By George Kennedy 5 hours ago
Posted on 03/14/2014 12:42:38 PM PDT by ckilmer
A car that could run for 100 years on one tank of fuel? It sounds like a far-fetched idea, but it is just what a company is apparently claiming possible with the use of an atomic fuel that was abandoned during the Nixon administration. We’re talking about the sounds-too-good-to-be-true substance called “Thorium.”
Thorium is a naturally occurring radioactive element. It was discovered in 1828 by a Norwegian mineralogist and identified by a Swedish chemist, who then named it after the Norse god, Thor.
ATOMIC CARS: See Photos of the 1957 Ford Nucleon Concept
According to this video from The Young Turks (which is informative, if a little low-rent at times), if put to use properly, would be low pressure and have lower chances of danger to the environment and humans than a uranium-based reactor. The thorium reactors can be much smaller too. Like a conventional reactor, the heat produced would create steam that would power a turbine:
The report claims that small amount of the dense thorium could produce tremendous amounts of heat. A company called Laser Power Systems is attempting to employ this power source in a vehicle. The company claims that: “1 gram [of thorium] yields more energy than 7,396 gallons of gas.” By their math, 8 grams of the substance could power a thorium turbine car for a century. This is not the first time this fuel has been suggested for cars. The concept of an automobile use was brought up in the 2011 documentary “The Thorium Dream”:
RELATED: See Photos of the 1963 Chrysler Turbine
It has also been envisioned as a power source futuristic-looking designs like the Cadillac World Thorium Fuel Concept, shown here.
PHOTOS: See More of the 2009 Cadillac World Thorium Fuel Concept
Could this be a viable fuel for car? The testing in the 1960s found that the Thorium tetrafluoride used in a molten salt reactor was easier to process and quicker to stop a chain reaction, but light water reactors are far more common. In the LWR, thorium produces the same levels of toxic waste as our good ole’ uranium reactor. So there still may be a long way to go before we’re driving atomic cars.
Me: But, according to you, there is no fusion involved in cold fusion.
You: Horse manure. I have not said that, at all.
Please state for the record then what you are referring to when you refer to ‘cold fusion’.
Please stop posting to me and stop lying.
Neat small unitized Thorium reactors are in use in rural India, and would be a perfect solution for towns in remote areas like Alaska.
“Neat small unitized Thorium reactors are in use in rural India,”
When did they build them? Last night when no one was watching?
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Current-and-Future-Generation/Accelerator-driven-Nuclear-energy/
http://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S1541308X08040031?no-access=true
The question is where is this guy getting his neutrons? Or is it a combo laser/ gold nano-particle attempt?
No, the Indians have been into small thorium reactors for quite a while. It’s a standard product line. It’s their thing.
“No, the Indians have been into small thorium reactors for quite a while. It’s a standard product line. It’s their thing.”
Don’t just make things up, please.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Power-Reactors/Small-Nuclear-Power-Reactors/#Modular_construction
www.gizmag.com/small-modular-nuclear-reactors/20860/
indianexpress.com/tag/nuclear-reactor-technology/
Pardon my over-enthusiasm, TexGator. Definitely on the way. In an excess of nuclear zeal, I was planning on putting a SMR Thorium plant about the size of a deep freeze behind my barn and selling cheap power to the neighbors.
“I was planning on putting a SMR Thorium plant about the size of a deep freeze behind my barn and selling cheap power to the neighbors.”
Just the pump to circulate the fluid would cost more than your house!
No one escapes Thermodynamics, I guess.
From your second link:
“In other words, there’s a large gap between what is promised by a technology in the design phase and what it ends up as once it’s built.”
You would be required to pay the government an annual decommissioning fee. Probably tens of thousands of dollars a year.
If you thought hiring a plumber was expensive, just wait till you need a nuclear scientist to make a house call.........
You would be required to monitor radiation exposures on and around the perimeter of you lot. Of course that would have to be done by a person qualified in radiological controls. Cost? $10k per year. More if you are the only one in the neighborhood.
Delivery charge.
Special truck with escort and transportation permits.
Installation permits from city, county, state and US.
NRC Licensing Fee.
Cost? $200,000.
Installation costs.
Proper seismic foundation, piping, electrical ...
Cost: $1 million.
You don’t even want to hear the cost for the unit and fuel!
Not to mention operating reprocessing costs.
Just be careful you don’t get suckered into putting low-grade thulium or thallium in the tank ...
OK, OK! Going to low-head hydro, now!
“OK, OK! Going to low-head hydro, now!”
State and Federal permits for damming up stream.
Estimated three years and $150,000.
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