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Orca
Lyran Alliance
Recruit
Joined: 26-Dec-2022 10:12
Posts: 2
Location: Germany
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 Posted: 23-Jan-2023 00:40 Post subject: Fuel |
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Hi,
a question for those in the know.
When it comes to L/R fighters, landing and jump ships, SARNA.NET only talks about "Fuel" when it comes to fuel. I've already searched the internet and haven't found a definitive solution - What is that "Fuel"?
It can hardly be chemical fuel, since its energy content would just be enough to heat the ground under a DropShip and not send it into space. Is this some kind of reaction mass that is "ignited" via the fusion reactor or does anyone know anything more about it?
I want to know it in detail because I want to include the production of this "fuel" in a story i am writing. But to do that I need to know what I'm writing about.
It would be great if someone could help me with that.
Best regards
Orca
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Crazy Leroy
Free Worlds League
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Joined: 17-Apr-2022 18:19
Posts: 12
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| Posted: 23-Jan-2023 01:55 Post subject: Fuel |
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I figured the old "Dropships and Jumpships" sourcebook may have this.
This is what it says under the section for the Fury Class Dropship:
"Nearly all modern Dropships are powered by tremendous fusion drives. These systems provide thrust by venting off superheated plasma from the vessel's engine core. The high-pressure gasses can accelerate these vessels at rates exceeding one G. Extremely efficient in operation, the fusion drives can maintain sustained acceleration at this rate for weeks. This capability allows DropShips to make the journey from planet to jump point in a matter of day."
Elsewhere in this book it is also referred to as Hydrogen, and also "plasma."
So it would seem liquid hydrogen is fed into the fusion engine and then used at "extremely efficient" rates to travel at very fast sub-light speeds.
The beginning of the book also talks about Terra's first extra-planetary excursions, a trip to Mars on a vessel called the Columbia. That ship used a prototype fusion drive which "...worked by pumping energy into a load of hydrogen fuel which then fused into helium, releasing a tremendous amount of energy. This surge of energy was then partially recovered to maintain the fusion process. The reamining super-hot plasma was vented out through an exhaust chamber in the ship's rear, which provided a great deal of thrust."
This was the prototype of this kind of propulsion. It allowed a vessel to travel from Terran orbit to Mars in 14 days. This was in 2027.
Here's another line that may interest you:
"The previously used chemical reaction propulsion systems could attain high rates of acceleration but burned up fuel too quickly. Standard procedure was to build up as much speed as quickly as possible, using a quarter of the ship's fuel. The ship would then coast for months until it neared its destination. At that point it would burn another quarter of its fuel supply in deceleration. The fusion ship, on the other hand, could attain similar acceleration rates, but could also maintain them for days on a relatively small amount of fuel. Not only did this mean that the ship could make the trip in less time, but its constant, moderate acceleration also allowed the crew to live within artificial gravity."
Regarding Jumpships, for intra-system travel they use fusion drives the same way Dropships do, however the jump sails are able to absorb solar energy and recharge the fusion drive and K-F drive. "Even so, jump sail permitted an FTL-vessel to operate almost indefinitely without the need for refueling anything except its low-thrust station-keeping drive."
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Orca
Lyran Alliance
Recruit
Joined: 26-Dec-2022 10:12
Posts: 2
Location: Germany
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| Posted: 23-Jan-2023 02:10 Post subject: Fuel |
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Thanks a lot, that was far more than i found!
Your information will be very helpfull for writing my story! Thank you again!
Since I'm German and I write in German, it doesn't make sense to publish my story here. I publish it in a German forum.
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Crazy Leroy
Free Worlds League
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Joined: 17-Apr-2022 18:19
Posts: 12
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| Posted: 23-Jan-2023 19:09 Post subject: Fuel |
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| Happy to help! Good luck!
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