Nuclear Powered Locomotive

Nuclear powered locomotive

Introduction:

The concept of minaturization has been adopted in many diverse industries, for a variety of purposes. In the USA, the Nucor company pioneered the concept of a mini-steel mill, a concept once thought to be unworkable and wholly uneconomical. In the field of hydro-electric power generation, efficient and cost-effective mini and micro-hydro dams have become common in several countries. Advances in thermodynamic technology has seen the development of small, single tube mini-boilers to convert water into steam and at efficiencies of 85%. Advances in electronics technology has seen computers shrink in size while becoming more versatile and less costly. Smaller batteries are now storing more energy, smaller solar panels are now delivering more electricity, and even capacitors have now been developed to start large engines or accelerate large commercial vehicles. (Cravens, 2007)

The concept of minaturization is resulting in development of various types of micro-machines. At the extreme end, a new technology called nanotechnology is evolving, where micro-machines can be constructed at the molecular level, for several purposes. In view of advancing trends in many fields of scientific and technological research and endeavour, the efforts toward developing mini and micro nuclear reactors ought to be seen as an inevitable outcome. Whereas nuclear power stations may generate 1, 000 to 10, 000 Megawatts (Mw), the nuclear power plant aboard a Soviet icebreaker is rated at 70-Mw. At present, the Eskom mini-reactors are proposed to operate in the 110-Mw to 120-Mw range and without the need for cooling ponds. A micro version of this technology at one tenth the rating, may become possible.

Explantion

The main use for Nuclear turbines is in electricity generation (about 80% of the world's electric production is by use of Nuclear turbines) and to a lesser extent as marine prime movers. In the former, the high speed of rotation is an advantage, and in both cases the relative bulk is not a disadvantage; in the latter (pioneered on the Turbinia), the light weight, high efficiency and high power are highly desirable.

Virtually all nuclear power plants generate electricity by heating water to provide Nuclear that drives a turbine connected to an electrical generator. Nuclear-powered ships and submarines either use a Nuclear turbine directly for main propulsion, with generators providing auxiliary power, or else employ turbo-electric propulsion, where the Nuclear drives a turbine-generator set with propulsion provided by electric motors. A limited number of Nuclear turbine railroad locomotives were manufactured. Some non-condensing direct-drive locomotives did meet with some success for long haul freight operations in Sweden and for express passenger work in Britain, but were not repeated. Elsewhere, notably in the U.S.A., more advanced designs with electric transmission were built experimentally, but not reproduced. It was found that Nuclear turbines were not ideally suited to the railroad environment and these locomotives failed to oust the classic reciprocating Nuclear unit in the way that modern diesel and electric traction has done. It is possible to use a mechanism based on a pistonless rotary engine such as the ...