the                                     
nuclear ship                            
,,savannah                              
first atomic merchant ship              
one of the world's                      
,,safest                                
ships                            ,u4,s4 
,,department ,,of ,,commerce            
,frederick ,h4 ,mueller1 ,secretary     
,,maritime ,,administration             
,ralph ,e4 ,wilson1 ,chairman1 ,federal 
,maritime ,board                        
and ,maritime ,administrator            
,,atomic ,,energy ,,commission          
,john ,a4 ,mc,cone1 ,chairman           
,illustration3 ,multiple advanced       
electronic and mechanical safety        
devices guard this 8atomic heart40      
,,control ,,rod ,,drive ,,motors        
,,hydraulic ,,scram ,,cylinders         
,,drive ,,line ,,lead ,,screw ,,section 
,,buffer ,,seal ,,enclosure    ,,boron  
,,steel ,,control ,,rods    ,,pressure  
,,vessel    ,,outlet ,,nozzle           
,,reactor ,,core    ,,thermal ,,shield  

,,fuel ,,elements    ,,flow ,,baffle    
,,support ,,ring    ,,inlet ,,nozzle    
,,pressurized ,,water ,,reactor         
,the ,n4,s4 ,,savannah1 the first       
nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship1 is
  one of the safest seagoing craft in   
the world4    ,this is the result of    
careful and deliberate planning4        
,every appropriate safety device1       
factor1 and technique were sought in    
the design and planning stage1 and the  
ship's construction has probably  been  
more closely and intensively inspected1 
tested1 and scrutinized  than that of   
any other merchant ship ever built4     
,,safety ,,policy ,,basic    ,the       
,declaration of ,policy of the ,merchant
 ,marine ,act of #aicf calls upon  the  
,maritime ,administration for the       
promotion and maintenance of an         
,american ,merchant ,marine for trade   
and defense 8composed of the best       
equipped1 safest1 and most suitable     
types of vessels40    ,the ,atomic      
,energy ,commission is engaged in the   

,n4,s4 ,,savannah project as  a part of 
its responsibility under the ,atomic    
,energy ,act of #aied 8to  encourage    
widespread participation in the         
development and utilization of  atomic  
energy for peaceful purposes to the     
maximum extent consistent  with the     
common defense and security and with the
 health and safety of  the public40 ,the
 ,commission has the responsibility of  
providing a safely  operable nuclear    
power plant for the vessel2 instructions
 and  regulations for the disposition of
 wastes2 the use1 handling1 and         
disposal of source1 special nuclear1 and
 by-product material2 and the  health   
and safety aspects associated with these
 responsibilities4    ,ship safety      
ashore1 abroad1 on the high seas1 and in
 port is of major  interest to the      
,maritime ,administration1 the ,atomic  
,energy ,commission1  the ,u4,s4 ,coast 
,guard1 the ,public ,health ,service1   
and such private  agencies as the       
,american ,bureau of ,shipping4    ,the 

,n4,s4 ,,savannah is constructed to meet
 or surpass every standard set  by all  
of these responsible agencies and will  
have a substantial  built-in safety     
margin in excess of the most stringent  
requirements of  applicable standards1  
which are among the highest in the      
world4 ,where  there were no existing   
standards every precaution in keeping   
with sound  judgment and engineering    
experience has been applied in the      
construction  and safety considerations 
of the ship4                       ,the 
,n4,s4 ,savannah ,is a ,safe ,ship      
,the reputation of ,american industry   
and the integrity of the ,government  of
 the ,united ,states stand behind this  
statement4    ,following is a detailed  
listing of the factors that make the    
,n4,s4  ,,savannah so safe3             
,,safety ,,factors    ,as the world's   
first commercial1 nonstationary type of 
nuclear power  plant1 the ,,savannah's  
design and construction have resulted in
 a vessel  with an unprecedented degree 

of safety4 ,basically1 the safety       
considerations concern two separate but 
closely inter-related factors3    7#a7  
,the hull and interior structure surpass
 the highest standards of  safety1 both 
in the conventional marine sense and in 
the light of the  additional factors    
created by the installation of a nuclear
 propulsion  plant2 and    7#b7 ,the    
nuclear propulsion system creates no    
more hazard to the crew and  passengers1
 and other ships in a busy port1 than   
any modern conventional  steam          
propulsion system--actually1 in the     
light of safety factors1  included      
because of its prototype nature1 the    
,n4,s4 ,,savannah is as safe  as1 and in
 some respects safer than1 a            
steam-powered vessel that burns  coal or
 oil4    ,the basic difference in safety
 between a nuclear-powered ship and a   
conventionally powered ship involves    
radioactivity which results from  the   
fission process4 ,provision has been    
made to control this  radioactivity on  

