OK-650 reactor explained

The OK-650 reactor is the nuclear fission reactor used for powering the Soviet Navy's Project 685 Плавник/Plavnik (Mike), Project 971 Щука-Б/Shchuka-B (Akula),[1] and Project 945 Барракуда/Barrakuda, Кондор/Kondor, and Марс/Mars (Sierra) submarines, and in pairs to power the Project 941 Акула/Akula (Typhoon) and Project 949 Гранит/Granit and Антей/Antei (Oscar) third generation submarines.

This pressurized water reactor (PWR) uses 20-45% enriched uranium-235[2] fuel to produce 190 MW of thermal power. Developed during the 1970s, these reactors were designed with the aim of minimizing accidents and malfunctions. Monitoring subsystems, designed for rapid detection of leaks, were included, along with newer-generation emergency cooling systems for the main reactor core.[3] The reactor is now also used to power the new Project 955 Borei submarines. It was developed by OKBM Afrikantov.

Versions

VersionUranium enrichment (%)Power (MW)Vessel type (number of reactors)
OK-650[4] (OK-650A)21-45190 (180)Sierra-class submarine (1)
OK-650B21-45190Oscar-class submarine (2),
OK-650B-3[5] 21-45190K-278 Komsomolets (1)
OK-650VV21-45190Typhoon-class submarine (2)
OK-650V[6] [7] 21-45190,
OK-650KPM[8] 21-45200

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AKULA! The Soviet Shark. www.subsim.com. 9 December 2012.
  2. Web site: Russia hands over a nuclear submarine to India. 6 March 2012 . fissilematerials.org. 9 December 2012.
  3. Web site: 2.3 Development of naval reactors. www.bellona.org. 9 December 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101229223802/http://www.bellona.org/reports/The_Russian_Northern_Fleet_report_chapters/1175895305.68. 29 December 2010.
  4. http://www.proatom.ru/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=798 Энергетические блоки атомного подводного флота, proatom.ru
  5. Book: Polmar. Norman. Norman Polmar. J. Moore. Kenneth. Kenneth J. Moore. 2004. Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines. 287.
  6. Web site: ВМФ России: из грязи в "князи". Svpressa. 12 January 2013. 2 November 2019. ru.
  7. Web site: Четвертую АПЛ "Борей" "Князь Владимир" передадут ВМФ в начале зимы. topre.ru. 23 March 2019. 2 November 2019. ru. 27 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210427173815/http://topre.ru/2019/03/23/chetvertuyu-apl-borey-knyaz-vladimir-peredadut-vmf-v.html. dead.
  8. Book: Ma. Chunyan. Chunyan Ma. von Herpel. Frank. Frank von Herpel. 2001. Ending the Production of Highly Enriched Uranium for Naval Reactors. 91.