http://wardsauto.com/ar/thorium_power_car_110811/ (http://wardsauto.com/ar/thorium_power_car_110811/)
Discuss. [coffee]
Thorium = RARE earth metal
Hydrogen = not RARE earth metal
Want
Quote from: Jacob on August 12, 2011, 11:26:31 AM
Thorium = RARE earth metal
Hydrogen = not RARE earth metal
can't run for the life of the vehicle on one tank of hydrogen though
also, hydrogen has to be "made", not typically found as the pure element we would need it as
plus thorium is named after Thor, a god that beats you with a hammer
8 oz is enough for the lifetime of the car, no refueling...
[Dolph]
Neato.
Sounds very cool. Certainly makes portable nuclear power a reality.
If they have a 250 MW powerplant, seems to me you could just put one next to your house and be off the grid for ever. The service coming into my house is only 200A which is about 25MW (200 X 120 = 24,000W)
So you could power about 113,400 cars per short ton of Thorium.
in the US they estimate there is around 400,000 tons, much less the rest of the world.
So conceivably the US could power up to 45,360,000,000 cars for their life assuming that
you can't just swap and recycle the power units to another car once a car wears out.
Currently there is an estimated 234 million cars/trucks etc in the US, can you imagine the difference
in air quality alone?
Quote from: VisceralReaction on August 12, 2011, 01:13:12 PM
So you could power about 113,400 cars per short ton of Thorium.
in the US they estimate there is around 400,000 tons, much less the rest of the world.
So conceivably the US could power up to 45,360,000,000 cars for their life assuming that
you can't just swap and recycle the power units to another car once a car wears out.
Currently there is an estimated 234 million cars/trucks etc in the US, can you imagine the difference
in air quality alone?
Sure, 45 billion cars. but think how many homes you can power with it?
but......you never get something for nothing. What are the downsides?
Can this only be mined from under wetlands and orphanages?
Do it cause uncontrollable hair growth?
I want one for the home, and one for a mobile home. then run electic vehicles off the two.
Quote from: ducatiz on August 12, 2011, 01:14:56 PM
Sure, 45 billion cars. but think how many homes you can power with it?
well at least 45 billion :D
I agree as a cheap energy source for homes would be very cool too!
Interesting. [thumbsup]
From the article:
And amid widespread concerns about terrorism, would governments allow scores of nuclear sources to roam the freeways?
Hate to break it to them, but there are already a lot of nuclear sources roaming the freeways. Obviously not one in every car, but nuclear density gauges used to test soil compaction contain Cesium, and are very common.
Quote from: lethe on August 12, 2011, 01:18:53 PM
but......you never get something for nothing. What are the downsides?
Can this only be mined from under wetlands and orphanages?
Do it cause uncontrollable hair growth?
Side effects may cause loss of scalp & penis. [evil]
Quote from: Triple J on August 12, 2011, 02:32:47 PM
Interesting. [thumbsup]
From the article:
And amid widespread concerns about terrorism, would governments allow scores of nuclear sources to roam the freeways?
Hate to break it to them, but there are already a lot of nuclear sources roaming the freeways. Obviously not one in every car, but nuclear density gauges used to test soil compaction contain Cesium, and are very common.
Cs and AmBe sources of a higher grade are running around the world in oil and gas exploration instruments as well. They're more transport controlled than cars and soil compaction devices, but they're there nonetheless.
I want one.
+11tyb
where does the energy come from for the laser? Did I miss that?
mitt
Probably works on the same principle as a conventional motor: A battery to get things (the laser in this case) going, and then the powerplant generates enough electricity to both power the wheels and recharge said battery.
What do they mean no oil needed? What lubes the turbines?
I bet the cars make cool turbine sounds. (until the bearings fail)
Quote from: D Paoli on August 13, 2011, 08:40:38 PM
What do they mean no oil needed? What lubes the turbines?
Kittens
Quote from: Jacob on August 13, 2011, 09:37:23 PM
Kittens
an easily renewable resource
kitten powered, sounds like what alien tech probably is based off
DP will make a fortune
On reading this it's pretty damn unclear how it works.
Is it basically using the thorium as a heat sink? I.e. laser pumps heat into thorium and then pulls heat out using water into steam.
Does thorium somehow become more fissile when it's heated up? Uh... What?
Sorry guys, my cesium-powered bullshit detector is registering lethal levels of snakeoil.
As for kittens as a power source, it's simple: Strap buttered toast onto back on kitten. Drop kitten.
Toast always lands butter-side down. Cats always land on their feet.
Result: Cat/Toast combo defies gravity and begins spinning. Harness for energy and anti-gravity propulsion.
How about thorazine powered drivers?
JM
Quote from: Drunken Monkey on August 14, 2011, 06:46:52 PM
On reading this it's pretty damn unclear how it works.
Is it basically using the thorium as a heat sink? I.e. laser pumps heat into thorium and then pulls heat out using water into steam.
