This paper is aimed at analysis of possible application of helium to cooling high-temperature nuclear reactor to be used for generating steam in contemporary ship steam-turbine power plants of a large output with taking into account in particular variable operational parameters. In the first part of the paper types of contemporary ship power plants are presented. Features of today applied PWR reactors and proposed HTR reactors are discussed. Next, issues of load variability of the ship nuclear power plants, features of the proposed thermal cycles and results of their thermodynamic calculations in variable operational conditions, are presented.

The article presents results of efficiency calculations for two 560 MW nuclear cycles with high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). An assumption was made that systems of this type can be used in so-called marine nuclear power plants. The first analysed system is the nuclear steam power plant. For the steam cycle, the efficiency calculations were performed with the code DIAGAR, which is dedicated for analysing this type of systems. The other system is the power plant with gas turbine, in which the combustion chamber has been replaced with the HTGR. For this system, a number of calculations were also performed to assess its efficiency. Moreover, the article names factors in favour of floating nuclear power plants with HTGRs, which, due to passive safety systems, are exposed to much smaller risk of breakdown than other types of reactors which were in common use in the past. Along with safety aspects, it is also economic and social aspect which make the use of this type of systems advisable.

This article provides a review of the possibility of using different types of reactors to power ships. The analyses were carried out for three different large vessels: a container ship, a liquid gas carrier and a bulk carrier. A novelty of this work is the analysis of the proposal to adapt marine power plants to ecological requirements in shipping by replacing the conventional propulsion system based on internal combustion engines with nuclear propulsion. The subjects of comparison are primarily the dimensions of the most important devices of the nuclear power plant and the preliminary fitness analysis. It was assumed for this purpose that the nuclear power plant fits in the engine room compartment and uses the space left after the removal of the combustion engines. At the same time, this propulsion provides at all times sufficient energy for port, technological and shipping operations at an economically justifiable speed. For deep-sea vessels, which are supposed to reach null emissions of CO, CO2, NOx, SOx and H2O, this is one of the most reasonable solutions. Finally the paper proves that all the above-mentioned marine functions could be effectively applied in power plants equipped with 4th generation nuclear reactors.

Operating and economic conditions of cooling water control for marine steam turbine condensers: The article presents the operational and economic analysis of controlling the cooling water flow in marine steam turbine power plants. The analysis bases on selected designs of the main condenser cooling water pumps and makes use of the results of investigations performed in inland power plants. Special attention was focused on marine aspects of the operation of those systems.

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