As the ultimate support, nuclear submarines play a vital role in the three-in-one nuclear strategy, and their strategic deterrence far exceeds that of land-based and air-based strategic platforms. At present, the countries in the world that have nuclear submarines include the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France and India, and it is estimated that the total number of nuclear submarines in service in the world is 146, of which the United States has 71, Russia 37, China 16, Britain 11, France 9 and India 2.
Among the nuclear submarines in service in the United States, the most advanced is the Ohio-class nuclear submarine, which has a submarine displacement of 180,000 tons, can carry 24 ICBMs, belongs to the most advanced nuclear submarine. And the most advanced nuclear submarine in service in Russia is the God of the North Wind with a displacement of 170,000 tons, which can carry 16 ICBMs, is also a nuclear submarine.
The most advanced nuclear submarine in service in China is the 094 nuclear submarine, with a displacement of 9,000 tons, which can carry 12 ICBMs, and the technology is between the second and third generation nuclear submarines. Although there is still a generational gap between China and the United States and Russia in terms of key nuclear power technologies, the latest technological breakthroughs are expected to fill this gap.
China has made significant progress in the miniaturization of nuclear power technology, and the new nuclear power technology will provide China's nuclear submarines with a greater output power than traditional pressurized water reactors, which is expected to increase the displacement of nuclear submarines to 180,000 tons, the number of ballistic missiles carried increased to 24, the speed increased to 35-40 knots. In addition, the concealment of a nuclear submarine is one of its most important performance indicators, and the noise level of a nuclear submarine determines how good or bad its concealment is.
The new nuclear power technology is expected to reduce the underwater noise level of China's most advanced nuclear submarines to 90 decibels, which is better than the noise level of the most advanced nuclear submarines in service in the United States and Russia. This technological breakthrough was made possible by the development of a small lead-cooled fast reactor developed by the China Institute of Atomic Energy, and the operating principle of the lead-cooled fast reactor is part of the nuclear power technology discussed in this article. Topic: Technological Breakthrough in China's Small Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (SMFR) China has made a major breakthrough in the technology of small lead-cooled fast reactors.
Lead-cooled fast reactors use liquid lead or lead-bismuth alloys as coolants to bombard nuclear fuel with fast neutrons to initiate a fission chain reaction that converts the generated heat energy into electricity. One of the biggest highlights is that the heat generated by nuclear fission can be brought out through the natural circulation without the intervention of external forces, so there is no need for a compression pump, which reduces noise. Combined with the newly developed electromagnetic force drive technology, this breakthrough has helped China's first-class nuclear submarine control the underwater noise level at about 90 decibels. Lead-cooled fast reactors have the following characteristics.
First, it increases the utilization rate of nuclear fuel and minimizes radioactive waste. Lead-cooled fast reactors can increase the utilization rate of natural uranium resources from 1% to 2% of thermal neutron reactors to 95%, while minimizing radioactive waste. Second, lead-cooled fast reactors are capable of multiplying nuclear fuel. Through the action of nuclear fuel and neutrons, the lead-cooled fast reactor can produce the proliferation of nuclear fuel, and with the operation of the reactor, the nuclear fuel gradually increases, so that the nuclear submarine can operate for a long time without replacing the fuel rods.
Finally, lead-cooled fast reactors are inherently safe because of their high thermal conductivity, which ensures that the core and fuel are not susceptible to overheating. In the event of an accident, the waste heat removal system of the core can be exported through its own natural circulation.