Energy Depot - A Concept for Reducing the Military Supply Burden

This paper reviews objectives, approach, and current status of energy depot studies conducted by the Allison Div. of General Motors.

An evolutionary concept is described for near term applications wherein nuclear energy, air, and water can be combined to produce a fuel for use in conventional vehicle engines. Fuel manufacture and engine operation studies are discussed. For longer term use, a revolutionary concept is described whereby a nuclear power source can be used to recharge an electric vehicle propulsion system. Both the evolutionary and revolutionary concepts are shown to provide important logistics advantages for military operations.