How small can a nuclear reactor be to say run an automobile?

Answer 1

Are you kidding nuclear reactor cannot come in smaller size they are very huge even to be run on trains(i mean other than steam engines) they can only be run on ships. some ship not all.

Think of the radiations hazards which the passengers will pick up. Dude nuclear reactors radiations form a Nuclear plant requires 9" steel to stop the radiation to leak out of the reactor. Did you know that, no you never knew it. It is impossible to install a reactor in a car.

The cooling needs liquid sodium which have to be preserved in a concrete before the 9" steel wall I said. If this is not provided the passengers will be burnt to asses in no time once when the reactor is started.

Answer 2

hmmmmmmmm....tricky

the problem is most people when they see this question would think of the standard type nuclear reactor...the one that uses the heat given off from the controlled chain reaction to cause water to boil and release steam, which is then used to turn a turbine and produce electricity. yep, a very large set up, and very costly. To make and keep a controlled chain reaction requires so much nuclear fuel, control rods, and shielding that it would make it impractical as a power source for a car.

But there is a way to use the heat given off by the natural decay of some radioactive materials, such as strontium 90, in a safe way that might power a very light car. For years the soviet union used Sr-90 heat to thermo-couple technology to produce low voltage currents to run portable lighting and radio equipment that was to be placed in areas where there were no electrical lines. And, from what i understand, there are some chemicals out there that expand as a gas at lower temperatures than water boiling that could make use of the Sr-90 heat cycle. so it could be possible to adopt this type of heat generator to a cars requirement for energy: you just have to be more creative to change it to a form that can move a car.

Answer 3

Not small enough. However nuclear is a great clean way to produce hydrogen. This hydrogen can then be used to power the cars of the near future. So while nuclear reactors will never fit in cars, nuclear energy can power them.

Answer 4

The reactor itself can be made quite small. Unfortunately, the necessary shielding can't. Nuclear reactors will never be suitable for vehicles other than ships.

Answer 5

A nuclear reactor can be made quite small, but the weight of appropriate shielding and the possibility of release of radioactive materials in a crash far outweigh any possible advantage.

Answer 6

that'd be great! put small nuclear reactors in the hands of all the would-be terrorists! lol