History Nuclear Powered Vehicle Concepts

We have talked quite a bit about the Ford Nucleon on here, but there were many other vehicles from the mid century post war years that were designed to run on the power of the atom. From the confines of the 21st century, some these ideas seem ludicrous on their face, but after the war, there seemed to be no end to the possibilities that would appear with each and every split of an atom. This is a great article on some of the different concepts that engineers came up with.

http://io9.com/nuclear-powered-vehicle-concepts-from-the-mid-20th-cent-1154385972

Ford Nucleon




Some Concepts were actually produced like nuclear powered jet engine powering the Corvair XB-36H



Ford Seatlle-Ite


Even Atomic Locomotives

 

Nuclear & traditional just don't mix. HRP

 

Been awaiting a thread that I can post in that may be closed shortly...

Nukes are a great idea. I'd say that every house should be nuclear powered for at least heating. One little pellet of whatever in a sealed reactor would last for 5 years.

But someone would have to try to turn them into a bomb...

Bob

 

I guess it's time to duck and cover.

 

Talking about nukey is traditional, isn't it?

 

There is no such thing.

Rich

 

US and the USSR both had nuclear powered aircraft development programmes. US decided not to go operational because of the risk to civilian population. The USSR pretended that they actually had an operational nuclear powered bomber just to piss the US off.

 

'Nother weapon development program that was shelved was the atomic hand grenade.

 

That plane contained a nuclear reactor.

It was jet propelled.

Rich

 

A jet with propellers?

 

Six turning, four burning.


I have a Car Life with an article about the future of atomic cars. Ford FX Atmos on the cover.

 

Nuclear and CUSTOM mix....as proved by this:

 

From wiki....

"Power was supplied by six Pratt & Whitney propeller and four GE J47 jet engines. The reactor did not power any of the plane's systems, nor did it provide propulsion, but was placed on the NB-36 to verify that the plane could actually carry and run it in the air.<SUP>"</SUP>

 

That's funny!

 

Nukes produce heat, and heat produces steam. The only way to give a vehicle nuclear power is to install a steam engine. I don't see any aircraft with steam engines.

PS. Don't tell Batman!

 

wrong:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_thruster

 

On earth, dude, on earth.

 

Oh now yer just splittin hairs ....or atoms....

 

Nuclear ram jets were tested by the US military.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Pluto

 

Oh good Lord, i want that Ford Nucleon!!!


Twitter @edsrodshop

 

Sucks... can't have anything cool because of idiots

 

Yeah, again, not exactly the stuff that passenger vehicles are made of...

The Nuclear Age ushered in all kinds of fantasies that the magical properties of atomic energy could perform for mankind. That was until they figured out that the shit kills ya.

 

The wheelbase is too short.... Other than that, it looks wicked...

 

That car would be perfectly safe, it's got no doors !

 

Burning gasoline/diesel/jet fuel produces heat. I.C. engines run on hot air, how you heat the air doesn't really matter.

The reactor heats salts to molten. Air from the jet compressor passes through a heat exchanger in the salt. The heated air then spins the jet turbine.

 

chance of nuclear radiation exposure at every vehicle accident.. seems safe.

 

aaahhh the good ol' convair b-36 peacemaker. 'two turning, two burning, two smokin', two jokin' and two more unaccounted for' they built hundreds of these things, but theres only one that survived

 

As above Convair, not Corvair.

 

and they thought running into the back of a PINTO would cause an explosion??

 

"Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed" B to R