Introduction to How the nCar Works
If you've been watching the news recently, you may have noticed three trends:
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- Gasoline prices reached record highs last week.
- The long term supply of gasoline is uncertain, as Asian countries boost demand, outstrip existing refinery capacity and tighten world-wide inventories.
- And then there is global warming, caused almost exclusively by the combustion of gasoline and other fossil fuels. It is wreaking havoc on the environment in subtle ways now, but may reach a tipping point that causes mass extinction and the collapse of the Gulf Stream in the very near future.
It's scary stuff. And it certainly means that gasoline is on the minds of nearly everyone right now. Will we ever find a way to eliminate our economy's dependency on fossil fuels?
The answer is yes. A startup venture with major industry backing is in the process of releasing its first product -- the nCar. In this article, we'll find out what the revolutionary technology behind the nCar is all about, and how it will help the world to eliminate the threat of energy shortages and global warming once and for all.
Meet the nCar
The nCar concept vehicle made a definite splash at this year's Detroit Auto Show, and with the first cars expected to be available in dealer showrooms next year, the pre-launch buzz has been intense.
 The new nCar concept vehicle |
Why all the excitement? The reason is simple: The key feature of the nCar is the fact that it does not use gasoline, nor any other fossil fuel. Instead, the nCar relies on a hybrid vehicle technology that has been in widespread operation since the 1950s. Using 21st-century techniques, this hybrid technology has only recently been miniaturized to fit under the hood of an automobile.
In the next few pages, we'll discuss the innovative technology behind the nCar, the safety issues faced by the designers of the nCar, as well as the biggest advantage of the nCar -- the fact that it never needs refueling.
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The Basics
Many people have at least a passing knowledge of the nuclear power industry. And most have heard about nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers on the evening news. What most people do not realize is that these large reactors need refueling very infrequently -- something like every 20 years.
 The reactor in a nuclear sub |
So, for example, all of the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers have the fuel built in. They can sail for decades on the nuclear fuel loaded into the ship's reactor during the ship's construction. See How Aircraft Carriers Work for details.
 Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Defense The USS George Washington, one of the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered super aircraft carriers |
Nuclear subs work the same way. If it weren't for the people onboard needing food and occasional shore leave, a nuclear submarine could travel underwater for decades without ever coming to the surface or refueling.
It is important to note that nuclear-powered subs and aircraft carriers are the original hybrid vehicles. They are incredibly clean and remarkably safe. The U.S. military has been safely operating these nuclear-powered vehicles for decades without a single mishap.
The amazing safety record and range of nuclear hybrid vehicles is made possible by the incredible energy density of the Uranium fuel used in their reactors. As described in the article How Nuclear Bombs Work, a pound of enriched Uranium-235 contains approximately the same amount of energy as a million gallons of gasoline.
If you are driving a car that gets 20 miles per gallon, a million gallons of gasoline would let you travel 20 million miles -- far more than the average 200,000 miles that the typical car travels in its lifetime. And that pound of uranium would fit into a space the size of a tennis ball.
By taking advantage of this incredible energy density, the nCar can use just a few grams of enriched Uranium-235 to power a car for its entire lifetime. You literally never have to purchase fuel again. When you drive the car off the lot, it already contains all of the fuel it will ever need during the life of the car. And, as we will learn in a moment, these innovative automobiles can power your home as well.
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The nCar Reactor
Traditional nuclear reactors -- even those used in nuclear subs -- are large, extremely complex machines. Obviously it would be impossible to create a traditional nuclear reactor small enough to fit in an automobile. Therefore, the nCar uses a modified approach that allows a nuclear reactor to shrink to a very small size.Companies in both the U.S. and Japan have been working on a new breed of nuclear reactor know as a Pebble bed modular reactor. Rather that using the traditional nuclear fuel rod and control rod assembly found in today's reactors (see How Nuclear Power Plants Work for details), a pebble bed reactor encapsulates the uranium fuel in small spheres. As the uranium naturally decays, the spheres heat up. It is this heat that powers the vehicle.
 The nCar reactor |
Given that these spheres naturally produce a constant source of heat over the course of a decade or so, the design of the nCar's engine is remarkably simple.
The spheres get hot enough to easily vaporize water and turn it into steam. The engine allows water to pass through a bed of the spheres, creating prodigious amounts of high-pressure steam. This steam runs through a compact steam engine or steam turbine (depending on whether you opt for the basic model or the sport version of the nCar). The output shaft of the steam engine/turbine connects to an electric generator. The electricity in turn drives an electric motor similar to that found in an electric car.
In a traditional nuclear power plant, the steam that exits the steam turbine gets re-condensed into water for re-use. That is why all large nuclear power plants have immense cooling towers standing nearby. A condensation unit like this is heavy and bulky in a car, so the used steam of the nCar instead flows out a traditional exhaust pipe. What this means is that, every 300 miles or so, you need to refill the car's water tank with 25 gallons of water. Tap water is fine. There are no special requirements for the water.
Inside a nuclear power plant
This steam is the nCar's only emission. There is no carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons or nitrogen oxides leaving the tailpipe as in a conventional automobile. Not only will the nCar have a big impact on global warming with its zero-carbon emissions, but it will also eliminate the smog and ozone now common in most large urban centers.