the ,,savannah under all foreseeable    
conditions4 ,this  control is           
accomplished through the following      
design and operational  features3       
,,hull ,,and ,,interior ,,structure     
,in general1 the following safety       
requirements were used by the           
,,savannah's architects1 ,george ,g4    
,sharp1 ,inc41 in the design of the     
ship3    7#a7 ,the ship is as safe as1  
or safer than1 any other vessel of its  
class  with regard to the usual 8hazards
 of the sea02 and    7#b7 ,in no        
credible accident can there be any      
hazardous release of  radioactivity to  
the surroundings4    ,the ,,savannah is 
designed to a two-compartment standard  
of subdivision  7i4e41 the ship will    
remain afloat with two main compartments
 totally  flooded7 at a draft of #bi    
feet1 #f inches4 ,the ship complies with
 all the  applicable laws of the ,united
 ,states and requirements of the        
regulatory  bodies and rules in force as
 to standards of safety4                

,structurally1 the ,,savannah differs   
from conventional passenger-cargo  ships
 only in that the reactor and           
containment foundations are             
comparatively much heavier than the     
foundations for normal ship's           
machinery4 ,the heavy longitudinal      
members are carried well beyond the     
reactor space bulkheads to tie with a   
smooth transition into the              
double-bottom structure4    ,stability  
equivalent to that of a conventional    
passenger-cargo ship with  fuel oil     
tanks full has been obtained in the     
,,savannah4 ,in addition1  because there
 is no fuel oil to be consumed in       
passage1 there is less  variation in the
 stability of the ship during the course
 of a long  voyage4      ,,vital        
,,components ,,duplicated    ,from the  
standpoint of ship safety1 assurance of 
sufficient power to  maintain steerage  
and maneuverability is the principal    
requirement of  the propulsion plant4   
,to this end1 duplication of machinery  

and power  sources on the ,,savannah has
 been carried to the fullest practicable
  degree4 ,an electric 8take-home0 motor
 is installed for emergency  operation4 
,developing #gej hp 7nominal71 it is    
coupled to one of the  high-speed       
pinions in the reduction gear4 ,a       
quick-connect coupling  permits         
engagement in less than #b minutes4 ,in 
addition1 a temporary  supplementary    
startup steam plant is installed in ,no4
 #g hold4 ,this plant  is capable of    
developing #b1jjj shp ahead and about   
#a1gej shp astern1  using the main      
propulsion unit2 in emergencies this    
steam plant may be  used in lieu of the 
take-home motor4 ,using forced          
circulation boilers1  it can1 like the  
take-home motor1 be brought on the line 
in about #b  minutes4 ,in case of a     
reactor plant failure1 the stored heat  
in the  reactor system will be available
 during the interim period1 so that at  
no time will the ,,savannah be without  
power to the shaft4    ,from the        

standpoint of conventional ship         
operation1 the ,,savannah is  designed  
and constructed to the highest degree of
 operational safety4    ,reactor safety 
is ensured by the heavy steel           
containment shell  surrounding the      
reactor system4 ,this shell is designed 
to withstand the  pressure surge from   
the hypothetical example1 8maximum      
credible  accident10 used in nuclear    
reactor analysis4 ,thus1 any internal   
accident  will be contained within the  
reactor containment shell and no        
hazardous  amount of radioactivity can  
escape to the environment4              
,protection of the containment complex  
from ship accidents was studied in      
detail in establishing the ,,savannah's 
design criteria4 ,in particular1  ship  
collisions were carefully reviewed and  
methods developed to predict  structural
 damage to vessels struck in collision  
as a function of speed  and displacement
 of the vessels involved4 ,on the basis 
of the data  obtained from these        

studies1 the ,,savannah is designed and 
constructed to  withstand1 without      
damage to the nuclear reactor           
compartment1 any  collision with any of 
the ships making up #ii percent of the  
world's  merchant fleet4                
,,collision ,,possibility ,,low    ,the 
probability of collision with a ship of 
this remaining #a percent  group is     
extremely low4 ,considering that the    
,,savannah1 as the first                
nuclear-powered merchant ship1 will be  
handled with extreme care1 the          
probability of a dangerous release of   
radioactivity through collision is      
negligible4 ,because large ships proceed
 at relatively low speeds in  harbors1  
and because of the built-in             
invulnerability of the ,,savannah1  the 
probability of a collision of sufficient
 severity to damage the  reactor        
compartment is extremely low4           
,surrounding the reactor compartment are
 heavier-than-normal structural         
members4 ,the inner-bottom1 below the   

