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What happens to the steam that nuclear submarines build up?
So from how I understand nuclear reactors work, electricity isnt directly generated from the radioactive material, but rather the radioactive material heats up steam whose pressure poweres a turbine that is connected to a generator (converting mechanical energy to electrical energy).
My question is, nuclear power plants on the surface have towers releasing steam into the air, but since a nuclear sub is underwater, what happens to the steam?
3 Answers
- ?Lv 75 years agoFavorite Answer
They appear to have two water loops: One closed loop draws heat from a non-water coolant around the core and converts to steam, driving the turbines, and then condensing to return back to draw heat from the core. A second open loop draws water from the ocean, cooling the steam to condense it back into liquid water, then expels the hot water back into the ocean.
- Mike1942fLv 75 years ago
No they don't have towers releasing steam to the atmosphere when on the surface - the steam is run thru a condenser cooled by pumped in sea water and reused. Nuclear subs can spend months without ever surfacing.
- PhilomelLv 75 years ago
After passing through the turbine it condenses back into water and it returns to the boiler to be used again.
