ABS issued an approval in principle (AIP) for integrating a nuclear reactor into a cargo vessel propulsion system developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), HD KSOE, and Capital Maritime Group.
The design transfers heat from the reactor core using a special synthetic fluid. The propulsion concept is described as targeting micro-scale thermal outputs of 10 to 20 megawatts in today’s nuclear vessel propulsion focus points, while the MIT-developed approach uses near-atmospheric operating pressure that ABS says can enable thinner, lighter reactor vessels.
ABS also said the near-atmospheric operating pressure can support modular construction and easier transport, and it reviewed the reactor-to-machinery interface based on class requirements. ABS further stated this is the first AIP granted through the MIT Maritime Consortium, whose founding members are ABS, HD KSOE, and Capital Maritime Group.