When a sub runs aground with a water-cooled nuclear reactor, doesn't the reactor's cooling system start sucking mud into the reactor instead of sea water? I'm pretty sure mud doesn't have the same heat transfer and flow characteristics as sea water. I suspect there is a downplay of the threat to the reactor in this article.
Not the way the system works at all. Seawater and reactor plant completely isolated from each other. Can't go into details, but I will say have been nuc submariner the last 28 years.
Not the way the system works at all. Seawater and reactor plant completely isolated from each other. Can't go into details, but I will say have been nuc submariner the last 28 years.
The systems are separate but the steam cycle is only about 35% efficient so if the propulsion and electrical generation systems are used, then that excess heat has to be removed. If the heat can't be removed, then the propulsion and electrical systems can't be used and the reactor system is of course reduced to a very low power or shutdown. Reactors have decay heat that must also be removed and a separate emergency cooling system is provided.