On Tuesday 11 October 2005 14:42, Jed Rothwell wrote: > [I am not sure whether the first message in this series reached this > discussion group, but anyway . . .] > > Here is an example of the idiotic analysis described in the American > Scientist review: > > > Second is the large amount of oil needed to mine and process nuclear fuel > and to build and maintain nuclear plants. And the third, formidable > objection Kunstler makes is that "Atomic fission is useful for producing > electricity, but most of America's energy needs are for things that > electricity can't do very well, if at all. For instance, you can't fly > airplanes on electric power from nuclear reactors"although, as he notes, > the U.S. military has tried. > > > Even if Kunstler does not understand how energy works, you would think that > someone at the American Scientist would understand that nuclear fission can > produce unlimited amounts of liquid chemical fuel, and that airplanes can > fly more efficiently, more safely and at a greater range with hydrogen fuel > than with conventional petroleum fuel. Of course it would cost a great deal > of money to build ~200 more nuclear power plants and designed a new fleet > of aircraft, but once we pay the up-front price and accomplish these tasks, > air transportation will be cheaper than it is today. > > - Jed
Oh yes a 'plane' can be built that can be powered by nuclear systems. The problem is what happens if one crashes. Think of it. Nuclear subs have been powered this way for over two generations. The only problem is when something ELSE goes wrong with them.....collisions....hatches left open.... dangerous experiments with torpedoes like the 'Kursk' incident. We can and should design main boost propulsions systems using this as well and build a couple of these for emergency uses. That last is probably flame-bait, but scientists know that in space travel there are unknowns that we know we know nothing about, and other unknowns that we are totally unaware about....'unk-unk's. Thirty years ago we had no idea that there were so many earth crossing asteroids as there are....for one thing. Standing Bear
