How to beat the gasoline problem?: nuclear engines in cars; use the same tech as a sub, but smaller.?

Question

Nuclear powered car engines: enclosed reactor, similar to that in submarines and ships, just smaller. Use the gasoline tank for the cooling water. Fuel cost: smaller, last much longer, more efficient, cheaper. NO fossil fuels involved, no dealing with hostile countries (Iran, Venezuela)

Answer 1

yes what a great idea.  give every on access to nuclear marterial.  With ideas like this have you thought about trying to claim a Nobel prize.  Hey i have an even better idea, we can make an anti matter engine, and turn mass directly to energy making extreme power with very little fuel.

Answer 2

Do you know how to make a nuke ? wikipedia + enriched uranium ! are you stupid or are you armagedon idea fan ? :D

And for some countries and I think most of them - USA is the hostile country. Iran and Venezuela are not in war with anybody and don`t intend to be!

Answer 3

Until there's an accident.

Answer 4

Nuclear power in cars, no! Bad idea! One, there is the danger of explosion. Two, there is a high radiation danger. What we need is Hydrogen power in cars

Answer 5

Do you have any idea how a nuclear powered ship works?

Answer 6

It's actiually not that far off a workable idea.

The previous answers are all based on fission reactions.

This uses an enriched fissionable material that gives neutrons freely, and will continue to give when knocked by passing neutrons - hence a chain reaction.

With a fusion reaction - you don't even need enriched material. It is realatively safe. Using a pyroelectric crystal, and titanium needles, neutrons are launched off the needles -and impact on the crystal - causing heat.

This simple reaction can be conducted on a table top.

Unfortunately development was funded by the military - so we ended up with a nuclear program dedicated to fission instead of fusion reactions.

The heat could be used for a steam turbine to drive vehicles.

Good luck with your research !

(P.S.  Delorean vehicles are now very expencive collector items! - and NASA are developing anti-gravity(time) capacitors! - see youtube of "lifters")

Answer 7

yeah, 2 things...

1). Cost Prohibative

2).  Have you lost your mind?...Tiny peices of fissionable material traveling all over the country with little/no security!

Answer 8

So how much would a chunk of pure plutonium cost?

Answer 9

Yeah, a bunch of tiny nuclear reactors driving around at 90mph on the freeway...

Why doesn't that strike me as a good idea?

Answer 10

Ya and we won't have to worry about losing our hair when we get old because we won't have any by the age of 30.

Answer 11

Ethanol.  It is clean, renewable, and made in America.  Gasoline is none of those things.

Answer 12

i can see it now.

the first nuclear car crash.

http://clintjcl.files.wordpress.com/2006...