Compact pressurised water reactor makes N-sub a unique vessel.
India’s nuclear-powered submarine
INS Arihant uses the compact pressurised water reactor — also called a half boat — technology. Some scribes from Chennai were taken to the prototype site at the now defunct plutonium reprocessing plant (PRP), adjacent to the Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam, where they saw the functioning of the demineralised water reactor that generates 3.5 MW of power.
“We captively use about 2 MW of power for our electrical purposes and the remaining gets dissipated into the sea,” senior scientific officers at the prototype site said.
The indigenous nuclear-powered submarine project is a joint venture between DAE, DRDO, Navy and the Indian industry with Russian experts as technical consultants. “The introduction of this nuclear-powered submarine is a deterrent strategy.
The secondary strike rates of such submarines are very high and the enemy will think twice before attacking. The submarines can also reach depths of about 1,000m (Russian subs are said to reach depths of 1,200m) and have strike range of 8,000 to 10,000m.
They can be used for launching ballistic missiles and the life of such a sub ranges from 25 to 43 years. A nuclear-powered sub will surely be noisier than a normal sub, but because of quietening techniques the noise levels can be brought down,” flag officer submarine rear admiral Michael Moares said.
“This is a full size replica of the nuclear reactor that will power the submarine, except that it doesn’t have the outer hull. The research and development of this reactor was very crucial in developing the nuclear power pack for the submarine. This reactor will continue to work to help us generate data, conduct R&D and update the future nuke-powered submarines. This will also become the training centre for those who will work in the submarine,” the scientists explained.
Uranium sufficiency by ’13
India is exploring more uranium mines in Jharkhand, Andhra, Karnataka, Meghalaya and expects to have sufficient uranium for its existing nuclear plants by 2012-2013, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar said.
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