[ RadSafe ] Safety Issues Linger as Nuclear Reactors Shrink in Size

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

I've talked with men who served on the Seawolf when she had the liquid
sodium cooled reactor.  They joked that the Auxiliary Primary Coolant
Leak Alarm was sonar reporting rhythmic explosions from the amidships.  

One thing I did like from the article is the company that wants to build
reactors sized so they can replace the boiler in a coal-fired power
plant, and use the rest of the infrastructure.  I don't think I will bet
on them being able to convince everyone that it is OK, but I wish them
well.    

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Glenn R.
Marshall
Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 10:03 AM
To: Doug Huffman; radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Safety Issues Linger as Nuclear Reactors Shrink
in Size

Liquid sodium and water don't play well together

 
Glenn Marshall, CHP, RRPT

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Doug Huffman
Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 12:58 PM
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Safety Issues Linger as Nuclear Reactors Shrink
in Size

On 3/19/2010 11:42, Brennan, Mike (DOH) wrote:
> I am a fan of the idea of smaller, modular reactors, but I have to
agree
> with the environmentalists who are not impressed with liquid metal
> cooled reactors.  They have great characteristics, and made the Alfa
> class submarines a nightmare (I was on Active Duty when the Alfa first
> came out, and there was much discontent when it became clear that they
> could go faster and deeper than our torpedoes.)  However, any reactor
> that only gets to shut down once, whether it has been running decades
or
> weeks, has a real downside.
>

USS Seawolf SSN-575 was commissioned in 1957 with a liquid-sodium plant 
and converted to light water S2W two years later due to lessons learned 
then and now forgotten?
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