OK-150 reactor
Encyclopedia
The OK-150 reactor and its successor, the OK-900 reactor are Soviet marine nuclear fission
reactor
s used to power ships at sea. They are pressurized water reactor
s (PWRs) that use enriched
uranium-235
fuel. They have been used in various Russia
n nuclear powered icebreaker
ships.
OK-150 Specifications:
Distillate water was used for heat transfer and as a moderator.
The core was 1.6 m high by 1 m diameter. It consisted of 219 fuel assemblies, totalling 7,704 fuel pins. There was a biological shield made of concrete
mixed with metal shavings.
OK-900A Specifications:
Three OK-150s were used to power the Soviet icebreaker Lenin
at the time of its launch in 1957. Later, after damage caused by nuclear accidents in 1965 and 1967, these were removed and replaced with two OK-900s.
Nuclear fission
In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts , often producing free neutrons and photons , and releasing a tremendous amount of energy...
reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
s used to power ships at sea. They are pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...
s (PWRs) that use enriched
Enriched uranium
Enriched uranium is a kind of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Natural uranium is 99.284% 238U isotope, with 235U only constituting about 0.711% of its weight...
uranium-235
Uranium-235
- References :* .* DOE Fundamentals handbook: Nuclear Physics and Reactor theory , .* A piece of U-235 the size of a grain of rice can produce energy equal to that contained in three tons of coal or fourteen barrels of oil. -External links:* * * one of the earliest articles on U-235 for the...
fuel. They have been used in various Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n nuclear powered icebreaker
Nuclear powered icebreaker
A nuclear powered icebreaker is a purpose-built ship for use in waters continuously covered with ice. Icebreakers are ships capable of cruising on ice-covered water by breaking through the ice with their strong, heavy, steel bows...
ships.
OK-150 Specifications:
- Fuel: 5% enriched uranium in the form of ceramicCeramicA ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
uranium dioxide (UO2) fuel elements with a cladding. Different cladding materials were used; initially zirconiumZirconiumZirconium is a chemical element with the symbol Zr and atomic number 40. The name of zirconium is taken from the mineral zircon. Its atomic mass is 91.224. It is a lustrous, grey-white, strong transition metal that resembles titanium...
, later on, stainless steelStainless steelIn metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
as well as a zirconium-niobiumNiobiumNiobium or columbium , is a chemical element with the symbol Nb and atomic number 41. It's a soft, grey, ductile transition metal, which is often found in the pyrochlore mineral, the main commercial source for niobium, and columbite...
alloy were tried. - Fuel load: 75 to 85 kilograms
- Power production: 90 megawatts
Distillate water was used for heat transfer and as a moderator.
The core was 1.6 m high by 1 m diameter. It consisted of 219 fuel assemblies, totalling 7,704 fuel pins. There was a biological shield made of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
mixed with metal shavings.
OK-900A Specifications:
- Fuel: 90% enriched uranium in the form of metallicMetalA metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
uranium-zirconium alloy fuel elements - Fuel load: 150.7 kg
- Power production: 171 megawatts
Three OK-150s were used to power the Soviet icebreaker Lenin
Soviet icebreaker Lenin
The NS Lenin is a Soviet icebreaker launched in 1957, and is both the world's first nuclear powered surface ship and the first nuclear powered civilian vessel. Lenin was put into operation in 1959 and officially decommissioned in 1989....
at the time of its launch in 1957. Later, after damage caused by nuclear accidents in 1965 and 1967, these were removed and replaced with two OK-900s.