Refueling and Overhaul

In the United States Navy, Refueling and Overhaul (ROH) refers to a lengthy process or procedure performed on nuclear-powered naval ships, which involves replacement of expended nuclear fuel with new fuel and a general maintenance fix-up, renovation, and often modernization of the entire ship. In theory, such a process could simply involve only refueling or only an overhaul, but nuclear refueling is usually combined with an overhaul. An ROH usually takes one to two years for submarines and up to almost three years for an aircraft carrier, performed at a naval shipyard. Time periods between ROHs on a ship have varied historically from about 5–20 years (for submarines) to up to 25 years (for Nimitz-class aircraft carriers). For modern submarines and aircraft carriers, ROHs are typically carried out about midway through their operating lifespan. There are also shorter maintenance fix-ups called availabilities for ships periodically at shipyards. A particularly lengthy refueling, maintenance, and modernization process for a nuclear aircraft carrier can last up to almost three years and be referred to as a Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH).

At a shipyard, a ship to undergo ROH goes into a drydock, which is then closed off from the sea. Water is evacuated from the drydock with keel blocks pre positioned under the hull, so the ship's keel area will rest on the blocks as the water is pumped out. At the end of the ROH, the drydock is refilled with water so the ship can be re-floated and removed from the dock.

To start ROH, operating procedures are used to shut down and cool down the propulsion power plant to bring it to desired temperatures, pressures, and other conditions. During the ROH, ship's Navy crew stand shutdown watches, and civilian shipyard workers do much of the repair, maintenance, and installation work. During an ROH, all personnel in a maintenance work area are commonly required to wear a hard hat.

Land-based naval reactor prototype plants have also undergone similar refueling and overhauls, not at a shipyard but at whatever facility they are located.

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