00X/004 future nuclear CATOBAR carrier thread

[Han Patriot]

Uranium is 1000 times more energy dense than oil. So just consider the amount of space you will save.
The nuclear reactor isn't that large. Here is a picture of a 175MWt nuclear reactor for ships. With people next to it for comparison.
You would need like four of these to have equivalent power to the Ford class carrier.

View attachment 89493

For comparison here is one of the steam boilers in the Admiral Kuznetsov. It has 8 steam boilers. The Kuznetsov is much smaller than a Ford class carrier and a similar sized ship would need more boilers.

View attachment 89494

If you were using a steam catapult you would need to have a steam boiler in the carrier design. Now with EMALS you can use a gas turbine. This is an MT30 gas turbine as used in the QE class carrier. Which is roughly same displacement as Admiral Kuznetsov. It uses two gas turbines like this.

The gas turbines will be connected directly to a shaft. The nuclear reactor and the boiler will likely be connected to a steam turbine to do propulsion.

Bro,

It's either nuclear + steam propulsion or gas turbine propulsion. Yes with EMALS you can use gas turbine but gas turbine has it's own disadvantages too, they need cleaner fuel and requires more maintenance. There is a couple more skids for fuel processing, lubrication etc. I am in the marine industry btw, So it's not that small actually.

 

[davidau]

Bro,

It's either nuclear + steam propulsion or gas turbine propulsion. Yes with EMALS you can use gas turbine but gas turbine has it's own disadvantages too, they need cleaner fuel and requires more maintenance. There is a couple more skids for fuel processing, lubrication etc. I am in the marine industry btw, So it's not that small actually.

Show them we can do it, better than them!

 

[zxc136133849]

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

View attachment 91106View attachment 91107

1st Photo:

When establishing the Project 048, that is, when the development plan outline for China's aircraft carriers is in the drafting stage,
Both the PLA and the head(s) of the shipyard(s) have questioned the nuclear industry about the possibility of developing a nuclear propulsion system for China's aircraft carriers.
At that time, the nuclear industry has given a definite and conclusive answer, with the only thing that is not answered being the cost.
This reply is very critical for that time, after all, it was the beginning of the 21st-century, and the Chinese military spending is pretty stretched. A few hundred million more or a few hundred million less could very well have influcned the direction of the decisions being made (here I assume to pursue nuclear-powered aircraft carriers).
(However,) For China, there is no longer any bottleneck regarding the nuclear propulsion system (for China's aircraft carriers).

2nd Photo:

I know that something that is even better is already on its way.

Sorry for any inaccuracies in the above translations, as I was doing them in a rush.

 

[Lime]

I think pop3 means that project 004 has already begun.
But whether type 004 is under design or under construction is still unknown, he never indicates it clearly.
He also used to say that the type 004 has epoch-making significance. I think this implies type 004 is nuclear.

 

[TK3600]

All this time I have been saying next one is nuclear. But you hear all these people screaming more 003 conventional plz. Chinese military of 21st century tend to have rapid incremental steps before committing to mass production of most satisfied design. These people claim things are going bad need to have more carriers, but rushing one ship 1 or 2 years earlier really dont make much difference in the force balance. May as well wait this short time and get a proper nuclear carrier next.

 

[weig2000]

It has been increasingly felt that China's next carrier, 004, is likely to be a nuclear one ...

CNNC (China National Nuclear Corporation) doesn't feel like being left out of the party atmosphere around the launch of 003/Fujian and has jumped in to post such

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:



Basically, it says it's got something more advanced under cooking as far as nuclear propulsion is concerned.

Again, this is PLA Watching, nothing confirmative, nothing definitive at this point. You know the drill.

 

[henrik]

All this time I have been saying next one is nuclear. But you hear all these people screaming more 003 conventional plz. Chinese military of 21st century tend to have rapid incremental steps before committing to mass production of most satisfied design. These people claim things are going bad need to have more carriers, but rushing one ship 1 or 2 years earlier really dont make much difference in the force balance. May as well wait this short time and get a proper nuclear carrier next.

Having one more ship sooner would mean you can break through embargo in crucial places like the Malacca Straits.

 

[TK3600]

Having one more ship sooner would mean you can break through embargo in crucial places like the Malacca Straits.

If you are in a rush avoid building capital ships in general. Capital ships are not efficient for time spent, especially if all you save is like 2 years top.

Second whats with the self imposed deadline? You what else can break the embargo? Don't start a war til you are ready. That is assuming you are correct that China cannot break embargo with 1 less carrier in first place. ASBM says hi. I very much doubt that assumption.

 

[KYli]

China can build 1 nuclear and 1 conventional at the same time. China purposely has two shipyards that are capable of building carriers for a reason.

I believe there would be another conventional carrier due to logistics, maintenance, pairing and in case nuclear carrier fall behind schedule. But the nuclear carrier doesn't need to wait and could even start before the conventional carrier.