Alternative Supplies Part One, prepared by Charlotte Frank
Description:
Nominal power : 140 We
Mass ~ 20 kg
System efficiency: ~ 30 %
2 General Purpose Heat Source ('Plutonium Brick') modules
Uses 0.8 kg plutonium-238
Each GPHS contains: four iridium-clad plutonium fuel pellets
5 cm3 - 1.44 kg
Analysis:
Currently, the 55-watt Generator is a free-piston machine that operates on a thermodynamic cycle. Heat is supplied to the converter from a DOE General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) module, containing approximately 600 grams of Plutonium dioxide, and producing about 250 watts of thermal power. The heat input to a generator results in a hot-end operating temperature of 650 degrees C; and heat is rejected from the cold end of the generator at nominally 80 degrees C. The closed-cycle system converts the heat from a GPHS module into reciprocating motion with a linear alternator resulting in a AC electrical power output.
Initial testing:
The tests performed confirm the Generator is currently not a productive fuel source, despite the fact the general waste is reduced by more than half of the current H-fuel. It has been found through testing the converter supplies a large burst of energy quickly, and will then slowly expire from that point onward, due to this, its life expectancy is 14 years. There is also concern about the storage module not being able to contain the energy, causing destruction of the vessel it is attached to. This has put the safety of the Generator under question. Safety, cost, size, methods of manufacturing and life expectancy will need to be improved to allow use of this module.
Future testing:
Larger scale testing will be commencing shortly. By creating a larger unit, weighing up to 50kg, and testing with Promethium combined with Plutonium. These tests will be to see whether size, and/or a combination of fuels will increase the efficiency and power this unit produces. It may also be possible to combine the Generator with a re-created type of Radioisotope thermo-electric generator is an electrical generator that obtains its power from radioactive decay. In such a device, the heat released by the decay of a suitable radioactive material is converted into electricity using an array of thermocouples to improve power output.
LCKT - General working principles, prepared by Charlotte Frank
This is a copy for records only. The original report can be found here
The "Harpoon" prototype uses electromagnetic force to launch high-velocity projectiles rather than the typical process of isomeric transition resulting in gamma emission from any excited nuclear state used in gamma/photon weaponry, or high powered lasers. The projectile may or may not contain explosives. This model, in particular, has been designed to fire 240mm explosive projectiles. Additional studies show it is possible to solely rely on the projectile's high speed and kinetic energy to inflict damage to the enemy target, although this is not as effective. The prototype is a relatively simple construction based on its predecessor, the Lewis-Class kinetic turret (LCKT). It has been found that it is both possible and practical to utilise electromagnetic forces to impart a very high kinetic energy to a projectile rather than using conventional propellants, especially while in the vacuum of space. Initial versions of this prototype used a pair of parallel conductors, along which an armature was accelerated by the electromagnetic effects of a current that flowed down one of the conductors, into the armature and then back along the other conductor, this was found to be a catastrophic failure and alternative methods were investigated.
Engineers instead opted for a safer alternative projectile accelerator system. This system uses a direct adaptation of linear electric motors to accelerate the projectile to high speeds. The linear electric motors that operate through the reaction between stationary coils and a coaxial armature are essentially coil guns that magnetically accelerate the projectile; This design can readily exceed a speed of 900m/s and a distance of up to 4500m before its efficiency is greatly reduced, for the first successful model of its type these statistics are considered to be a huge achievement. This design also allows for increased operating safety controls for the speed and acceleration of the projectile. This is usually not altered once it has been calibrated and set, this ensures the magnetic flux density in the magnetic circuit of this prototype is always under the allowed limits for safety reasons.
Initial testing of the prototype was problematic. Initial results showed the projectile was often unable to penetrate the shield of the enemy target. To allow for the projectile to pass through the shield, a low-inductance capacitor bank discharged into a single-loop antenna, a microwave generator, and an explosively pumped flux compression generator has been included into each projectile as a fix to this problem; However, this means the process of activation of the projectile itself is a series of complicated events that must occur within milliseconds to ensure successful penetration of the shield and detonation. After the firing process has occurred and upon reaching the enemy target, a switch is automatically activated which connects the capacitors to the stator, sending an electrical current through the wires. This generates an intense magnetic field. From this point, a fuse mechanism ignites the pre-detonation explosive material in the projectile. The primary explosion travels as a wave through the middle of the armature cylinder. As the primary explosion makes its way through the cylinder, the cylinder comes in contact with the stator winding. This creates a short circuit, cutting the stator off from its power supply. The moving short circuit compresses the magnetic field, generating an intense electromagnetic burst. At this point, the secondary explosives in the projectile will detonate and damage anything behind the now disrupted shield. Failure or early detonation of any part of this system will cause the failure of any or all parts of the process rendering the projectile useless.
The destructive force of a projectile depends not only on the size of the explosive force but the kinetic energy at the point of impact and due to the potentially high velocity of the launched projectile, their destructive force may be much greater than conventionally launched nuclear warheads without the impending fallout. The absence of nuclear warheads to store and handle, as well as the low cost of the projectiles, used compared to conventional weaponry, come as additional advantages to the design of this prototype. A disadvantage is the storage techniques required to safely store the explosive projectiles, as well as the cumbersome ‘reload’ method which will result in this being a considerably slower firing weapon compared to the gamma/photon/laser counterparts. It is essential to be aware that this prototype is unable to sustain heat damage, and fares poorly against physical damage. Physical damage causing a short in the system may result in overheating resulting in complete catastrophic failure of the prototype.
