another article about using Thorium, this time in a car.

[automcdonough]

http://www.industrytap.com/thorium-fueled-automobile-engine-needs-refueling-once-a-century/15649

[MBobrik]

sry but it stinks like a crank.

[Dkmdlb]

Yep. Outright quackery.

From what source will this thorium laser draw power? Batteries perhaps? Batteries which will need to be charged via a power cord from the grid? If so, why are we sticking a thorium laser in the middle of the thing - why not just run a couple of electric motors straight from the batteries?

This is nonsense and woo. And don't get it confused with a thorium reactor because it's not.

[Winter Man]

To play devil's advocate, you would power the laser with the fission of thorium. Stick in a small neutron source and mix the thorium in some manner of lasing medium. Without looking into it properly, it actually sounds feasible.

[Will Fawkes]

All I hear is quack from this thing. Plus where's the door? How do you get in or out? Storage space? Anything?

[MBobrik]

Without looking into it properly, it actually sounds feasible.

Theoretically, one could of course build a sub-critical thorium reactor where the neutrons needed to break even are supplied externally, not sure whether such a design could be scaled down to car size. it might be far safer, but it would be far more complicated ( and bulky ) than a normal reactor.

What I am sure about, however, that the amount of shielding required to prevent the driver ( and generally anyone around the car ) from being roasted by the radiation from an operating multi kilowatt fission source would not fit into in a car. at least not a car of normal size and weight.

[automcdonough]

politically it's a nightmare. it'll never happen no matter how safe we think it is. look how hard it is to get normal electric options going.

[Surefoot]

Not the first time a nuke car design is attempted. It's been done long ago (it was in the 50's IIRC), the model has even inspired some car models in Fallout series. Rather than the obvious reasons it was not produced due to the heavy weight of the reactor, and low efficiency of electric motors at the time. Of course now, having a mobile thorium reactor capable of crashing into stuff (because people love to crash their car into stuff), dont even think about it..

[Will Fawkes]

Ahh yes the Ford Nucleon. Thanks for reminding me of that heap.

[lajoswinkler]

Poppycock.

You can recognize something is crap when you see that more effort is put into the exterior design than the actual inner workings. It's like when kids paint flames on their bikes and skateboards to make them go faster.

[JebidiahsBigSister]

Ummmmm.... not science at all

[Wahgineer]

You're better of with a nuclear powered Delorean.

[SuperFastJellyfish]

You're better of with a nuclear powered Delorean.

[DonLorenzo]

Who said 'this sounds plausible'? Raise your hand. Yes, you. Back to school.

Please. Use thorium to power a laser (how?) to vaporize water to drive a... steam turbine?

If that's your game plan WHY THE LASER? USE THE FISSION/DECAY HEAT TO HEAT THE WATER DIRECTLY. Sorry I get worked up by these things.

Coincidence has it I saw this video on it yesterday. The guy's incredibly cynical, but at least has his head screwed on right