Very interesting post, however, due to the environmental concerns, it is not a good idea at all... I have a feeling that it will prove to be cost
prohibitive to build such a vehical though (I am sure they wouldnt make such a decision based only on environmental concerns!)
Nuclear-powered UAV on drawing board, page 1
privacy
Pages:
ATS Members have flagged this thread 0 times
ATS Members have flagged this thread 0 times
Topic started on 2-3-2003 @ 10:05 PM by mad scientist
The US Air Force is examining the feasibility of a nuclear-powered version of an unmanned aircraft. The USAF hopes that such a vehicle will be able
to "loiter" in the air for months without refuelling, striking at will when a target comes into its sights.
With a nuclear drive a Global Hawk could fly for months without landing (Image: GETTY NEWSERVICE)
But the idea is bound to raise serious concerns about the wisdom of flying radioactive material in a combat aircraft. If shot down, for instance, would an anti-aircraft gunner in effect be detonating a dirty bomb?.......
........The AFRL now has other ideas, though. Instead of a conventional fission reactor, it is focusing on a type of power generator called a quantum nucleonic reactor. This obtains energy by using X-rays to encourage particles in the nuclei of radioactive hafnium-178 to jump down several energy levels, liberating energy in the form of gamma rays. A nuclear UAV would generate thrust by using the energy of these gamma rays to produce a jet of heated air.
The military interest was triggered by research published in 1999 by Carl Collins and colleagues at the University of Texas at Dallas. They found that by shining X-rays onto certain types of hafnium they could get it to release 60 times as much energy as they put in.
LINK
[Edited on 3-3-2003 by mad scientist]
With a nuclear drive a Global Hawk could fly for months without landing (Image: GETTY NEWSERVICE)
But the idea is bound to raise serious concerns about the wisdom of flying radioactive material in a combat aircraft. If shot down, for instance, would an anti-aircraft gunner in effect be detonating a dirty bomb?.......
........The AFRL now has other ideas, though. Instead of a conventional fission reactor, it is focusing on a type of power generator called a quantum nucleonic reactor. This obtains energy by using X-rays to encourage particles in the nuclei of radioactive hafnium-178 to jump down several energy levels, liberating energy in the form of gamma rays. A nuclear UAV would generate thrust by using the energy of these gamma rays to produce a jet of heated air.
The military interest was triggered by research published in 1999 by Carl Collins and colleagues at the University of Texas at Dallas. They found that by shining X-rays onto certain types of hafnium they could get it to release 60 times as much energy as they put in.
LINK
[Edited on 3-3-2003 by mad scientist]
Pages: ^^TOP^^
First flight for \'flapless\' plane - the Evolution of Aviation
Posted 14 days ago with 4 member flags
Posted 14 days ago with 4 member flags
Dassault Rafale wins India\'s biggest fighter deal for $10.4 billion
Posted 12 days ago with 1 member flags
Posted 12 days ago with 1 member flags
The Above Top Secret Web sites are a
wholly owned social content community of
The Above Network, LLC.
This content community relies on
user-generated content from our member contributors.
The opinions of our members are not those of site ownership
who maintains strict editorial agnosticism and simply provides
a collaborative venue for free expression.
ATS Server: www3.theabovenetwork.com
Header data: 0.003 seconds
Page processed in: 0.035 seconds
wholly owned social content community of
The Above Network, LLC.
This content community relies on
user-generated content from our member contributors.
The opinions of our members are not those of site ownership
who maintains strict editorial agnosticism and simply provides
a collaborative venue for free expression.
ATS Server: www3.theabovenetwork.com
Header data: 0.003 seconds
Page processed in: 0.035 seconds