reactor space1 is 8egg crated0 with     
transverse floors at every frame2 and a 
deep vertical keel with more  than the  
usual number of keelsons in the fore and
 aft direction add to  this             
strengthening4 ,outboard of the reactor 
compartment are two heavy  longitudinal 
collision bulkheads2 outboard of these  
bulkheads there is  heavier-than-normal 
plating continuously welded to the      
beams4 ,inboard of  the collision       
bulkheads are collision mats made up of 
alternate layers  of #a-;inch steel and 
#c-;inch redwood planks for a total     
thickness of #bd  inches4    ,in the    
event of a collision broadside to the   
reactor compartment1 the  ramming ship  
would have to penetrate #ag feet of     
stiffened ship  structure1 the collision
 mat1 and the reactor containment       
vessel1 before  reaching the reactor    
plant4      ,,sinking1 ,,grounding      
,,weighed    ,other accidents1 such as  
grounding1 fire and explosion1 and      
sinking also  were considered in the    

design and construction of the ,n4,s4   
,,savannah4  ,grounding is very similar 
to collision in its effects1 except that
 the  damage is ordinarily more         
localized4 ,the heavy reactor and       
containment  foundations in the         
inner-bottom provide adequate protection
 to the  reactor system4    ,the        
,,savannah1 as a passenger ship1 is     
prohibited by ,coast ,guard  regulation 
from carrying dangerous and explosive   
cargo in quantity4    ,the ship's       
fire-protection and fire-fighting       
systems are fully adequate4    ,in case 
of sinking1 provision has been made to  
allow for automatic  flooding of the    
containment shell of the reactor to     
prevent its collapse  in deep waters4   
,the flooding valves are designed to    
close upon pressure  equalization so    
that containment integrity will be      
maintained even after  sinking4 ,salvage
 connections have been installed to     
allow containment  purging or filling   
with concrete in case of sinking in     

shallow water  where recovery or        
immobilization of the reactor plant     
seems advisable4    ,besides the very   
latest in navigation and communication  
equipment1  including true motion radar1
 the ship is equipped with antiroll     
stabilizers4 ,located outside the hull  
amidships1 the stabilizers are  operated
 hydraulically by a gyro system capable 
of sensing sea  conditions and providing
 counter-forces to reduce the roll4     
,each  stabilizing fin has a lift of    
approximately #gj tons at #bj knots     
speed4      ,,radiation ,,shielding     
,one of the most important features of  
the ,,savannah is her radiation         
shielding4 ,the main sources of         
radiation during operation of the       
,,savannah's power plant are the reactor
 itself and the primary coolant  loop   
lines4 ,the primary coolant which passes
 through the reactor core is            
irradiated1 and itself becomes a source 
of radiation4 ,both the reactor  and the
 coolant emit neutrons and gamma rays4  

,there are also radiation  sources of   
lesser magnitude including process      
piping1 hold-up tanks1  pumps1 and      
demineralizers4    ,the objective of    
radiation shielding on the ,,savannah is
 twofold3 ,first1  it limits the        
radiation dose outside the containment  
to prescribed safe  levels1 and second1 
it reduces the activation of structure  
within the  containment shell by reactor
 core neutrons4 ,the latter             
consideration is  necessary in order    
that the reactor plant be accessible for
 maintenance  within #cj minutes after  
shutdown4    ,the shielding is divided  
into a primary shield1 which surrounds  
the  reactor itself1 and a secondary    
shield1 which surrounds the entire      
containment shell4      ,,primary       
,,shielding    ,the primary shield1     
immediately surrounding the reactor     
pressure vessel1  consists of a         
#ag-;foot-high lead-covered steel tank  
that surrounds the  reactor vessel with 
a #cc-;inch water-filled annulus4 ,the  

tank extends  from a point well below   
the active core area to a point well    
above it4  ,the active core height      
within the reactor is only #fj inches4  
,constructed  of carbon steel1 the      
primary shield tank is covered with a   
layer of lead  varying in thickness from
 #b to #d inches4 ,when the tank is     
filled with  water1 the dose rate       
outside the primary shielding from core 
gamma  sources and activated nuclei will
 not exceed #bjj mr per hour #cj minutes
  after shutdown4 ,this is sufficiently 
low to permit entry into the            
containment vessel for inspection or    
maintenance4      ,,secondary           
,,shielding    ,the containment shell   
completely surrounds the primary        
7reactor7 system1  and serves not only  
to confine spread of radioactivity in   
the event of a  rupture of the system   
but to support the hundreds of tons of  
lead and  polyethylene of the secondary 
shield4      ,,containment ,,shell      
,the primary function of the containment

