[Russkie]

Ford proposed a nuclear powered Car, called the Nucleon back in the 50s.

What's wrong with this idea?

[MB.]

Exhaust would spray radiation everywhere, would it not?

[Russkie]

Exhaust would spray radiation everywhere, would it not?

If the Reactor Design was a closed system, it won't have any exhaust.

[MB.]

The reactor would have to be very very small.

Also, plutonium is rare and expensive. Are you just gonna head over the local petrocan or whatever and score some U235?

[Russkie]

plutonium

Plutonium is not used in most nuclear reactors. Plutonium is a waste product, it's extremely unstable. Plutonium is used mainly in nuclear bombs.

People said once before "plutonium is a chemist's dream, but a engineer's worst nightmare".

There are low-enriched nuclear reactor designs. Canada uses a heavy water Reactor.

The reactor would have to be very very small.

I though the size of the car is not a problem since Americans love big cars. A nuclear powered car I'm afraid is going to be the size of a semi truck at least.

[MB.]

A nuclear powered car I'm afraid is going to be the size of a semi truck at least.

Not practical.

Also my plutonium reference was for comedic effect.

[Oxymoron]

Ummm We are trying to stop Iran from getting Nucs, not give them a Ford "Chernobly X3".

[QatzelOk]

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[NYYS]

It would only work in Russia because only Russian scientists are smart enough to develop it and only Russian citizens will understand how it works and only the Russian government is smart enough to use it and only Russian roads are resistant to nuclear waste and...

[Smilin' Dave]

Russkie needs to be congratulated, for finding something stupider than the nuclear death boat. And he's training to be a nuclear engineer *smiles and nods*.

If the Reactor Design was a closed system, it won't have any exhaust.

Until the car owner fails to conduct basic maintenance. Or they simply get old. Or there is a car crash. Or the companies making them release dodgy engines to cut costs. Or the private owner (or someone who just steals it) deliberately uses some or all of the 'car' (which you later admit is the size of a truck) as a weapon. Suicide bombing has never been so easy with: Nucleon.

[Notorious B.i.G.]

Many companies proposed lots of things back in the 1950's. If you take a look at what people in the 50's though life would be like in the 2000's, they would expect to be like the Jetsons. Everybodys own personal spaceship.

Yay Ford in the 1950's!

[ThereBeDragons]

Actually people are working on nuclear batteries.

So maybe one day we'll see a car.

[Siberian Fox]

Russkie needs to be congratulated, for finding something stupider than the nuclear death boat.

This reference to the floating power-stations made me laugh more than anything else today.

At least Russian FSB spies wouldn't have to smuggle polonium through customs, they could just top up their tea in the taxi on the way to the restaurant.

[Blondie]

So you have a wreck, and the whole city has to be evacuated. Not a good idea russkie.

[Russkie]

So you have a wreck, and the whole city has to be evacuated. Not a good idea russkie.

Add reinforced Titanium to the surrounded reactor compartment.

[Smilin' Dave]

Add reinforced Titanium to the surrounded reactor compartment.

So unlike the nuclear death boat, it is also expensive? Not just the fuel apparently, but the car itself. From a 1950s view that also is problematic, since titanium was really hard to get back then.

[Notorious B.i.G.]

Not to mention heavy.

Necloen, 0-100kph (0-66mph) in 1 minute and 15 seconds!

[p-brane]

Exhaust would spray radiation everywhere, would it not?

Name some sort of atomic power source that sprays radioactive exhaust.

[Russkie]

Necloen, 0-100kph (0-66mph) in 1 minute and 15 seconds!

A very small nuclear reactor has an output of what? 70 MW?

70 MW is enough to power 50,000 homes.

[nilof]

Because a large part of the energy released from nuclear fusion is released as gamma and x-ray radiation. The radiation shields needed would cause the reactor itself to weigh several tonnes. The USAF stopped the research on their nuclear plane for the same reason.

Besides, you know that the energy that is used in power plants the heat, though the intermediary of steam turbines. So you need to bring lots of water for the steam turbines to work.
Awesome.

Then you have the problem that a reactor weighing several tonnes basically needs a six wheeled truck. Not to mention that nuclear cars would be any car bomber's favourite vehicule. I for one welcome our new carbomb Chernobyls.