3 ms·
>no one is going to get behind it because steam is not a green technology Were it not for the radiation problem, you could make a nuclear powered steam car. P
by jhallenworld 11y ago
>no one is going to get behind it because steam is not a green technology
Were it not for the radiation problem, you could make a nuclear powered steam car. Perhaps this is easier than using a turbine..
http://www.damninteresting.com/the-atomic-automobile/ http://www.damninteresting.com/the-atomic-automobile/
- stcredzero 11y agoFrom what the article claims, rediscovering their principles would produce a car with much better noise characteristics than turbines and modern ICEs. I wonder what modern metallurgy could do for the design? The part count is extremely low. With remote control from a smartphone, the big disadvantage -- boiler start time -- would be entirely solved. As it was, they had gotten it down to something comparable to starting diesel cars on a cold day.
- TylerE 11y agoBoiler startup was essentially solved by Doble 80 years ago. The steam generator (Sort of a JIT for steam) could produce useable pressure in less than a minute.
- stcredzero 11y agoLike I said: Comparable to an old diesel. That kind of delay still got massive hate from my ex-girlfriend. However, if you give people a remote to have it done by the time they get down to the car, they'd feel it was nifty technology and it would make them feel powerful.
- TylerE 11y agoCould probably tie it into the keyless entry.
- ForHackernews 11y agoCould you use something like an RTG to heat the water? That way, you wouldn't have to have an actual nuclear reaction.
- outworlder 11y agoSomething like an RTG would make sense. An actual, plutonium-based RTG wouldn't.