Imagine a car run by nuclear energy. Yes, that was, in fact, an idea. Let me explain.
The 1950's had a high amount of optimism about nuclear energy. Sure, you had the Cold War, and monster movies about atomic dinosaurs. However, there was also uranium labs given out to children (and yes, that is now considered a bad idea), nuclear pamphlets with comic strip characters explaining fission, and many different world of the futures run by the atom.For instance, in Man Conquers Space (A Collier's series of articles), there are several mentions of nuclear rockets, being used to achieve the level of space colonization displayed The first nuclear submarine was launched in 1954, and the first nuclear plant was being built in Shippington, Pennsylvania. And of course, what about a car run by nuclear power? Well, the good men at Ford decided to examine this.
In 1958, Ford Motor Company (our dear friends from back in the Fordlandia article) unveiled a scale model of a car with a nuclear reactor strapped to its rear. It was called the Nucleon. Basically, it was as it implied, a small nuclear reactor, similar to any nuclear power plant, would use fission to produce energy and heat, which would heat water. The water would then twist turbines, which would then convert the energy into kinetic energy, and later, mechanical and electric energy, which would ran the car. One could get around 5,000 miles from every reaction. Once that was used up, one could go to a recharging stations, where they could (somehow) refuel or replace the uranium. The reactors were implied to be varied, with some reactors emphasizing power, others range. This concept was largely the brainchild of Ford designer Jim Powers, who had been working there for a year in the Advanced Studio. He would produce a 3/8th model of the car, first in clay, than in fiberglass. It debuted at a Ford "Stylerama" convention. Enough interest was generated to allow its own display.
So, why did this concept, that actually was quite popular, even having government interest, die off? Do I really have to say? Would you feel safe driving around a highway with a nuclear reactor a feet away from your head? Heck, the entire concept was predicated on the assumption that nuclear reactors would become smaller and more easily transported. As that didn't happen, the actual size and shielding needed for a nuclear reactor small enough to fuel a car could not be commercially produced. There was also what to do with all that radioactive waste product from refueling. And imagine a car crash... As people began to become more and more away of the effects of radiation and anti-nuclear sentiment increased, the concept was never revisited. Note that nothing was ever actually built. There was only the half size model for the convention, which is currently on display in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. But could it hypothetically work? A nuclear car in general, not the Nucleon. Well, the shielding needed to fully protect a person is still a major problem. Howstuffworks.com suggested that certain specialized reactors used in research and industry could provide a model for a car, and also nuclear based hydrogen fuel. However, even it admitted that it was unlikely. So, what have we learned? Sometimes nice concepts sound a lot less endearing when you really think about them. Thanks for reading.
Sources:
Ford Nucleon- Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Nucleon
The Atomic Automobile- Damn Interesting
http://www.damninteresting.com/the-atomic-automobile/
Can a Car Run on Nuclear Power- How Stuff Works: Auto
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/nuclear-powered-car.htm
Cars of Future Past:Ford Nucleon Concept- Hemmings Daily
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/07/18/cars-of-futures-past-ford-nucleon-concept/
The 1958 Ford Nucleon: A Nuclear-Powered Car- Oddly Historical
http://www.oddlyhistorical.com/2014/07/21/1958-ford-nucleon-nuclear-powered-car/
The 1950's had a high amount of optimism about nuclear energy. Sure, you had the Cold War, and monster movies about atomic dinosaurs. However, there was also uranium labs given out to children (and yes, that is now considered a bad idea), nuclear pamphlets with comic strip characters explaining fission, and many different world of the futures run by the atom.For instance, in Man Conquers Space (A Collier's series of articles), there are several mentions of nuclear rockets, being used to achieve the level of space colonization displayed The first nuclear submarine was launched in 1954, and the first nuclear plant was being built in Shippington, Pennsylvania. And of course, what about a car run by nuclear power? Well, the good men at Ford decided to examine this.
In 1958, Ford Motor Company (our dear friends from back in the Fordlandia article) unveiled a scale model of a car with a nuclear reactor strapped to its rear. It was called the Nucleon. Basically, it was as it implied, a small nuclear reactor, similar to any nuclear power plant, would use fission to produce energy and heat, which would heat water. The water would then twist turbines, which would then convert the energy into kinetic energy, and later, mechanical and electric energy, which would ran the car. One could get around 5,000 miles from every reaction. Once that was used up, one could go to a recharging stations, where they could (somehow) refuel or replace the uranium. The reactors were implied to be varied, with some reactors emphasizing power, others range. This concept was largely the brainchild of Ford designer Jim Powers, who had been working there for a year in the Advanced Studio. He would produce a 3/8th model of the car, first in clay, than in fiberglass. It debuted at a Ford "Stylerama" convention. Enough interest was generated to allow its own display.
So, why did this concept, that actually was quite popular, even having government interest, die off? Do I really have to say? Would you feel safe driving around a highway with a nuclear reactor a feet away from your head? Heck, the entire concept was predicated on the assumption that nuclear reactors would become smaller and more easily transported. As that didn't happen, the actual size and shielding needed for a nuclear reactor small enough to fuel a car could not be commercially produced. There was also what to do with all that radioactive waste product from refueling. And imagine a car crash... As people began to become more and more away of the effects of radiation and anti-nuclear sentiment increased, the concept was never revisited. Note that nothing was ever actually built. There was only the half size model for the convention, which is currently on display in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. But could it hypothetically work? A nuclear car in general, not the Nucleon. Well, the shielding needed to fully protect a person is still a major problem. Howstuffworks.com suggested that certain specialized reactors used in research and industry could provide a model for a car, and also nuclear based hydrogen fuel. However, even it admitted that it was unlikely. So, what have we learned? Sometimes nice concepts sound a lot less endearing when you really think about them. Thanks for reading.
Sources:
Ford Nucleon- Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Nucleon
The Atomic Automobile- Damn Interesting
http://www.damninteresting.com/the-atomic-automobile/
Can a Car Run on Nuclear Power- How Stuff Works: Auto
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/nuclear-powered-car.htm
Cars of Future Past:Ford Nucleon Concept- Hemmings Daily
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/07/18/cars-of-futures-past-ford-nucleon-concept/
The 1958 Ford Nucleon: A Nuclear-Powered Car- Oddly Historical
http://www.oddlyhistorical.com/2014/07/21/1958-ford-nucleon-nuclear-powered-car/
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