Nuclear Marine Propulsion Reactor

The Vekllei Nuclear Marine Propulsion Reactor (VNMPR, Vampire or NMPR) is a marine propulsion system developed by General Reactor designed for large oceangoing vessels, including warships. Developed to standardise and simplify Vekllei marine power plants, the NMPR is used across most large commercial and military vessels in Vekllei, and variants of its design have been licensed to Argentina, Singapore, the Balkans, India and several other emerging naval construction markets.

The NMPR features a compact design with high-density mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel rods arranged in a hexagonal lattice. The core employs a liquid metal coolant (typically sodium) which offers superior heat transfer capabilities compared to water-based systems. This design allows for higher operational temperatures and thermal efficiencies, generating significant thermal energy for propulsion.

The propulsion system integrates Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) technology, which converts thermal energy from fission into electrical energy. This energy ionises seawater, propelling it through electromagnetic fields. The MHD system is capable of producing thrust levels exceeding 100 kilonewtons, suitable for both military submarines and commercial vessels. It compares favourably to competing overseas MHD systems in speed and thermal efficiency.

Because of its broad implementation, safety and ease-of-maintenance is a critical component of the reactor’s design. It includes robust containment structures made from advanced steel composites and high-temperature ceramics, engineered to withstand extreme conditions. NMPR reactors are equipped with redundant fail-safe systems that automatically initiate shutdown and cooling processes during anomalies. Radiation shielding of the plant structure is enhanced through boron-infused concrete barriers and active radiation absorption technologies. The reactor uses materials to improve durability and corrosion resistance, including advanced titanium alloys and nickel-based superalloys.

The basic design of the reactor is modular, and its installation in standardised vessel plant rooms facilitate straightforward component upgrades. Although first introduced in 2045, the NMPR has seen multiple revisions over its lifespan, and new designs are backwards-compatible with plants already in service.

Energy management is optimised through a computerised grid system powered by an atomic master computer (AMC), which continuously monitors reactor performance and adjusts energy output in real time. High-capacity superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) units are utilised to stabilise the power supply and improve overall efficiency, which provides effective load levelling across varying operational demands.

With virtually unlimited operational range, the Nuclear Marine Propulsion Reactor can sustain missions limited only by crew endurance and supplies. It can achieve sub-surface speeds exceeding 30 knots, and its introduction effectively enabled the development of submarine commercial cargo vessels under the Arctic. All large vessels of the Armed Forces and most Vekllei-built commercial shipping use a variant of the NMPR in some form.