Defence

Nuclear-powered submarines are a vital component of strategic deterrent.  Their stealth and simplicity belies and relies on extreme complexities underpinning operational safety.

MMI Engineering provides technical consulting services to support operators and nuclear licensees of nuclear submarines and their shore-based facilities in the management of associated risks.  This includes advice on nuclear safety cases, the evaluation of hazards and the inspection, assessment and design of systems, structures and components.

Nuclear-powered submarines rely on nuclear reactors for power.  The consequences of a reactor incident would be severe and extreme care is taken to ensure the safety of reactors while submarines are at sea and at shore.  At sea, submarines are subjected to operational hazards and the effects of degradation.  However, at shore they may be in more vulnerable plant states and are also exposed to an increased range of man-made and environmental hazards.  Notably, they are likely to rely on shore-based power supplies.  To ensure that loss of power, or other faults, which could lead to a reactor incident cannot occur it is necessary to design the shore-based facilities to survive all credible hazards and to provide built-in redundancy in the essential supporting systems.  MMI is experienced in evaluating the physical effects of man-made hazards, such as blast, impact and dropped load, and environmental hazards such as wind, wave and earthquake on typical marine structures such as dock walls, seawalls, jetties and lifting equipment and has performed system analysis on safety critical systems (eg reactor cooling systems).