8 Grams of Thorium Could Replace Gasoline In Cars

Normally I auto-ignore any article that utilizes claims of anthropogenic global warming as a call to action, but in this case the author is bringing some technology to my attention that I was unfamiliar with.

I’ve seen a few other links around the web involving thorium powered batteries, but I never really paid much attention to them. It appears that I should have.

Peakoil.com reports:

In 2004, Thorium plasma batteries made their debut as compact portable devices that could provide reliable power for 3-7 years, non-stop, without a recharge. Three inventors came up with 3 different but similar designs and all three worked flawlessly – providing a green alternate energy source with no adverse safety or environmental concerns.

Since these stand-alone batteries can be manufactured in various sizes consider the following applications:

* Laptop and other PCs
* Electric bicycles & scooters
* Automobiles
* Trucks
* Ships & Barges

But think BIG and one of these plasma batteries the size of a shoebox could power a complete 5 bedroom house and every appliance in it. Or one the size of Hummer could power a complete 300 unit condominium complex without any external power grid connection. But think even bigger still… A battery the size of that same 5 bedroom house could power the City of Dayton – by plugging it into the local power grid. And there would be zero emissions. Thorium plasma power can eliminate every coal plant in the world in less than 5 years. But it gets better still…

If we were to drive electric cars and trucks powered by plasma battery technology, we could reduce global warming by 30% within five years and perhaps 50% within a decade. But what is good for mankind and our grandchildren poses a huge threat of financial loss to others – primarily big oil and politicians. Here is why…

While two-faced politicians talk about greening the world every four years just before they face elections, they are being wined and dined by big oil (Remember the Cheney-Enron affair?) to complicitly keep us addicted to oil. Why?

Because roughly 43% of all revenues paid for gasoline and other fuels are collected by the government in taxes, and these taxes provide more than a third of the nation’s operating budget. Adopting green Thorium plasma battery technology would reduce national oil consumption by more than 85% and how would our pols get by with 33% less tax revenues. Once gotten, graft is no sot easy to surrender as one Senator told me last year – “It would be easier to quit smoking after 10 years of chain smoking!”

I agree with Peakoil’s assessment of the situation as it is the only one that makes any plausible sense to me.

MIT Professor Eugene Mallove on Coast to Coast: playlist

This is a 2-hour video made to accompany a recorded radio broadcast from 2004. It was transmitted on Coast-to-Coast AM and features Eugene Mallove who was murdered later that same day.

All inventors who have been publicly known to have worked with thorium battery technology, such as Dr. Mallove, have been murdered or have gone missing. (Inventors working on other technologies have also died under odd circumstances.)


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Additional articles on various power generation techniques using thorium as a fuel source:

8 grams of thorium could replace gasoline in cars

Inventor working on thorium-powered car that could use steam turbine and electrical generator to replace gasoline engine.

IAEA Report: Thorium fuel cycle — Potential benefits and challenges

China announces thorium reactor energy program, Obama still dwelling on “Sputnik moments”

The greener nuclear alternative

Concepts & Prototypes: Two Next-Gen Nukes

Thorium Plasma Battery Technology – Wrongly Top Secret?

White Whale Productions, LLC:Thorium Power Pack

This sounds like a great technology, very cutting edge. Now how long before this is swept under the rug.. If only there was some way to get it past those pesky oil corps.

Existing thread
New technology could allow cars to never refuel again
Cool Though.

reply to post by mnemeth1


From your list of inventors that were "murdered because they made thorium batteries"..

The first name was Stanley Meyer, who had a hydrolysis scam going, nothing to do with thorium.

On your first link to thorium in cars, it was sourced to wardsauto.com, where they are getting their information from Charles Stevens who used to run a little genome scheme before he started his thorium scheme.

I stopped reading after that.

Thorium is highly toxic and radioactive, and has a half-life of 14-billion years. (Health and Safety Aspects of Thorium Production)

Maybe as he claims he can make it safe and viable, but um, I'd just as soon as not have 300 million radioactive cars on the road to deal with, let alone what happens to them when they're scrapped and sitting in a boneyard somewhere or pulverized in a collision with a semi.

But thanks for the post, technology will have to find a solution to fossil fuels some day.

It could... but good luck getting it past your car test to be classed road worthy.

Good luck getting the insurance company to back you up in an accident.. If they insure you.


Want to run a car on water, sure no problem, do it in your own private property.

Isn't Thorium radioactive? I know its not near as dangerous as Uranium or Plutonium, but still. It produces radon gas, which is dangerous, and it has been known to self-combust...at least in powdered form. Not that I'm against its use, just that there could be dangers. Specifically if used in an automobile.

Originally posted by boncho
reply to post by mnemeth1

 

From your list of inventors that were "murdered because they made thorium batteries"..

