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PRESS RELEASE, SUBJECT: NOTE TO EDITORS AND CORRESPONDENTS RE PAPER " THE ARMY NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM: ITS REACTORS, AND THEIR APPLICATION TO THE LESS-DEVELOPED AREAS OF THE WORLD "

UNK, [AEC-ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION, THE U.S.]

ARMY REACTORS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; COST; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; NUCLEAR ENERGY

Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV

NEWS STORY

1960 Sep 30

Never classified

0023

NV0066747

IN137

ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION-ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION,

1994 Aug 26

2003 Sep 18

THE ARMY NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM ( ANPP ) IS A JOINT PROGRAM OF THE ATOM IC ENERGY COMMISSION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, AND IS SO NAMED BE CAUSE THE ARMY ACTS AS AGENT FOR ALL THREE MILITARY SERVICES WITHIN TH E DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. THIS PROGRAM HAS AS ITS PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VARIETY OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS TO MEET REQUIREME THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VARIETY OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS TO MEET REQUIREME NTS FOR ELECTRICITY AND HEAT AT REMOTE INSTALLATIONS, AND THE ORGANIZA TIONS HAS ATTENDANT RESPONSIBILITIES FOR TRAINING OPERATORS AND FOR PR OVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE THREE SERVICES IN THEIR USE OF NUC LEAR POWER IN FIELD OPERATIONS. THE GENERAL TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES OF T HE ARMY NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM IN DEVELOPING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS INCLU DE SAFETY, SIMPLIFICATION AND RUGGEDIZATION, MOBILITY, ECONOMY, REDUCE D ONSITE CONSTRUCTION EFFORT AND TIME, AND MINIMUM OPERATING AND MAINT ENANCE REQUIREMENTS. THE ANPP HAS ACHIEVED THESE OBJECTIVES IN THE PO WER RANGE 0.3-6 MEGAWATTS, ELECTRICAL ( MWE ) BY DESIGNING A VARIETY O F PRESSURIZED WATER, BOILING WATER, AND GAS-COOLED REACTORS. PRESSURI ZED WATER PLANTS INCLUDE STATIONARY, FIXED-BASE PLANT TYPES SUCH AS TH E SM-1, SM-1A, AND SM-2, AND PORTABLE TYPES SUCH AS THE PM-1 AND PM-2A . BOILING WATER PLANTS INCLUDE THE STATIONARY SL-1 AND THE PORTABLE P L-1 AND PL-2. THE ARMY GAS-COOLED REACTOR PROGRAM IS DIRECTED TO ACHI EVING A TRULY MOBILE PLANT SUCH AS THE ML-1. THE ARMY NUCLEAR POWER P ROGRAM PLANTS ARE CHARACTERISTICALLY DESIGNED FOR APPLICATION IN REMOT E REGIONS WHERE USE OF CONVENTIONAL POWER IS PROHIBITIVE; HENCE, NUCLE AR PLANTS ARE INHERENTLY WELL SUITED FOR GOVERNMENT OR CIVILIAN POWER REQUIREMENTS IN THE LESSDEVELOPED AREAS OF THE WORLD. THE POWER LEVEL S CONTEMPLATED ( UP TO 10 MWE ), IN BOTH PORTABLE AND MOBILE PLANTS, A RE ALSO COMPATIBLE WITH THE RELATIVELY SMALL CAPACITY IN SUCH AREAS TO CONSUME, IN EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, GREATER AMOUNTS OF POWER. T HE TRANSITION FROM A REMOTE SITE MILITARY INSTALLATION USE TO AN ISOLA TED OR EXPANDING, LESS-DEVELOPED AREA IS A LOGICAL ONE. NUCLEAR POWER PLANT USES AS POWER SOURCES FOR DEPOTS, HOSPITALS, PORT OPERATIONS, A ND TEMPORARY EMERGENCY APPLICATIONS CAN EASILY BE EQUATED TO SUCH CIVI LIAN OR GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED POWER-CONSUMING INSTALLATIONS AS EXPANDIN G MUNICIPAL NEEDS FOR URBAN AREAS, NEW REMOTE-AREA INDUSTRIES, OR EMER GENCY OR DISASTER AREA APPLICATIONS. THE PORTABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF T HE ARMY PROGRAM PLANTS MAKE THEIR EMPLOYMENT FEASIBLE IN AREAS WHERE O N-SITE CONSTRUCTION CAPACITY IS LIMITED; THE RELOCATABLE CHARACTERISTI CS OF SOME PLANTS MAKE THEIR USE AT SUCCESSIVE LOCATIONS TECHNICALLY F EASIBLE AND ECONOMICALLY ATTRACTIVE.