0
Only the few thousand kilograms that is in the core already. The reactor core is manufactured by one of the "big" suppliers of nuclear materials. All the fuel is welded inside tubes or plates. The tough metal covering is called cladding, and clad fuel makes up a fuel element. The fuel elements are assembled in what are called fuel bundles, and the fuel bundles are arranged in the core with the control rods and some monitoring ports included. Then the whole thing is sealed inside the pressure vessel with big bolts and nuts, and with a welded seam. With all the fuel in the core, the submarine is off on its rounds. When the core reaches the end of its usable life, refueling is scheduled. The boat enters a properly equiped yard, goes into drydock, and has a hole cut in the hull over the pressure vessel. The lid of the pressure vessel is opened and lifted, and the fuel bundles removed and replaced. Then it's all put back together. With the system tested and accepted by the Navy, the boat returns to service. There is no "gas tank" or "spare fuel" aboard in this light. There is diesel fuel for the emergency diesel generator system aboard, but that's it. The actual range of the boat is limited by the amount of provisions that can be stored aboard. Fuel for energy and the making of drinking water is not a problem. There are some 10 years of life (give or take) built into the core. Prepare to dive.
What else can I help you with?
How many gallons of fuel does a nuclear submarine hold?
A nuclear submarine has a reactor . There is no liquid fuel at all.
How long can a submarine be in the water?
A nuclear powered submarine can remain submerged for as long as it has fuel rods and supplies for the crew.
Where does nuclear waste go from a nuclear submarine?
In the United States, when a nuclear submarine has "run out of" nuclear fuel for its reactor (this takes many years), the reactor may be opened, and the spent fuel sent for reprocessing at the Naval Reactors facility at the Idaho National Laboratory. The reactor's core may then be refueled. This process can take some time, and handling the spent fuel is dangerous and requires complex procedures to prevent contamination. If the submarine is to be overhauled, or retired, the fuel is removed for reprocessing, and the reactor compartment is cut out of the submarine, sealed, and moved for disposal to the Department of Energy's Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State, where they are kept in dry storage. The submarine may be welded back together, or the sections floated, until a new compartment and reactor are installed, or the vessel is cut up for scrap. Low level radioactive waste may be handled in other ways.
How does submarine generates power?
Submarines are powered by diesel fuel (in the past) or more recently by nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors provide advantages in range and in noise produced.
What it would best be happened to gold if it were used as nuclear fuel?
Gold is a very stable element and would be no use as nuclear fuel
How far can aircraft carrier travel on one gallon?
THey are nuclear powered, the fuel they carry is for the airplanes
What part of a nuclear reactor would most likely contain plutonium?
This part is the core of the nuclear reactor containing the nuclear fuel.
Which fuel is used in submarine?
Modern submarines (depending on type) use nuclear fuel for their reactors, plus a tank of diesel fuel that acts as both reactor shielding and fuel supply for the backup diesel generator. Diesel-Electric submarines use strictly diesel fuel.
Could nuclear fission ever become renewable?
No, fission is still a fuel in - waste out reaction. Eventually the supply of nuclear fuel would run out.
What radioactive isotope is generally used to fuel a controlled nuclear chain reaction?
235U with a 5% enrichment of 238U is generally used to fuel a controlled nuclear chain reaction. In a navy nuclear application, such as a submarine, a higher enrichment of 238U is used, around 20%.
What fuel does a submarine use for cooking?
All submarine ranges and ovens are electric or microwave.
If carbon were used as nuclear fuel it would be best?
Carbon is not commonly used as nuclear fuel because it does not readily undergo nuclear fission reactions. Elements such as uranium and plutonium are more suitable for use as nuclear fuels due to their ability to sustain nuclear chain reactions.
