Nuclear Ship Safety Handbook

Abstract

At present, there exists no clear, unified public document in the incorporation of design safety for nuclear civilian ships. Historically, there has been developed research into this area due to political development in the “Atoms for Peace” era. However, as of recent, the only development has been through standards institutions related to Floating Nuclear Power Plants (commonly known as FLOPPS) and by the Russian Federation with their nuclear icebreaker development. This paper uses this research data and standards and combines it with the operational experiences during civilian maritime nuclear operations to provide unique insights into potential issues and resolutions in the design efficacy of maritime nuclear operations. The goal, therefore, is to provide a strong basis for initial safety on key areas that require nuclear and maritime regulatory research and development in the coming years to prepare for nuclear propulsion in the maritime industry. The paper is isolated into multiple chapters in the areas that involve overlapping nuclear/maritime safety design decisions that will be encountered by engineers. Chapter 1 establishes the principles andm philosophy behind the safety discussion for nuclear maritime and discusses key topics that relate to the overall ship design. Chapter 2 provides design details on the reactor compartment and other considerations when designing the reactor compartment. Chapter 3 describes the various hazards the reactor plant should be resilient against and avenues in establishing resiliency. Chapter 4 discusses the propulsion system and key considerations when evaluating different propulsion designs. Chapter 5 provides emergency power considerations for design determinations. Chapter 6 provides an event tree analysis on the major initiating events when operating a nuclear ship. Chapter 7 outlines the port operating procedures including avenues for establishing porting requirements for nuclear ships.