There are some great benefits to a nuclear-powered car. It would rarely need to be refueled -- perhaps every three to five years [Source: Stanford University]. Highly enriched uranium is so potent that just one pound can power a submarine or aircraft carrier. Even smaller amounts could conceivably power a car. Assuming the car is adequately shielded (a subject we'll discuss later), the car would put out almost no emissions. And forget turning the ignition: Your nuclear-powered car would be always on -- although that means it would likely need batteries to store the energy constantly being produced by the miniplant.
Perhaps the main thing standing in the way of creating a nuclear-powered car is this: The power source is radioactive, so this vehicle would require lots of shielding. Without proper shielding, the radioactivity of the power source could kill people in and near the car, putting a damper on any commute.
Nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and subs all employ heavy shielding. Nuclear power plants generally have three layers of shielding in addition to the containment structure, which is made of concrete several feet thick and houses the reactor. U.S. law requires most reactors to have these layers of shielding and containment. Government-operated reactors are an exception, though the exact amount of shielding used on aircraft carriers and submarines remains classified.
With all of this shielding needed to protect against radioactivity, expect your nuclear-powered car to be extremely heavy. Reproducing the shielding of a nuclear reactor on an appropriate scale may make the car practically immobile. The shielding must also be resistant to earthquakes and other trauma and must be airtight so that air laden with radioactive molecules can't escape.
When someone mentions a nuclear-powered car, the danger of radioactivity likely comes to mind. Having radioactive material readily available is a security and public health concern. While not all fuel used in nuclear reactors can be immediately used in a nuclear bomb, even uranium that's not highly enriched could be used in a dirty bomb or other harmful radiological device. Our nuclear-powered car would have to be immune from such tampering. Then there's also the question of what happens in a car accident. Would the shielding stay intact, even in a catastrophic collision?
Finally, energy companies, car manufacturers and the government would need to collaborate to establish the infrastructure and a standardized process to dispose of spent fuel, which would be highly radioactive for hundreds of years. Other problems associated with nuclear power include the startup costs and time (up to 10 years) for new plants. Then there is the fear of accidents and the need to safely dismantle old plants and dispose of spent fuel and waste. The rekindled interest in nuclear energy has also driven up the price of uranium. The logistics and costs of such an endeavor may prove prohibitive.
With all of these challenges in mind, nuclear-powered cars likely remain far out of reach, at least made of today's technology. But for lots more information on other uses of nuclear technology and the future of automobiles, explore the links on the next page.
Power Plant on the Go?
A mini nuclear power plant would have a uranium bundle heating water into steam that drives a steam turbine, in turn spinning a generator, producing electricity. Or, engineers could forgo the turbine-and-generator model and use the superheated steam created by the bundle to move an engine. In that case, an additional power source would be required for the car's other functions.
FAQs
No, it is not possible to have nuclear-powered cars.
Is a nuclear-powered engine possible? ›
Fast facts: Nuclear thermal propulsion has been on NASA's radar for more than 60 years. Nuclear thermal propulsion could be an enabling technology for future crewed missions to Mars, largely due to its performance advantages over conventional chemical propulsion systems.
What are the problems with nuclear-powered cars? ›
Feasibility and Challenges
In the event of a collision, the risk of radiation leaks or a catastrophic failure would be unacceptable. Size and Weight: Nuclear reactors are typically large and heavy. Miniaturizing a reactor to fit into a car while maintaining safety and efficiency is a monumental engineering challenge.
How much uranium would be needed to power a car? ›
Natural uranium in CANDU reactors gives 700 GJ/kg, so the lifetime natU required, if it could be used directly in a car, would be 0.6 kg. The lifetime 235 U would be 0.006 kg.
Has there ever been a nuclear-powered car? ›
The Ford Nucleon is a concept car developed by Ford in 1957, designed as a future nuclear-powered car—one of a handful of such designs during the 1950s and 1960s. The concept was only demonstrated as a scale model.
Why don't we use nuclear energy for cars? ›
Without proper shielding, the radioactivity of the power source could kill people in and near the car, putting a damper on any commute. Nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and subs all employ heavy shielding.
Is it possible to make a car engine powered by nuclear fission? ›
No, it is not possible to have nuclear-powered cars.
However, driving vehicles with nuclear fission is subsequently conceivable if the parting reactors are utilized to give matrix power to charging electric vehicles or if the vitality from the reactors produces manufactured fuel or even hydrogen.
Is a fusion-powered car possible? ›
But as technology is progressing, in a decade's time it could be possible to hop into nuclear fusion reaction-powered vehicles. It would be wise to power the heart of a four-wheeled machine with such an abundant and powerful source of energy.
What is the biggest downside to using nuclear power? ›
Disadvantages of nuclear energy
- Uranium is technically non-renewable.
- Very high upfront costs.
- Nuclear waste.
- Malfunctions can be catastrophic.
A major environmental concern related to nuclear power is the creation of radioactive wastes such as uranium mill tailings, spent (used) reactor fuel, and other radioactive wastes.
You can personally own, and have possession of, no more than one tonne (1000 kg) of Uranium ore or depleted or natural abundance Uranium compounds. You may not enrich or attempt to enrich the Uranium concentration or the 235/238 ratio.
What is the lifespan of uranium fuel? ›
The nuclear fuel is considered spent when it no longer can sustain the fission reaction. In a pressurized water reactor, this takes about three to seven years, depending on the fuel and its location in the reactor core.
How much nuclear fuel do I need for my lifetime of electricity needs? ›
Then, based on the average electricity consumption per person in Norway as described above, a person needs about 25 g of nuclear fuel per year for generating 7 600 kWh. Or about 2 kg of nuclear fuel with a volume of 200 ml during a period of 80 years.
Can planes be powered by nuclear energy? ›
Several subsequent studies of a potential nuclear-powered aircraft were undertaken, sponsored in part by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), which had succeeded the Manhattan District. It was estimated then that a program to develop a nuclear-powered aircraft would take 15 years and cost more than a billion dollars.
How much is the human powered car? ›
The car will cost $15,500 when it goes on sale next year, according to the HumanCar site. Potential owners can put down a refundable $50 placeholder for when the vehicles become available. So far, the company says it has 100 pre-orders and that production will begin when they reach 800.
Do nuclear rocket engines exist? ›
NERVA achieved many successes and improved upon the early prototypes to create powerful engines that were several times more efficient than chemical counterparts. However, the program was cancelled in 1973 due to budget constraints. To date no nuclear thermal propulsion system has ever been implemented in space.
Why don't we use nuclear rocket engines? ›
A nuclear rocket wouldn't be used to launch a spacecraft from the Earth's surface — it would be designed to run in space only. It would have to launch into orbit on a large chemical rocket — so the public would have to accept the risk of launching a nuclear reactor on a standard rocket filled with explosive fuel.
Are nuclear fusion cars possible? ›
Long hailed as an impossibility, harnessing nuclear fusion to power homes, businesses, cars, and even airplanes is now widely viewed by scientists and engineers as a very real prospect that would undoubtedly and dramatically reshape energy consumption around the world.
Would a nuclear-powered plane be possible? ›
In theory, nuclear-powered flight is feasible and, in some ways, even desirable. You could fly from London to Sydney without refuelling and all but eliminate greenhouse gas emissions while you're at it.
Can nuclear fuel be weaponized? ›
Under normal nuclear power plant operation, the plutonium in spent reactor fuel contains roughly 24 percent plutonium-240; such plutonium is often referred to as "reactor-grade." However, essentially all isotopic mixtures of plutonium—including reactor-grade plutonium—can be used for nuclear weapons.
