[Magnum44]

Ships of the Columbia class will have a fuel core that will power the submarine for its entire service life, eliminating the need for a mid-service refueling.

Interesting, I am wondering what tech improvement has occurred that allows for this? I am presuming this is a roughly 50 year service life?

[crusty old prospector]

Maybe “fuel core” equals battery

[MeganC]

Fifty years would seem about right.

[rellic]

fifty year fuel life.
Better reactors and using
fuel refined to nearly weapons grade.
eg more energy per pound.

[Yo-Yo]

Interesting, I am wondering what tech improvement has occurred that allows for this? I am presuming this is a roughly 50 year service life?

I'm guessing that the improvements aren't in the nuclear reactor, but rather in increased efficiencies of the ship's propulsion motors, electric pump motors, and ship's systems requiring less power.

[infool7]

Interesting, I am wondering what tech improvement has occurred that allows for this? I am presuming this is a roughly 50 year service life?

My understanding is that civilian reactors could have always been fueled like this but

aren't mainly to prevent a run-away reactor and that the smaller size and

military discipline allows their reactors fueled in this manner to be operated safely.

7

[TexasGator]

“Interesting, I am wondering what tech improvement has occurred that allows for this? “

I don’t think any major improvements but more refined reactivity management.

Power reactors use a different management strategy but can run two years at full power with only 1/3 of the core as fresh fuel.

A missile boat is shutdown half its life and at low power during operation.

[hinckley buzzard]

Now consider that the same reactor and fuel core could be mass produced and used for decentralized power generation around the country instead of vast unreliable wind farms and solar panel deserts.