Why is nuclear-powered the standard for submarines, when not for ferry, small ships and vessels ?
In: Engineering
They are not. Only 6 nations run nuclear submarines and they are almost only for large military submarines (which often carry nuclear weapons).
Diesel electric submarines are far more easier and cheaper to build. The big advantage of these nuclear powered submarines that they can submerge for very long times (basically as long as the crew has food) and therefore can stay hidden. That’s interesting for military applications.
For anything else Nuclear power is a highly expensive and restricted technology. Basically it’s not economical for most kind of vessels.
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