Re: Open-Source Armchair Critics At It Again

On 2026-07-28 17:22, Rich wrote:
> c186282 <[email protected]> wrote:
>> On 7/27/26 00:42, rbowman wrote:
>>> On Sun, 26 Jul 2026 21:23:57 -0400, c186282 wrote:
>>>
>>>>      They DID promise atomic-powered cars back when I was a little kid.
>>>>      Wonder what happened ?
>>>
>>> Ford didn't make any promises with the Nucleon. It was a concept based on
>>> small, lightweight reactors becoming available in the future. Never
>>> happened.
>>>
>>> I do remember Chrysler's turbine car from the '64 World's Fair. There were
>>> working prototypes but that didn't prove out either.
>>
>>    Turbines aren't great for automobiles.
>>
>>    We CAN make 'em cheap enough now - but they are not very fuel
>>    efficient and take too long to wind up and down.
>>
>>    So, no "Batmobiles".
>>
>>    "Hybrids", using a small constant-speed diesel as the recharge
>>    generator ...  those can be very efficient.
> 
> Which is also a "usage point" for "turbines".  Run them at
> constant-speed spinning a generator, then use the resulting electricity
> for battery recharge.
> 
> But you still have to deal with the "not terribly efficient" factor for
> a car sized model, plus the heat generated by the turbine combustion
> process.
> 

In theory, you could run a second turbine on those hot gases of the exhaust.

-- 
Cheers,
        Carlos E.R.
        ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;