Poster nuclear reactor K48

The K48 is a type of pressurized water reactor - nuclear boiler - with a thermal power of 48 megawatts designed by the TechnicAtome company in the early 1970s to equip the Rubis class nuclear submarines.

It was developed after tests at the Cadarache center on a prototype on land.

K48 nuclear reactors are designed according to a new architecture: the compact boiler without external loop, the steam generator is integrated into the tank under the cover. The gains in size and discretion (fewer pipes, therefore less noise) are said to be considerable

The K48 equips the following nuclear attack submarines: Rubis, Saphir, Casabianca, Emeraude, Améthyste and Per