 shell is to surround the primary       
system and provide complete containment 
of any radioactive matter that  might   
escape from the system4 ,the design     
pressure of the vessel was  determined  
by postulating the instantaneous release
 and expansion of the  entire contents  
of the primary system4 ,this approach is
 highly  conservative because of the    
improbability of a large rupture4    ,a 
study has been made concerning the      
penetration of the vessel wall by a     
piece of debris in an explosion4 ,an    
analysis of the penetrating power of    
high-speed components indicated that the
 shell would contain the largest        
missile that could be expected4    ,the 
shell is cylindrical in shape1 #ce feet 
in diameter by #ej4e feet  long1 and is 
centrally located on the ship's bottom4 
,the containment shell is sealed at all 
times during plant operation4  ,entry to
 the shell will be made only after the  
reactor has been shut  down1 the shell  
purged with air1 and the radiation level

 has dropped  below #bjj mr per hour4   
,the bottom half of the shell rests in a
 cradle of steel surrounded by a        
#dh-;inch-thick wall of reinforced      
concrete4    ,the top half of the       
containment shell is covered by a       
#f-;inch layer of  lead plus a #f-;inch 
layer of polyethylene4 ,during normal   
power operation1  this reduces the      
radiation level to less than #j4f mr per
 hour at the  nearest point of access by
 the crew4      ,,containment ,,shell   
,,air ,,conditioning    ,this system    
maintains a constant maximum ambient    
temperature of #adj ,f4  and a maximum  
relative humidity of #gb percent inside 
the containment  shell4 ,the system     
operates in conjunction with the        
intermediate cooling  water system1     
using #ie ,f4 water4    ,during normal  
operation1 the containment shell is     
sealed and no outside  air will enter or
 leave the vessel4 ,ambient conditions  
will be  maintained by regulating the   
cooling water flow as required according

 to  instrument readings on the control 
panel4    ,in all areas where crew      
members have unlimited access1 radiation
 levels  will be less than #e rem       
integrated dosage per year1 the         
recommended  maximum annual exposure of 
workers in the atomic energy field4     
,assuming  that passengers would move   
about the ship1 and on the basis of     
their  calculated average distance from 
the reactor1 the average exposure of a  
passenger remaining aboard for a year   
would be under #j4e rem1 i4e4 _/  of the
 occupational value4    ,the #e rem area
 is relatively small and not in general 
use4 ,no crew  member will be aboard    
ship or in the #e rem area continuously 
for a full  year1 and it is doubtful    
that any crew member will actually      
receive an  integrated dose of more than
 #j4e rem in a year4      ,,electrical  
,,system    ,this system supplies power 
to the reactor system and its           
auxiliaries and  is designed to operate 
with a high degree of reliability to    

assure  reactor safety during all phases
 of operation and shutdown4    ,it      
includes all load control and protective
 devices1 containment wiring1  metering1
 interlocking and alarms associated with
 electrical loads for  the reactor      
system4 ,power for the system normally  
is supplied by two  turbine-generators1 
each rated at #a1ejj kw1 #j4h pf1       
#dej-volts1 #c phase  and #fj cycles4   
,for increased reliability1 a double bus
 type arrangement  is used4 ,in the     
event of a bus fault1 an automatic      
transfer of all vital  loads to the     
other bus will occur4 ,during normal    
operation1 a circuit  breaker ties the  
two busses together4      ,,radiation   
,,monitoring    ,the radiation          
monitoring system of the ,,savannah     
keeps a constant check  on the intensity
 of radiation at various points within  
the reactor  system as well as areas    
remote from the power plant4 ,this      
system is  divided into two areas for   
this description4 ,they are power-plant 

monitoring and health physics           
monitoring4 ,the latter is covered under
  its own heading4      ,,power-,,plant 
,,monitoring    ,through keeping track  
of the radiation level at various points
 in the  reactor system1 any            
abnormalities in operation can be       
quickly detected  and corrected4    ,a  
leak in the heat exchangers1 for        
example1 would show up on a radiation   
monitor located in the blowdown line    
from each of the heat exchangers4       
,the intermediate cooling system1 which 
includes cooling water from the  primary
 pumps1 shield water cooler1 containment
 air cooler1 and other  components not  
directly in the primary loop1 is        
monitored at five  locations4 ,leakage  
of primary loop water into the secondary
 water is  possible only from the pumps 
and letdown coolers1 because of         
differences  in pressure4 ,consequently1
 radiation monitors are located         
downstream  from the letdown coolers and
 in each of the return lines from the   

