A1B reactor

The A1B reactor plant is an aircraft carrier nuclear reactor that is in development by the United States Navy. It will be used in the USS Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers to provide electrical and propulsion energy and is set to be delivered in the lead ship in 2017.

The A1B reactor plant was developed for the new USS Gerald R. Ford, class aircraft carriers to replace the ones used on its predecessor, the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The A1B nuclear reactor plant provides modernized technology that is both more advanced and adaptable than previous reactor technology.

The naming of reactors is based on the type, generation, and manufacturer. The type of reactor is for use in an aircraft carrier. Bechtel Corporation designed the new reactors. They have provided nuclear energy assistance to the United States government for land based nuclear plants, as they have "performed engineering and/or construction services on more than 80 percent of nuclear plants in the United States." This is the first reactor that they have produced for naval operations for the United States. These circumstances led to the naming of the reactor.

The A4W reactors have been the main source of power for the predecessor to the USS Gerald R. Ford-class carriers, the Nimitz-class. These A4W reactors provide propulsion and electricity to the Nimitz-class carriers. The reactor plant has been criticized recently for the Nimitz-class's biggest problem, electrical power generation capability. Those reactor plants are limited in electric power generation necessary to power modern electrical components. The A1B reactor plant will provide increased electrical generation capability, including large unused capacity for future needs.

Aircraft carriers contain nuclear reactors that provide all the electrical and motor energy of the ship by splitting enriched uranium in order to produce heat and convert water to steam to power steam turbines. This process is largely the same as land based nuclear reactors, although smaller naval reactors have several design differences. The increased electrical generation capacity will allow for elimination of service steam on the ship, reducing staffing requirements for maintenance. Two A1B reactor plants will power the ship. Electrical aircraft catapult power will also free the ship's air wing from reactor plant constraints.

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