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OK-550 reactor

OK-550 reactor is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand OK-550 reactor rather than just read about it. In short: The OK-550 reactor is the nuclear fission reactor used to power three of the seven boats of the Soviet Navy's Project 705 Лира (Lira or Alfa in NATO designation) fourth generation submarines. It is a liquid metal cooled reactor (LMR), using highly enriched uranium-235 fuel to produce 155 MWt of power.

OK-550 reactor — main illustration
OK-550 reactor — illustration

Key takeaways

  • OK-550 reactor belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect OK-550 reactor to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of OK-550 reactor from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The OK-550 reactor is the nuclear fission reactor used to power three of the seven boats of the Soviet Navy's Project 705 Лира (Lira or Alfa in NATO designation) fourth generation submarines. It is a liquid metal cooled reactor (LMR), using highly enriched uranium-235 fuel to produce 155 MWt of power. OK-550 has three separate steam circulation loops, and was used in the boats built at Severodvinsk. The reactor was developed by OKBM.

See also BM-40A reactor

External links Project 705 Lira Alfa class Archived 2007-04-06 at the Wayback Machine at the Federation of American Scientists website. (Link dead, error 404)

Illustrations

OK-550 reactor: Alfa class submarine
Alfa class submarine

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with OK-550 reactor

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what OK-550 reactor claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to OK-550 reactor before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about OK-550 reactor ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of OK-550 reactor

In research
OK-550 reactor appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses OK-550 reactor in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
OK-550 reactor is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Liquid metal fast reactors, Nuclear power stubs, Nuclear reactors, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for OK-550 reactor outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study OK-550 reactor in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what OK-550 reactor means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain OK-550 reactor out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is OK-550 reactor in simple terms?

The OK-550 reactor is the nuclear fission reactor used to power three of the seven boats of the Soviet Navy's Project 705 Лира (Lira or Alfa in NATO designation) fourth generation submarines. It is a liquid metal cooled reactor (LMR), using highly enriched uranium-235 fuel to produce 155 MWt of pow…

Why does OK-550 reactor matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study OK-550 reactor?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on OK-550 reactor.

Tags

  • Liquid metal fast reactors
  • Nuclear power stubs
  • Nuclear reactors
  • Soviet naval reactors
  • Submarine stubs

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