Why Refueling a US Navy Nuclear-Powered Carrier Takes Years
Kris Osborn
9h
Partner
Warrior C-UAS Series
By Kris Osborn, Warrior
Refueling a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is among the most complex industrial tasks in existence, as it involves lengthy, highly specialized procedures intended to ensure the carrier can surge several decades longer into the future.
The Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) process for carriers is intended as a “mid-life” service extension and massive upgrade, involving the opening of a huge hole in the ship to enable access to the reactor and other critical ship systems. The process is quite involved as the reactor must first be brought into a low power state before being fully shut down and left to “cool off” for several days until procedures can begin.
Dismantling the reactor
Then the top of the reactor needs to be cracked open through the removal of bolts and then literally lifted off with a large crane. Once the top of the reactor is off, new fuel assemblies can be added in place of old ones in large increments. Several hundred rods can be removed at one time, but all of the nuclear reactor’s rods need to be replaced to fully refuel the boat. This entire process takes quite a bit of time, as it has to be done carefully and with great precision. Following this process, the large top of the reactor can be “bolted” back on after all the water is pumped out.
Massive Modernization
https://warriormaven.com/news/sea/why-refueling-a-us-navy-nuclear-powered-carrier-takes-years
