http://www.caradvice.com.au/132921/the-thorium-powered-car-eight-g rams-one-million-miles/
In reply to Harry Veeder's message of Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:08:02 -0700 (PDT): Hi, [snip] > >I found this link on the Cold Fusion Times website. >What powers the laser that heats the thorium? Is this a parody? >Harry > >http://wardsauto.com/ar/thorium_power_car_110811/"A U.S. company says it is >getting closer to putting prototype electric cars on the road that will be >powered by the heavy-metal thorium. >Thorium is a naturally occurring, slightly radioactive rare-earth element >discovered in 1828 by the Swedish chemist Jons Jakob Berzelius, who named it >after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. It is found in small amounts in most >rocks and soils, where it is about three times more abundant than uranium." In order to get that much energy out of thorium, you have to fission it. Now you could do that with fast particles directly or by first converting it to U233 then fissioning it with slow neutrons. Since a laser is employed, and we know that lasers can be used as particle accelerators, my guess would be that they intend to accelerate protons with the laser and use them to fission the Thorium directly. Regards, Robin van Spaandonk http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html