Does thorium somehow become more fissile when it's heated up? Uh... What?
Sorry guys, my cesium-powered bullshit detector is registering lethal levels of snakeoil.
It doesn't become fissile. The reaction only happens with the presence of a heat source. The system would be leeching heat from the thorium to make steam and thus would cool quickly if there is no incoming heat source.
It does sound a bit funny - 10w of laser into a rock and the rock makes 100w of energy?
I'm thinking we should walk
Before we put the glowy hot-rocks in a vehicle
Quote from: Jacob on August 14, 2011, 11:57:39 PM
I'm thinking we should walk
Before we put the glowy hot-rocks in a vehicle
I am sure there are enough people frightened of it for them to make sure it works safely before mass production.
From what I've read, there isn't a huge safety issue.... provided the cooling works and .... uh...
Quote from: ducatiz on August 15, 2011, 04:48:32 AM
I am sure there are enough people frightened of it for them to make sure it works safely before mass production.
From what I've read, there isn't a huge safety issue.... provided the cooling works and .... uh...
pretty much just like any nuke plant...
what could go wrong? [roll]
Quote from: Drunken Monkey on August 14, 2011, 06:46:52 PM
On reading this it's pretty damn unclear how it works.
Is it basically using the thorium as a heat sink? I.e. laser pumps heat into thorium and then pulls heat out using water into steam.
Does thorium somehow become more fissile when it's heated up? Uh... What?
Sorry guys, my cesium-powered bullshit detector is registering lethal levels of snakeoil.
As for kittens as a power source, it's simple: Strap buttered toast onto back on kitten. Drop kitten.
Toast always lands butter-side down. Cats always land on their feet.
Result: Cat/Toast combo defies gravity and begins spinning. Harness for energy and anti-gravity propulsion.
I agree kittens will work
(http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk60/visceralreaction/antigravcat.gif)
I think we should use a much safer material, like radium for example. Nothing bad ever came from using radioactive materials in consumer level products!
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IoU3bEFUwWc/S6LvdV16SEI/AAAAAAAAHwI/AIQGIh16i5M/s400/Radium+Poisoning.jpg)
Quote from: ducpainter on August 15, 2011, 04:54:34 AM
pretty much just like any nuke plant...
what could go wrong? [roll]
I think the difference is that the nuke plants are a shitload bigger and can affect a much bigger area, whereas thorium is nowhere near as radioactive and the tiny amount would affect a much smaller area. Thorium also decays slowly and only emits alpha particles -- which can't even penetrate human skin.
In other words, you might get a light sunburn from it, but that's all
Quote from: ducatiz on August 15, 2011, 11:18:39 AMIn other words, you might get a light sunburn from it, but that's all
Sales in New Jersey will be staggering.
Quote from: ducatiz on August 15, 2011, 11:18:39 AM
I think the difference is that the nuke plants are a shitload bigger and can affect a much bigger area, whereas thorium is nowhere near as radioactive and the tiny amount would affect a much smaller area. Thorium also decays slowly and only emits alpha particles -- which can't even penetrate human skin.
In other words, you might get a light sunburn from it, but that's all
And cancer when the shit modifies your genes
"they" may make it as perfectly safe as lead in paint and asbestos
But
The issue is some asshole will take it apart and modify it
Or
Tape 30 of them together
Quote from: Jacob on August 15, 2011, 11:35:10 AM
The issue is some asshole from this site will take it apart and modify it
Or
Tape 30 of them together
Fixed for you.
Quote from: Jacob on August 15, 2011, 11:35:10 AM
And cancer when the shit modifies your genes
You can tape 100 of them and they will still only emit alpha particles.
Increase the alpha particles and you just get more sunburn.
Seriously, that's really it. Look it up.
Tritium is widely used and emits beta particles, worse per particle by an order of magnitude but still deemed safe enough to use everywhere something glows.
Quote from: Artful on August 15, 2011, 11:25:27 AM
Sales in New Jersey will be staggering.
LOL
I did look it up
The issue is when it gets inside you
And
we have holes in our skin where stuff goes inside
The shit modifies genetic material
We call this cancer
The idea is great on paper you add people to the equation and it becomes dumb
Honestly I don't know why they let us have access to gasoline
Dont let it
get inside you
I've handled gasoline
...all my life...
and not a drop has gone in my mouth
...or my bum...
.... ever...
Quote from: ducatiz on August 15, 2011, 12:23:00 PM
Dont let it
get inside you
I've handled gasoline
...all my life...
and not a drop has gone in my mouth
...or my bum...
.... ever...
As a kid you must have used a different kind of siphon than I did
I used one of those "jigglers" and I kept it away from my bum
I got a face full of diesel the other day and some in my mouth.
Are you saying I shouldn't be allowed to work on my future thorium car?
It would be nice to use dog power as the supply seems endless. Using kittens to lube the turbines should really get the most out of dog power.