the German counterpart to the Savannah (constructed as an ore carrier) was decommissioned (about ten years ago, as far as I recall), was that it became increasingly difficult to find ports that would accept harboring a nuclear-powered ship. Markus
budden@trout.nosc.mil (Rex A. Buddenberg) (05/15/91)
From: budden@trout.nosc.mil (Rex A. Buddenberg) Soviets build several nuclear icebreakers. Lenin and Arktika classes had nuclear propulsion. Hard information is a bit difficult to come by, but the rumors we got when I was an icebreaker driver indicated that the Soviets had a tough time keeping them maintained and their safety records were not very good. Reciting the moldy old rumors is outside scope, so I won't. Rex Buddenberg