pump  cooling coils4    ,the            
demineralizers are also monitored4 ,when
 the resin bed is  functioning1 the flow
 downstream 7effluent7 will have        
negligible  radioactivity4              
,consequently1 a monitor signal at this 
point will  indicate when to switch to a
 new demineralizer4 ,the monitor in the 
influent 7water entering the            
demineralizer7 measures the activity    
level  in the primary loop4    ,the     
fission product monitor keeps track of  
fission product activity in  the primary
 7reactor7 system4 ,the monitor consists
 of a cation and anion  column1 an      
amplifier1 and an indicating system4    
,this monitor is located  in the primary
 coolant flow system4      ,,tanks      
,,hold ,,liquid ,,waste    ,power plant 
liquid wastes are collected in tanks for
 storage prior to  discharge into a     
specially designed servicing vessel in  
port4 ,the liquid  waste collection     
tanks are monitored4 ,gaseous wastes    
will normally be  disposed of at sea    

through the radio mast1 which contains  
two detectors  for monitoring purposes4 
,they are an air-particle monitor and a 
radio-gas monitor1 and operate at all   
times so that gas is vented to the      
atmosphere4 ,if gaseous radioactivity   
should rise above specified limits1  the
 gas will be diluted to below the limit 
before being discharged to  atmosphere4 
,the above monitor stations are the     
principal ones involved in reactor      
system operation4 ,the monitors operate 
through a system of separate  channels1 
with each channel responsible for a     
pre-selected range of  activity4 ,all   
detectors relay their readings to the   
main panel in the  control room1 where  
automatic recording and visual          
observation  instruments are located4   
,illustration3 ,surrounded by steel1    
wood1 concrete1 the ,n4,s4              
,,savannah reactor is safe against any  
credible accident4      ,,stabilizing   
,,bracket ,,port ,,and ,,starboard      
,,polyethylene    8,c0 ,,deck    ,,steel

  ,,redwood ,,collision ,,mat    ,,wood 
,,pad    8,d0 ,,deck    ,,concrete      
,,watertight ,,bulkhead    ,,reactor    
,,compartment    ,,stiffening ,,rings   
,,lead    ,,containment ,,vessel        
,,compartment ,,bulkhead    ,,concrete  
,,inner ,,bottom    ,,foundations       
,,forward    ,portable monitoring       
equipment1 samplers1 and other health   
physics survey  equipment are provided  
for access1 survey1 and maintenance     
monitoring4      ,,reactor ,,control    
,,and ,,safety ,,systems    ,the design 
of the control system is such that a    
malfunction which leads  to an abnormal 
withdrawal rate of the rods will not    
result in a  dangerous condition4       
,studies indicate that the minimum      
reactor period  resulting from maximum  
withdrawal of the rods is not less than 
#cj  seconds4 ,the control system is    
designed to maintain the net reactivity 
insertion always less than the delayed  
neutron fraction4    ,the entire reactor
 system is protected by the safety      

system4 ,this system  causes the reactor
 to terminate power production if a     
dangerous  operating condition exists4  
,the safety system also contains        
interlocks  which prevent actions which 
would otherwise jeopardize the reactor  
system4    ,the control and safety      
systems are capable of protecting the   
reactor  system from damage due to any  
credible accident except a major leak in
  the primary loop4    ,the reactor will
 8scram0 7shut down7 automatically from 
any of seven  causes3 7#a7 shorter than 
a safe reactor period1 7#b7 excessive   
power1 7#c7  excessive rise or fall in  
reactor pressure1 7#d7 excessive reactor
 outlet  pressure1 7#e7 loss of flow1   
7#f7 loss of power to safety circuits1  
and  7#g7 loss of power to control rod  
drives4      ,,instruments ,,double     
,,checked    ,the nuclear               
instrumentation system provides maximum 
reliability and  safety1 yet minimizes  
erroneous readings or signals from the  
monitoring  channels4 ,this is done by  

using two or more measuring channels in 
each  operating range1 and then         
interlocking the circuits so that at    
least two  of them give the same signal 
of abnormal operating conditions before 
initiating a reactor 8scram40           
,increased reliability is obtained by   
using 8solid state0 instruments or      
magnetic amplifier units rather than    
electron tubes and relays4              
,,reactor ,,safety ,,system    ,this    
system constantly monitors signals from 
the nuclear and non-nuclear             
instrumentation1 and when necessary     
takes corrective action4 ,corrective    
action will be either in the form of    
8fast insertion0 of the control  rods1  
or in the form of reactor 8scram40 ,fast
 insertion takes place at a  rate of #ae
 inches per minute1 while a scram is    
achieved in #a4f seconds4    ,fast      
insertion consists of moving all control
 rods to the full down  position at the 
fastest rate possible through the       
electromechanical  drives4 ,for reactor 

