A1B reactor
Encyclopedia
The A1B reactor is a nuclear reactor
being designed for use by the United States Navy
to provide electricity generation
and propulsion
for the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. The A1B designation stands for:
Initial plans for the Gerald R. Ford-class carrier program include a two-reactor complex intended to replace the A4W reactor
design used on the Nimitz-class carriers.
United States Naval reactor
United States Naval reactor refers to nuclear reactors used by the United States Navy aboard certain ships to produce power for propulsion, electric power, catapulting airplanes in aircraft carriers, and a few more minor uses. Such Naval nuclear reactors have a complete power plant associated with...
being designed for use by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to provide electricity generation
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
and propulsion
Nuclear marine propulsion
Nuclear marine propulsion is propulsion of a ship by a nuclear reactor. Naval nuclear propulsion is propulsion that specifically refers to naval warships...
for the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. The A1B designation stands for:
- A = Aircraft carrierAircraft carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
platform - 1 = First generation coreNuclear reactor coreA nuclear reactor core is the portion of a nuclear reactor containing the nuclear fuel components where the nuclear reactions take place.- Description :...
designed by the contractor - B = Bechtel Marine Propulsion CorporationBechtelBechtel Corporation is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S...
is the contracted designer
Initial plans for the Gerald R. Ford-class carrier program include a two-reactor complex intended to replace the A4W reactor
A4W reactor
The A4W reactor is a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to propel warships and generate onboard electricity.The A4W designation stands for:* A = Aircraft carrier platform* 4 = Fourth-generation core designed by the contractor...
design used on the Nimitz-class carriers.