NUCLEAR POWER AND THE MERCHANT MARINE CRISIS

The economic feasibility of merchant ship nuclear power and its relevance to the present state of crisis in the merchant marine of the United States is examined. A review is made of the origins and current status of United States maritime law, its system of direct and indirect subsidies which tries to maintain United States shipping interest on a competitive basis with foreign nations, and the results of this system as evidenced by the post-war decline and present state of the United States merchant fleet. An examination of the current state of world merchant ship nuclear power is conducted. The construction and operation of a mathematical model of a hypothetical, but realistically configured contemporary merchantman in which all costs of construction and operation are contained is described. The model is operated under identical conditions in both a conventional and nuclear mode and the results of operations are economically compared. A sensitivity analysis of realistic variables is conducted to determine those operational factors that control the competitive environment between nuclear propulsion and oil fired ships. It is suggested that a new concept in total transportation is emerging which sees the ship as a subsystem rather than an economic entity. A conditional merchant ship nuclear power program is recommended and described.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00281425
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Naval Engineers

  Suite 507, 1012 14th Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20005
• Authors:
  • Thamm, T B
• Publication Date: 1970-2

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 77-107
• Serial:
  • Naval Engineers Journal
  • Volume: 82
  • Issue Number: 1
  • ISSN: 0028-1425

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction; Economic analysis; Mathematical models; Merchant vessels; Nuclear power; Nuclear powered ships; Operating subsidies; Propulsion; Subsidies
• Old TRIS Terms: Competitive merchant ships; Propulsion machinery
• Subject Areas: Construction; Economics; Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00015009
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 7 1974 12:00AM