8scram10 all rods are driven to full    
down position  under the force of a net 
hydraulic pressure of #a1bej psi4       
,,shorter ,,than ,a ,,safe ,,period     
,the reactor period is a measure of the 
rate of reactor power increase2  the    
shorter the period the faster the rise4 
,ten neutron-measuring  channels1       
covering the full range from source     
level to #aej percent of  maximum power1
 measure neutron intensity 7flux level7 
and its rate of  change4 ,these data are
 continuously transmitted to the reactor
 operator  and the automatic control and
 safety system4 ,too fast a rate of     
change1  or shorter than a safe period1 
will automatically 8scram0 the reactor4 
,,excessive ,,power    ,the amount of   
power produced is a function of the     
neutron flux and its  resultant heat    
generation in the primary loop4 ,the    
temperature selected  to produce        
automatic 8scram0 is #edj ,f4 ,this     
temperature 8scram0 circuit  provides an
 independent backup to the neutron flux 

8scram40      ,,excessive ,,rise ,,or   
,,fall ,,in ,,pressure    ,too low a    
pressure could result in boiling of the 
primary coolant1 while  too high a      
pressure could result in poor heat      
transfer as well as  placing unnecessary
 stresses on the reactor's fuel element 
core  structure4 ,there are a number of 
causes for either condition1 all of     
which would relay a 8scram0 signal to   
the operator and to the automatic       
safety system4      ,,excessive ,,outlet
 ,,pressure    ,in addition to          
protection against rapid rate of change 
in pressure1 a  scram circuit is        
provided to prevent any steady excessive
 outlet  pressure that could result in  
damage to the core and related          
equipment4      ,,loss ,,of ,,flow      
,this condition would result from a     
mechanical failure in the primary  loop 
pumps1 piping1 etc41 or by accidentally 
stopping the pumps when the  reactor is 
at power1 or by loss of power to the    
pumps4 ,when a single  pump fails to    

operate for any reason1 an alarm is     
sounded to warn the  operator4 ,if all  
four pumps fail to operate for any      
reason1 a signal is  sent to the reactor
 safety system to 8scram0 the reactor4  
,,loss ,,of ,,power ,,to ,,safety       
,,circuits    ,the hydraulic drives that
 operate the 8scram0 mechanism require  
reserve  pressure to keep them in the   
8ready0 position for 8scram0 condition  
and  are an integral part of the safety 
circuitry4 ,a power failure in the      
safety circuits would automatically put 
the hydraulic drives into  operation to 
8scram0 the reactor4      ,,loss ,,of   
,,power ,,to ,,control ,,rod ,,drives   
,each of the #ba control rods has its   
own drive mounted vertically on the     
upper reactor head4 ,of these1 #i are   
servo controlled and #ab are of the     
nonservo type4 ,the #i servo rods have  
variable speed drives and operate  in   
two groups in a synchronous manner1     
according to demand signals from  the   
reactor system4 ,the #ab-rod group can  

be operated manually or in  groups      
according to predetermined conditions4  
,all of these operate at a  speed       
determined by their gearing4    ,the    
safety considerations are as follows3   
#a4 ,each servo loop contains a monitor 
that will sound an alarm and  initiate a
 fast insertion if the rod fails to     
follow its command signal4    #b4       
,another circuit monitors all nine servo
 monitors1 and should any of  the servo 
monitors malfunction1 an alarm will     
sound and appropriate  corrective action
 will be taken through the automatic    
safety system4    #c4 8,scram0 action   
starts in the safety system and is      
independent of  operator control4 ,once 
started1 a 8scram0 action cannot be     
stopped4    #d4 ,for conditions that do 
not warrant 8scram0 action1 a fast      
insertion  serves to reduce power and   
permit the operator to correct the      
condition  without a complete shutdown4 
,a manual fast insertion can be made by 
the  operator4    ,the electrical       

circuits controlling the reactor control
 rods are  monitored1 and an electrical 
failure in one or more circuits will    
result  in a fast insertion or 8scram0  
action4 ,should electrical power to the 
control rod drives fail completely1 the 
hydraulic drives will be  actuated4     
,,waste ,,storage ,,and ,,handling      
,this system drains and collects1 until 
safe for removal1 all drainage  from the
 reactor system that might be           
radioactive4 ,drainage may result  from 
a leak1 or be part of the normal        
drainage accumulation during  initial   
fill and testing1 normal startup1       
operation and shutdown1 and             
decontamination4    ,the drainage and   
storage system consists of two pumps1   
valves1 piping1  containment drain tank1
 and four waste storage tanks4 ,the     
total capacity  of the tanks is #a1cej  
cubic feet4 ,this is approximately #hj  
percent more  than the maximum          
operational leakage and drainage for a  
#ajj-;day period4  ,provisions are made 

