S6G reactor

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The S6G<ref>U.S. Naval reactors are assigned three-character designations consisting of a letter representing the ship type the reactor is designed for, a consecutive generation number, and a letter indicating the reactor's designer. S6G indicates a sixth generation submarine reactor designed by General Electric. Note that the generation number is not to be confused with the generation numbers used in power reactors (II, III, IV, etc). More details about this naming convention are available in United States Naval reactor</ref> reactor is a United States Naval reactor plant designed by General Electric for the United States Navy's Los Angeles-class submarines. The S6G reactor plant consists of the reactor coolant, steam generation, and other support systems that supply steam to the engine room. The 688-class engine room contains steam turbines that generate electricity and drive the propeller shaft<ref>Nuclear Proplulsion</ref>. Specifications are classified, but the S6G can propel a Los Angeles-class submarine at over 15 knots when surfaced and over 25 knots while submerged. Design and operational support for the S6G is provided by Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL)<ref>KAPL: What We Do</ref>.

The S6G reactor plant was originally designed to use the D1G core 2 reactor, similar to the D2G reactor used on the Bainbridge-class guided missile cruisers , rated at 148 MW. All submarines following (and including) USS Providence (SSN 719) were built with a D2W reactor rated at 165 MW. The D1G-2 reactors are being replaced with D2W reactors when the ships are refueled.

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