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Is Rolls-Royce going to put this small nuclear reactor into a car?
- Thread starter Tiger
- Start date
SalisburySam
Active Member
SalisburySam
Active Member
I think those could be called “cruise missiles.”
More seriously, the smallest independently-moving object with a nuclear power plant that I know of is a submarine, and that’s pretty amazing to me. There are certainly lots of issues to be overcome, but I’d love to see much, much smaller plants powering buildings, maybe even apartment complexes, individual homes, and other permanent and non-mobile things. Doing so might reduce dependence upon the huge transmission network with its expense and risks.
Wow, that's a cool idea. This is definitely going to take some selling to the public though.
gtae07
Member
I'd love to buy one, except some jerk would probably attack it.
I do wonder though... what would happen if someone one day developed a Mr. Fusion-like device the size of a home backup generator and put it on the market at an affordable price? I know, total SF-land...
I do wonder though... what would happen if someone one day developed a Mr. Fusion-like device the size of a home backup generator and put it on the market at an affordable price? I know, total SF-land...
No.
Rolls-Royce is a very diversified company and automobiles are not the largest part so I don't know why that came to mind.
It is "micro" only compared to a full scale nuclear power plant.
Why would a car need a pressurized 1-10 MW power plant albeit a relatively tiny 10' x 4' in dimension? Besides not needing the power, the cost would be enormous at $50M each.
Rolls-Royce is a very diversified company and automobiles are not the largest part so I don't know why that came to mind.
It is "micro" only compared to a full scale nuclear power plant.
Why would a car need a pressurized 1-10 MW power plant albeit a relatively tiny 10' x 4' in dimension? Besides not needing the power, the cost would be enormous at $50M each.
SalisburySam
Active Member
Sure, but about a billion miles before needing to stop at a nuclear rod refueling station, no worries about energy consumption running the HVAC for comfort, even sufficient power for those few who chose to use their turn signals. Expensive yes, but the upsides! Just wow.
The recent Russian cruise missile 9M730 Burevestnik is rather smaller than any submarine I know of.
No.
The (non-operational) Burevestnik is an attempt to copy the US Tory II-A from 1957 which was discontinued. As a weapon it had zero shielding and with only one slight change could emit a continuous stream of highly radioactive particles to contaminate a landscape while inbound on a mission. Total weight was 18,800 lbs. It was considered too damaging to use.
