Re: Fusion energy was: SNOW JOB

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Bilderback" <bbilderback@hotmail.com>
> >As an illustration: The effect Nuclear weapons is measured in
Megatons,
> >that is a million (10^6) tons of conventitional explosives. In fact
the
ratio,
> >in energy output is more like a billionfold (10^9) , because you only
need
> >kilos, not tons, of nuclear material.

> Either way, it still means my point was valid, that a smart high-tech
force
> will take along hydrogen conversion equipment or have a built-in
conversion
> capacity to prevent a loss of fuel supply.

You still don't seem to have understood what the difference in energy
output
implies.

If you just assume the factor 1 million:
Take a tank whose conventional chemical engine has enough hydrogen fuel
to
run for a day (about typical for today's tanks). Exchange the engine for
a
nuclear engine and the same fuel will last for a million days ! That is
about 3000 years. If Pharao Ramses had had such a tank, it would still
have
fuel today, but we would start to worry about finding a gas station.
If you take the 1 billion factor, a tank built by Australopithecus would
still be going.

Nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers or power stations exchange their
fuel
every few years. Not because it is exhausted, but because waste nuclei
contaminate the fuel rods.

With a nuclear engine, you start to worry about fuel when you start to
worry
about a new tank.

In the 1950's, people were much more naive about nuclear power, and I
have
seen designs for nuclear cars and locomotives. I have heard about a
nuclear
tank, but have never seen it in print. There were projects for nuclear
aircraft at a fairly advanced stage.

The most horrendous project I have seen was "Pluto", a cruise missile
(or
UCAV if you prefer), with a nuclear ramjet. Designed to fly low-level at
supersonic speed over the Sowjet Union and drop nukes along the way.
Added
"bonus": any land under its flight path would have been uninhabitable
due to
the fallout of the exhaust and the missile could be crash-dived to
produce a
nice little Tchernobyl.
See:
http://www.merkle.com/pluto/

Greetings