The first name was Stanley Meyer, who had a hydrolysis scam going, nothing to do with thorium.

On your first link to thorium in cars, it was sourced to wardsauto.com, where they are getting their information from Charles Stevens who used to run a little genome scheme before he started his thorium scheme.

I stopped reading after that.

Thanks for the links to his sites, but where does it say these are fraudulent schemes?

Do you know of articles that expose these companies as some kind of fraud?

When I Google them I don't see any fraud allegations.

Jim Hedrick, a specialist on industrial minerals – and until last year the U.S. Geological Survey’s senior advisor on rare earths – tells Ward’s the idea is “both plausible and sensible.”
...
Stevens says his company should be able to place a prototype on the road within two years. The firm has 40 employees and operates out of an in-house research workshop.

Obviously Dr. Mallove agrees with Hedrick's assessment.

Why would 40 people continue to work for a known fraudster and why would Hedrick put his reputation on the line to defend a fraudster?

Could it be that the blogspot blog you linked is simply wrong? That blog article just throws out allegations without actually providing one shred of proof to go with them. While at the same time I see legitimate business articles involving those two corporations.

Physorg even did a piece on one of them
www.physorg.com...

Interesting thread, it seems like the race to replace oil has been happening for decades now which brings me to question these big oil companies. Obviously they aren’t going to be happy the second someone develops a new fuel replacement but it’s inevitable. Could the oil companies be holding back some of the greatest feats, simply to fatten their pockets? I think that is definitely the case, makes me sick thinking about it to be honest.

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
Thorium is highly toxic and radioactive, and has a half-life of 14-billion years. (Health and Safety Aspects of Thorium Production)

Maybe as he claims he can make it safe and viable, but um, I'd just as soon as not have 300 million radioactive cars on the road to deal with, let alone what happens to them when they're scrapped and sitting in a boneyard somewhere or pulverized in a collision with a semi.

But thanks for the post, technology will have to find a solution to fossil fuels some day.

Thorium radiation can be blocked by tinfoil and is essentially no more dangerous than gasoline.

While it is mildly radioactive, its not a major concern.

Thorium reactors can not have a critical meltdown like a uranium reactor.

I know that thorium is pretty legit for nuclear power (if I recall correctly).

There's also IGE (Induced Gamma Emission) via Hafnium, which would more or less revolutionize nuclear power. I'm talking jet planes that could fly for days, if not weeks, without refueling.

The only problem, as always, is nuclear waste. However, recent data shows that things like solar flares accelerate/slow down (forget which) otherwise constant radioactive decay. If we could isolate the reason why, and make a sort of long jet engine that de-radiated things, we could have direct-heating nuclear jet engines and other such things.


I would ask you to look at this piece of antiquity from the 50s, I believe.

We are well on our way to getting there.

Why not use conventional electric car technology with on-board batteries and have an at home thorium powered steam generator to charge it and run your household electronics, duhhhh?

reply to post by josh2009s


Because it would probably take too long. You could likely use some sort of EM device to get the car rolling, then a small scale nuclear device to keep it rolling, and recharging the battery for the EM device as you roll. This equates to a years-lasting battery, and a car that can pretty much drive without problem for a long long time. Only liability is the need for a dead man switch in order to eliminate radioactivity, until at least we figure out how to accelerate decay.

reply to post by mnemeth1

Thanks for the links to his sites, but where does it say these are fraudulent schemes?

Do you know of articles that expose these companies as some kind of fraud?

Well, you can read their power point presentation:

Here


Somehow with their "6.5 million dollar" R&D center and them about to create "thousands of hi paying jobs"....[sic]

One would think they could part with a couple hundred to pay someone to proofread and perhaps use something better than Microsoft Paint to put their presentation together.

Unfortunately, the whole concept of rare earth "batteries" and thorium reactors may be mute.

There are 17 rare earth metals, most of which are found in similar geological formations.

Therein lies the problem. These formations accessible to mining operations are in the control of the Chinese.

Over 97% of ALL rare earths are mined by and sold by the Chinese.

Link: Gloal supply of rare earth metals

There are large deposits off the coast of Japan, but are currently unaccessable.

There are also deposits in Mongolia which are currently being explored and the ore currently being assayed in S. Korea, but the results aren't in yet.

There are several companies currently searching new supplies and extraction methods (i.e. Green Technology Solutions, for example) but will take many years to break the Chinese stranglehold on the supply of rare earths.

S & F for posting an important topic.

Remember: Most of the new "green technologies" depend on these rare earths, including photovoltaic cells, high tech magnets, and most of the electronics we've grown to know and love!

Originally posted by eXia7
This sounds like a great technology, very cutting edge. Now how long before this is swept under the rug..

Its already under the rug... the technology has been here since the 90's.

reply to post by boncho


You can read the musings of the CEO Here.