A4W reactor

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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 steam generators for each of the Nimitz classes's reactors are capable of supplying enough energy to produce 140,000 shaft horsepower (104 MWe).^[1] The A4W reactor cores are expected to have a lifespan of approximately 20 years.^[2]

[edit] 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.^[2]

[edit] References

^ US Navy Propulsion Systems. Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved on October 16, 2006. “power per reactor ... 140,000 shp”
^ ^a ^b A4W. US Navy Propulsion Systems. Federation of American Scientists (1999-02-27). Retrieved on October 16, 2006. “current cores for the NIMITZ Class aircraft carrier ... last on average about 20 years”