A4W reactor

The A4W reactor is a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to provide electricity generation and propulsion on warships. The A4W designation stands for:

* A = Aircraft carrier platform
* 4 = Fourth generation core designed by the contractor
* W = Westinghouse was the contracted designer

The only ships to use these nuclear reactors are the "Nimitz" class supercarriers, which operate with a pair of A4Ws aboard each vessel. The reactors are built and designed by Westinghouse. The steam generators for each of the "Nimitz" class' reactors are capable of supplying enough energy to produce 140,000 shaft horsepower (104 MWe). [cite web
url = http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/eng/index.html
title = US Navy Propulsion Systems
accessdate = 2006-10-16
publisher = Federation of American Scientists
quote = power per reactor ... 140,000 shp] The A4W reactor cores are expected to have a lifespan of approximately 23 years.Fact|date=September 2007

Design

The reactor is a nuclear fission pressurized water reactor (PWR). The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was awarded the building rights to the A4W reactor. The reactor was jointly designed by Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.cite web
url = http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/eng/a4w.htm
title = A4W
accessdate = 2006-10-16
date = 1999-02-27
work = US Navy Propulsion Systems
publisher = Federation of American Scientists
quote = current cores for the NIMITZ Class aircraft carrier ... last on average about 20 years]

References