# Carrier Fuel Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542 "2003-12-29T06:37:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KenGr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@KenGr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenGr)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/21 "2003-12-31T01:04:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe Mahma \* > \*\*How do they keep the sea water from contaminating the jet fuel? \*\* That was something that always concerned me but the Navy guys told me it was no problem. Water and fuel (oil) don’t mix and, before refilling they did a quick purge and rinse. In the open ocean, the seawater is pretty clean. ---
**Author:** ![whatami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85f322/32.png) [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/22 "2003-12-31T03:17:38Z")
This makes me think of something else. What type of fuel do most of the freighters today use. Like the great big oil tankers or just the car carriers. Is it > [@](#): > > _originally posted by tomndebb_ > I assume you mean naval vessels in this statement. There are lots of diesel-electric freighters wandering the seas. In fact, I suspect that diesel-electrics power well over 90% of the freighters built since the 1970s. ?? ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/23 "2003-12-31T03:45:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Desmostylus \* > \*\*I mean, as far as US carriers are concerned. \*\* The only other carrier I can think of is the Charles de Gaulle, France’s sole carrier, which is nuclear and IIRC is stationed in the Med. I have no idea at all about Russian carriers. Does any other country use aircraft carriers? Australia did have one (HMAS Melbourne?) but retired it about 20 years ago. Australia was going to buy the Ark Royal to replace it, but the British changed their minds when the Ark Royal proved its use in the Falklands War. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/24 "2003-12-31T05:54:13Z")
[World Aircraft Carriers List: Carriers Summary](http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/summary.htm) (As of November 26, 2001) * * * [Ship Propulsion: From Oars to Marine Engines](http://www.ship-technology.com/contractors/propulsion/propulsion.html) [Ship’s propulsion layout: More than one way to get the job done](http://members.shaw.ca/diesel-duck/machinery_page/propulsion_layout/propulsion_layout.htm) According to these sites, it appears that direct drive diesels currently outnumber diesel electric systems. Given that the advantages of diesel-electric has been known for decades–and that it has an analogous application in railroads–I am surprised at that statment, but I have no reason to doubt the claims of the two companies that actually manufacture the systems. In any event, diesel fuel would be the most common fuel, regardless of the relative numbers of diesel vs diesel-electric. Steam turbines are a dying breed and reciprocating and universal drive steam engines are archaic, regardless of their fuel source. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/25 "2003-12-31T06:11:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by starfish \* > \*\*I thought Japan accepted nuclear powered ships and just asks that there be no nuclear weapons. \*\* And even on that Japan was a bit lax about it. It was common for people\* to say that there were no “nuclear weapons” on a ship. Technically true, because there were only “nuclear weapon components” that had to be assembled to create an actual “weapon”. (The assembling took about 30-90 seconds to complete.) Many (most?) nuclear weapons were never stored as a fully functional weapon. And the Japanese government knew about this ‘loophole’, of course, but just ignored it rather than annoy a major ally and trading partner. This is based on info from my brother, who served on a US carrier about 15 years ago. But I doubt if much has changed in this regard since then. \*People said this, not the US Navy. All US armed forces refuse to state officially whether any particular ship, plane, etc. does or does not have a nuclear weapon on board. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/26 "2003-12-31T06:46:52Z")
There’s an old British/Australian aircraft carrier [for sale on eBay.](http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2450501898&category=26432) ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/27 "2003-12-31T06:47:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > \*\*Steam turbines are a dying breed and reciprocating and universal drive steam engines are archaic, regardless of their fuel source. \*\* Not quite. If the fuel source is nuclear, what else can you use? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/28 "2003-12-31T06:55:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > \*\*Steam turbines are a dying breed and reciprocating and universal drive steam engines are archaic, regardless of their fuel source. \*\* Not quite. If the fuel source is nuclear, what else can you use? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/29 "2003-12-31T07:13:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > \*\*Steam turbines are a dying breed and reciprocating and universal drive steam engines are archaic, regardless of their fuel source. \*\* Not quite. If the fuel source is nuclear, what else can you use? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/30 "2003-12-31T07:15:30Z")
Jeez. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542/31 "2003-12-31T11:41:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The God of Muesli Bars \* > \*\*The only other carrier I can think of is the Charles de Gaulle, France’s sole carrier, which is nuclear and IIRC is stationed in the Med. > > I have no idea at all about Russian carriers. > > Does any other country use aircraft carriers? Australia did have one (HMAS Melbourne?) but retired it about 20 years ago. Australia was going to buy the Ark Royal to replace it, but the British changed their minds when the Ark Royal proved its use in the Falklands War. \*\* In addition to **tomndebb** ’s list below, many countries are working on aircraft carrier projects. The three Royal Navy _Invincible_-class ships are to be replaced by two 55,000-tonne carriers (named in November 2003 as HMS _Queen Elizabeth_ and HMS _Prince of Wales_). According to sources, “[t]he carrier’s propulsion system will be Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) based on four gas turbines.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carrier-fuel-question/221542.md?page=1)