to take samples from any of the five    
tanks at any  time4    ,after sampling  
indicates sufficiently low level of     
activity1 the fluid  will be pumped to  
special dock facilities for transfer to 
inland waste  disposal sites4 ,no waste 
will be discharged at sea under present 
operating plans4    ,a special          
#abi-;foot vessel1 the ,,nsv ,,atomic   
,,servant1 will service the  ,savannah's
 reactor and handle the radioactive     
wastes4    ,the majority of the         
potentially radioactive gases vent into 
a central  manifold4 ,here they are     
monitored1 diluted by fan-driven air and
  discharged up the radio mast after    
passing through a series of filters4    
,during normal operation1 the manifold  
is vented continuously4 ,however1  if   
the radiation monitor indicates activity
 levels too high for  satisfactory      
dilution1 the gases can be diverted into
 the containment  shell4      ,,gas     
,,filtered1 ,,monitored    ,the region  
between the containment vessel and the  

secondary shielding is  ventilated with 
a #d1jjj cfm fan which discharges about 
half way up the  radio mast4 ,this gas  
is not expected to be radioactive but as
 an added  precaution it is monitored to
 determine if radioactivity is present4 
,all gases released through the radio   
mast are filtered to remove  particulate
 matter4    ,the containment shell air  
is purged with fresh air periodically at
 sea  and prior to entry by the ship's  
engineering crew4 ,during normal        
operation the only radioactive gas in   
the shell is argon-#da1 at a            
concentration less than the maximum     
permissible level for continuous        
occupational exposure4 ,the only        
potential sources of activity in the    
containment air above tolerance levels  
would be fission products and  these are
 not present during normal operation4   
,however1 as previously  described1     
prior to purging1 air samples will be   
analyzed to ascertain  the activity     
levels4      ,,health ,,physics         

,,monitoring ,,system    ,this system   
provides radiation protection to crew   
and passengers through  constant        
monitoring for any abnormalities in     
radiation levels that might  occur4     
,this is accomplished through a system  
of #ab radiation detector  units in the 
following locations3 ,a-deck1 outside   
doctor's office2  ,b-deck1 aft          
passageway2 ,b-deck1 port passageway2   
,c-deck1 port  passageway2 ,c-deck1 aft 
passageway2 ,d-deck1 starboard          
passageway2  ,d-deck1 both fore and aft 
bulkheads and at tanktop level1 the     
port1  starboard1 fore and aft          
passageways4    ,these #ab monitor units
 feed their readings into #b channels1  
with #f  monitors on each channel       
according to a predetermined sequence4  
,a  manually operated detector permits  
switching to any one monitor to allow   
observation and study of that station   
for as long as desired4 ,by means  of a 
recorder on each channel1 a permanent   
record of the #ab monitoring  stations  

can be obtained4    ,the detectors are  
calibrated and maintained periodically  
by operating  personnel using a         
standardized cobalt-#fj source4         
,ionization chambers located at the     
points of entry into the containment    
vessel will determine when it is safe to
 enter the vessel4 ,in addition1  anyone
 entering the vessel will carry a       
portable monitor to determine  the dose 
rate at the point he will be working4   
,in addition to the installed detectors1
 there is a full complement of  portable
 equipment to make any specific         
investigations required4 ,the  equipment
 is used to check decontamination       
results and to monitor  contaminated    
spaces during maintenance4 ,health      
physics personnel1  equipped with       
portable equipment1 accompany all groups
 working any area  that might contain   
radioactivity4    ,the health physics   
laboratory aboard the ship is outfitted 
for all tests  required during the      
operation of the reactor plant4         

,,auxiliary ,,systems    ,sampling      
,system4 ,this system provides a means  
for removing liquid  samples from the   
primary loop to determine the           
effectiveness of the  purification      
system4 ,samples will be taken from both
 the inlet and  outlet flow of the      
primary demineralizers4    ,intermediate
 ,cooling ,system4 ,the primary function
 is to provide clean  cooling water to  
the various reactor system components4  
,a secondary  function is to maintain   
water in the annular primary shield     
tank4    ,the system consists of two    
separate flow circuits3 a sea water     
circuit  and a fresh water circuit4     
,each of these circuits contains two    
pumps and  two coolers1 plus other      
necessary components4 ,the pumps and    
coolers are  arranged in parallel1      
permitting either pump to supply water  
to either  cooler4    ,in the sea water 
circuit1 inlet temperature is #he ,f and
 outlet  temperature is #ajf ,f4 ,the   
fresh water enters its coolers at #adc  

