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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 853
| Subject: 8-18/19 history
Atlantic 08/19/56: The experimental sodium-cooled nuclear reactor of the USS Seawolf (SSN575) suffers a failure in the steam plant during a full power test run while the new ship is at Groton, Connecticut.A leak of sodium-potassium alloy being used as the third fluid in the steam generator aggravates stress corrosion in the system, causing two cracks in steam piping and a leak in a superheater. Makeshift repairs permit the Seawolf to complete its initial sea trials on reduced power in February 1957.Due to the difficulties of running a sodium cooled reactor, the Navy decides to replace the Seawolf's sodium-cooled reactor with a water cooled reactor, and use only water-cooled designs in the future.
I wonder where this reactor was disposed of?
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Master and Commander
Posts: 2490
Location: East Coast of Wisconsin | Subject: RE: 8-18/19 history
Disposal of Seawolf's Sodium reactor. From Wikipedia:
On 18 April 1959, the Navy disposed of the radioactive S2G plant by sealing it in a 30-foot high stainless steel containment vessel, towing it out to sea on a barge, and then sinking the barge at a point about 120 miles due east of Maryland in 9,100 feet of water. Twenty-one years later, the Navy was unable to relocate the container, but said that the radioactive materials inside should decay before the containment vessel deteriorated. |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3669
Location: Kansas City Missouri | Subject: RE: 8-18/19 history
 (the truth is down there.jpg)
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8-18/19 history
