A2W Reactor

The A2W reactor is a naval reactor used by the United States Navy to provide electricity generation and propulsion on warships. The A2W designation stands for:

• A = Aircraft carrier platform
• 2 = Second generation core designed by the contractor
• W = Westinghouse was the contracted designer

This nuclear reactor was used in the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). The four propulsion plants on Enterprise each contain two reactors, numbered 1A-1B, 4A-4B, 2A-2B, and 3A-3B (numbered as they are located from fore to aft). Each propulsion plant is capable of operating on one reactor plant through most of the power range required to propel the ship at speeds in excess of 33 knots (60 km/h) (with a possible maximum speed up to approximately 35 knots (65 km/h)). Both reactors would be on-line to simultaneously provide maximum ship speed and plane launching capability. The prodigious steam available from eight reactors led to many urban legends crediting Enterprise (and the later Nimitz-class carriers) with maximum speeds substantially higher than this; however, since the turbines used on Enterprise are identical to those on previous oil-fired carriers, the maximum burst speed cannot be substantially higher.