,f and  leaves at #ie ,f4    ,components
 outside and inside of the containment  
vessel are cooled by  one or the other  
of these intermediate cooling circuits4 
,,extra ,,emergency ,,power    ,two     
auxiliary #gej-kw diesel generator sets 
are on standby to provide the           
following3 7#a7 ,power to the main bus  
for operating those loads needed to     
supply cooling for decay-heat removal   
after a scram or shutdown1 7#b7         
emergency 8take-home0 power should the  
nuclear power plant become  inoperative1
 7#c7 power for reactor startup1 and    
7#d7 spare generating  capacity for     
normal operation should a turbine       
generator become  inoperative4    ,in   
the event of a reactor 8scram10 these   
generators will automatically  start and
 synchronize on the main bus bar to     
supply and distribute power  to the     
components used for reactor cooling4    
,a #cjj-kw emergency diesel generator is
 also available to supply power to  the 
#dej-volt emergency switchboard4 ,this  

source will operate in case  both the   
main turbine generators and auxiliary   
diesel generators do not4  ,loads       
connected to the emergency switchboard  
include lighting1 low speed  windings of
 the primary coolant pumps1 and the     
emergency cooling system4    ,a battery 
protected source will also provide power
 to those loads that  require an        
especially dependable power source with 
no interruption due  to loss or         
switching of auxiliary power4           
,,take-,,home ,,power    ,as mentioned1 
in the electrical system there are two  
#gej-kw diesel  generator sets installed
 in the engine room4 ,if any emergency  
8take-home0 power is required1 either   
diesel generator can be used to  operate
 a #gej-;hp wound rotor motor1 which is 
connected to the ship's  propeller1     
through the reduction gears4    ,each   
diesel generator is sized to furnish    
adequate power for reactor  decay heat  
removal1 lighting1 and necessary ship   
service4      ,n4,s4 ,,savannah ,,manned

 ,,for ,,safety    ,to assure that the  
first nuclear-propelled merchant ship   
will be  completely safe1 it is manned  
by well-trained1 competent personnel    
whose  duty and responsibility it is to 
operate the ship safely and             
efficiently4    ,every mechanical and   
electrical safety device of modern      
navigation is at  the disposal of the   
,,savannah's crew to insure the safety  
and integrity  of the ship4    ,the men 
who will handle the ,,savannah ashore   
and afloat will have had the  advantage 
of the specialized and extensive        
training program conducted by  the      
,atomic ,energy ,commission1 the        
,maritime ,administration1 and the      
private contractors who built the ,n4,s4
 ,,savannah and her reactor4    ,the    
ship's master and officers are men of   
long experience on the sea  whose       
backgrounds assure sound and stable     
assessment and judgment under  all      
possible conditions4    ,all of the     
factors herein discussed make it        

possible for the ,united  ,states       
,government to say of the ,n4,s4        
,,savannah1 as she ushers in the  atomic
 age on the world's essential trade     
routes1 that this unique and  wonderful 
vessel is unquestionably one of the     
world's safest ships4      ,,the        
,,nuclear ,,ship ,,savannah ,,is        
,,designed ,,and ,,built ,,to ,,these   
,,safety  ,,requirements    ,,applicable
 ,,codes ,,of3      #a4 ,u4,s4 ,coast   
,guard    #b4 ,american ,bureau of      
,shipping    #c4 ,maritime              
,administration    #d4 ,u4,s4 ,public   
,health ,service    #e4 ,american       
,institute of ,electrical ,engineers    
,marine ,code    #f4 ,u4,s4 ,atomic     
,energy ,commission    ,,safety ,,review
 ,,by3    #a4 ,,aec ,advisory ,committee
 on ,reactor ,safeguards    ,,design    
,,review ,,by3      #a4 ,u4,s4 ,coast   
,guard    #b4 ,maritime ,administration 
#c4 ,,aec      7,a7 ,oak ,ridge         
,national ,laboratory      7,b7         
,electric ,boat ,company    #d4         

,american ,bureau of ,shipping          
,u4,s4 ,,government ,,printing ,,office3
 #aifj    ,o--#efbjag                   
,illustration3 ,the ,n4,s4 ,,savannah's 
construction meets ultimate             
standards of health and environmental   
safety4      ,,passenger ,,dining ,,room
    ,,crew ,,quarters    ,,main ,,lounge
    ,,passenger ,,staterooms            
,,reactor ,,hatch    ,,reactor ,,aux4   
,,hatch    ,,crew ,,quarters    ,,cargo 
,,hold    ,,machinery ,,control ,,center
    ,,engine ,,room    ,,ship',s        
,,provisions    ,,stabilizer ,,space    
,,cargo ,,hold    ,,reactor             
,,containment ,,vessel                  
,illustration3 ,the ,n4,s4              
,,savannah--world's first atomic        
merchant      ship--pride of the        
,american ,merchant ,marine--model of   
maritime      safety4                   
,transcriber's ,notes      --,silently  
corrected a few typos4    --,retained   
publication information from the printed
 edition3 this e,book    is             

public-domain in the country of         
publication4    --,in the text versions 
only1 text in italics is delimited by   
underscores4