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Producing Power
One big advantage of the nCar, and something that is sure to be a selling point, is the fact that the spherical fuel pellets are always generating heat. This means that, when the car is parked, it can use its steam engine/turbine to generate electricity for the nation's power grid.At home, the basic model of the nCar will produce approximately 35 kilowatts of electricity on a continuous basis while it is parked in the garage -- much more electricity than the typical home uses. The excess power your car generates can be sold to the power company. Similarly, when your nCar is parked at work or the airport, it can generate power as well.
 Photo courtesy Jon Mauney When you park your car in the garage, simply plug it in with this safe, handy paddle connector. The car will provide 35 kilowatts -- more than enough for a normal household, with plenty of power left over to sell to the power company. |
What this means is that an nCar can actually make money for the owner of the car. The math works like this: Assume that you drive your nCar 2 hours, on average, per day. During the other 22 hours of each day while your car is parked, your car is producing 35 kilowatts, or approximately 770 kilowatt-hours of power per day. If your local power company will pay 7 cents per kilowatt-hour, your car generates about $50 per day. Over the expected 10-year lifetime of the car, a typical nCar will generate nearly $200,000 worth of electricity.
This means that by buying an nCar, you can actually make a profit on the vehicle over the car's lifetime.
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Safety Concerns
Obviously, with any nuclear-powered device like the nCar, safety is of paramount importance. There are four safety concerns that had to be addressed by the nCar's design team:- How do you protect the reactor and the uranium in the event of an accident or collision?
- How do you prevent the fuel from overheating if the car runs out of water?
- How do you prevent people, such as terrorists, from removing the nuclear fuel from the car and re-purposing it?
- How do you dispose of the fuel when the car reaches the end of its usable life?
The release of the U-235 in a crash is unacceptable. Therefore, the nCar design protects its Uranium spheres with a rugged titanium protection system. The reactor is first wrapped in lead shielding to block any radioactive emissions. The lead is then encased in a three-inch thick sealed titanium case that is designed to withstand even the most horrific crash. Another layer of lead shielding surrounds it, and then a second, redundant titanium case, also three-inches thick, provides a final penetration barrier.
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The nCar reactor |
It is impossible to imagine any force of nature -- outside of a direct nuclear bomb blast -- that could make its way past even one layer of this titanium casing. Penetrating both cases is impossible.
Overheating is prevented with innovative design features, many of which are proprietary during the patent application process. What we do know is that a simple, fool-proof retraction mechanism, combined with a molten sodium cooling loop that activates if the core temperature rises above a certain pre-set level, ensure that overheating of the nCar's reactor is not an issue.
 Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Defense Big explosions like these are common, everyday occurences when gasoline-powered vehicles get into wrecks. We see gasoline-powered cars detonating all the time in TV shows and movies. This sort of thing is impossible with the advanced safety features of the nCar. The nCar will contribute significantly to improved roadway safety. |
Could terrorists dismantle nCars, extract the enriched uranium and use it to create nuclear bombs? That is highly unlikely. First, extensive background checks will be performed on nCar customers prior to sale. Second, each nCar will be closely monitored with an advanced satellite tracking system. If an nCar were to be stolen by terrorists, it can be immediately recovered. Third, the titanium case around the reactor is virtually impenetrable without special tools.
Most important to security, however, is the Uranium alloy used in the spheres. In order for a terrorist to create a bomb, he/she would have to re-refine the Uranium from the spheres. For most terrorists, it will be easier to manufacture their own U-235 from scratch than to deal with the re-refining process.
Disposal of the nCar's radioactive fuel is handled by nCar as part of the sticker price. If your nCar is ever in an accident, or when your nCar reaches the end of its 10-year lifespan, you simply return it to you nCar dealer for recycling.
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Car Features
The benefits of nuclear power, as well as the profitability of the nCar from the sale electricity on the grid, are the obvious selling points of this innovative vehicle. But the designers of the nCar did not stop there. The nCar's sporty styling and luxury features are sure to appeal to customers as well.
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The new nCar concept vehicle |
The basic form of the car was created by the famed Italian designer Marcell Giovani, best know for his work with Lambourgini. Most would say that the car's body takes its styling cues from Porsche with tinges of Jaguar seen in the trunk region.
Surprisingly, the interior is sumptuous, using retro styling cues to inspire a sense of wonder in both the driver and passenger.
 The nCar interior |
With plenty of electricity on tap from the nuclear-powered generator, the optional equipment list is both surprising and inviting. For example, a complete refrigerator is available under the back seat. See your nCar dealer for details.
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Availability
The nCar is scheduled for delivery in the 2005 model year. However, there is one peculiar thing about the nCar. Because of requirements imposed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as safety issues during the fuel-loading process on the assembly line, the car will be available for shipment on only one day of the year: April 1. Dealers take pre-orders up to a year in advance of this date, for delivery to customers on April 1.
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If you are looking for a car that has the convenience of zero refueling, combined with a good package of features and options as well as the potential to generate up to $200,000 in electricity over the course of its 10-year lifespan, then the nCar is for you -- Visit a dealer today!
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Lots More Information
Related HowStuffWorks Articles
More Great Links
- nCar Official Site
- Safe Nuclear Power - At Last?
- How the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Works
- Inside the Fourth-Generation Reactors
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