Mobile energy depot feasibility study: summary report

Abstract

DISCLAIMERPortions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document.•T h is report was prepared as an account o f G overnm ent sponsored w ork. N e ith e r th e U n ited S tates, nor th e C o m m issio n, nor A llis -C h a lm e rs M a n u factu rin g Com pany, This w o u ld make m echanized units independent o f e x te rn a l fu e l supplies fo r e xtended periods, and p erm it them to move q u ic k ly and e a s ily to areas im possible fo r units th a t depend on the custom ary fu e l supply lin e s.M a n y possible MED systems w ere e va lu a te d on the basis o f energy sources, fu e l m a n ufa c tu rin g (by both c o n v e n tio n a l and chem onuclear processes), fu e l storage and tra n sp o rta tio n , and fu e l u tiliz a tio n in both p re se n t-d a y in te rn a l-c o m b u s tio n engines and power units o f the fu tu re (i.e ., fue l c e lls ). The a p p lic a tio n s o f more than a dozen MED systems to v e h ic u la r propulsion were stud ie d .Recommendations were made c o v e rin g several pre fe rred systems and areas fo r fu rth e r stud y. , ■ t..The in creasing m e ch a n iza tio n o f modern a rm ie s ;w i.th th e a tte n d a n t increase in fu e l,re quirem ents^, has p la ce d a n .in c re a s in g burden on m ilita r y supply se rvice s. O w in g to .th e s p e c ia l a b ilit y o f n u c le a r fu e l to p ro v id e a concentrated^, lo n g -liv e d source o f p o w e r, la rg p ly in d ep e nd e nt o f supply lin e s , m ilita r y planners and strategists have long sought to make use o f n u c le a r e n e rg y . For some a p p lic a tio n s re q u irin g small amounts o f pow er (up to a :fe w k ilo w a tts ),, radioisotopes may be used, b ut fo r pow er requirem ents measured in megawatts the o n ly p ra c tic a l source o f e nergy is the fissio n re a c to r.U n fo rtu n g te ly , the s h ie ld in g associated w ith a re a c to r w o u ld make the p la n t so la rg e and h e a vy th a t the d ire c t a p p lic a tio n o f n u cle a r pow er to .th e m a jo rity o f m ilita r y v e h ic le s w o u ld n ot be a p ra c tic a l p o s s ib ility , in n aval a p p lic a tio n s , w here size and w e ig h t lim i ta tio n s do not a p p ly and w here cost is o u tw e ig h e d by o th e r co n sid e ra tio n s, n u c le a r p o w e r p la n ts have supplanted o th e r forms o f pow er ,in several cases.The sm all pow er re q u ire m e n t o f in d iv id u a l m ilita r y land ve hicles, is also e c o n o m ic a lly u n fa v o ra b le fo r d ire c t use o f n u c le a r pow er re a cto rs. The u n it cost o f a p la n t p e r in s ta lle d k ilo w a tt is in v e rs e ly p ro p o rtio n a l to .th e size o f the p la n t. M o re o v e r, th e o p e r a tin g cost p er u n it o f e n e rg y produced is.reduced as the load fa c to r, is in cre ase d . Thus, a fe w la rg e p la n ts in continuous o p e ra tio n are e c o n o m ic a lly more fa v o ra b le .th a n many sm all p ow er p la nts o p e ra tin g in te r m itt...