LIQUID NITROGEN CAR

In the September 1997 issue of Access to Energy, we made some calculations about the new "environmentally friendly'' car that is driven by a turbine powered by evaporating liquid nitrogen. We estimated that a similarly powered fuel truck carrying 40 tons of liquid nitrogen would have a range of about 500 miles and a fuel cost 1,000 times higher than the diesel alternative.

The tubular prototype liquid nitrogen car carries one man and its 48 gallon fuel tank with a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour and a range of 15 miles. It, therefore, uses 3 gallons of fuel per mile.

In comparison, a Boeing 747 aircraft traveling 575 miles per hour uses about 6 gallons per mile of jet fuel (on average during a coast-to-coast trip). Jet fuel costs, however, about one-third as much as liquid nitrogen, so the 747 fuel cost is less per mile than the one person car. You may have 500 people traveling in a 747 or one person traveling at 20 miles per hour in a go-cart at 50% greater fuel cost - take your pick.

•	Rationing Technology
•	GLOBAL WARMING
•	*LIQUID NITROGEN CAR*
•	STARK RAVING MAD
•	GOOD READING

Vol. 25, No. 3

Newsletter: Access to Energy Newsletter Archive
Volume: Issues
Issue/No.: Vol. 25, No. 3

Date: November 01, 1997 03:16 PM (For actual publication date see newsletter.)
Title: Rationing Technology