While it is essential to note that the LCKT had a number of concerns surrounding the novelty of the turrets, their bulkiness, as well as the high energy demand and complexity of the power supplies required to utilise these; many of these have been resolved in the design of this prototype. The power plants utilised by today's vessels have evolved considerably since the LCKT was last used by military forces, and it is now possible to power the weapons without diverting all power from the ships' essential components such as life support and navigational systems.
Updating a Collossus-Class transport to meet Minimum requirements of Liberty Vessel Safety Standards, prepared by Charlotte Frank
This is a copy for records only. The original report can be found here UPDATE OF COLOSSUS-CLASS TRANSPORT
This report is unclassified, however it may contain references to classified information and technologies. You may be required to verify your security clearance before reading this document. If you do not have necessary clearance, but require use this report, please consult your line manager for permission.
MAINTENANCE LOG Forward Fuselage
The forward fuselage consists of the upper and lower fuselage sections. It supports the forward RCS module, and nose cap. The lead ballast in the nose cap and on the Xo = 293 bulkhead provides weight and center-of-gravity control. The nose cap accommodates 1,350 pounds of ballast, and the Xo = 293 bulkhead accommodates a maximum of 1,971 pounds. The forward fuselage carries the basic body bending loads (loads that have a tendency to change the radius of a curvature of the body). The forward fuselage is covered with reusable insulation, except for the windows. The nose cap is also a reusable thermal protection system constructed of reinforced carbon-carbon with thermal barriers at the nose cap-structure interface. The forward RCS module is constructed of conventional 2024 aluminum alloy skin-stringer panels and frames. The panels are composed of single-curvature, stretch-formed skins with riveted stringers. The frames are riveted to the skin-stringer panels. The forward RCS module is secured to the forward fuselage nose section and forward bulkhead of the forward fuselage with 16 fasteners, which permit the installation and removal of the module. The components of the forward RCS are mounted and attached to the module, which has a reusable thermal protection cover, in addition to thermal barriers installed around it and the RCS jet interfaces and the interface-attachment area to the forward fuselage.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: All systems have been checked and are operating as expected.
Structural integrity of the forward components of this vessel are deemed to be adequate.
Crew Compartment
The four-level crew compartment is constructed of 2219 aluminum alloy plate with integral stiffening stringers and internal framing welded together to create a pressure tight vessel. The compartment has a side hatch for normal ingress and egress, and a hatch into the airlock from the middeck. The side hatch can be jettisoned. Redundant pressure window panes are provided in the six forward windshields, the two overhead viewing windows, the two aft viewing windows, and the side hatch windows. Approximately 300 penetrations in the pressure shell are sealed with plates and fittings. A large removable panel in the aft bulkhead provides access to the interior of the crew compartment during initial fabrication and assembly. The compartment supports the ECLSS, avionics, GNC equipment, inertial measurement units, displays and controls, star trackers, and crew accommodations for sleeping, waste management, seats, and galley. An additional bar, spa pool, and sauna has been added for staff entertainment.
ADDITIONAL NOTE:The crew compartment is pressurized to 14.7 ±0.2 psia and is maintained at an 80-percent nitrogen and 20-percent oxygen composition by the ECLSS, which provides a shirt-sleeve environment for the flight crew. The crew compartment is designed for 16 psia. The crew compartment’s volume with the airlock in the payload bay is 2,553 cubic feet.
Crew Compartment Windows
The orbiter windows provide visibility for entry, landing, and on-orbit operations. For atmospheric flight, the flight crew needs forward, left, and right viewing areas. On-orbit mission phases require visibility for rendezvous, docking, and payload-handling operations. The windows located at the forward flight deck commander and pilot stations provide forward, left, and right viewing. The two overhead windows and two payload-viewing windows at the aft station location on the flight deck provide rendezvous, docking, and payload viewing. The platform-shaped forward windows are the thickest pieces of glass ever produced in the optical quality for see-through viewing. Each consists of three individual panes. The innermost pane, which is 0.625 of an inch thick, is constructed of tempered aluminosilicate glass to withstand the crew compartment pressure. Aluminosilicate glass is a low-expansion glass that can be tempered to provide maximum mechanical strength. The exterior of this pane, called a pressure pane, is coated with a red reflector coating to reflect the infrared (heat portion) rays while transmitting the visible spectrum.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: No damage to any glass panes.
Pressure test successful.
The inner and outer panes have been coated with a high-efficiency, anti-reflection coating to improve visible light transmission. These windows withstand a proof pressure of 8,600 psi at 240° F and 0.017 relative humidity. The outer pane is made of the same material as the center pane and is 0.625 of an inch thick. The exterior is uncoated, but the interior is coated with high efficiency, anti-reflection coating. The outer surface withstands approximately 800° F.
Cargo structure
The cargo structure interfaces with the forward fuselage. It supports the cargo pods, tiedown fittings, and various orbiter system components. The cargo structure is primarily an aluminum alloy structure. The cargo structure skins are integrally machined by numerical control. The four cargo pod bays have aluminum honeycomb based panels. They also numerically control machined but have vertical stiffeners. The cargo structure is stabilized by 12 mainframe assemblies. The assemblies consist of vertical side elements and horizontal elements. The side elements are machined; the horizontal elements are boron/aluminum tubes with bonded titanium end fittings. In the upper portion of the cargo structure are the sill and door longerons. The machined sill longerons not only make up the primary body-bending elements, but also take the longitudinal loads from payloads in the cargo pod bays. The sill longeron also provides the base support for the payload bay manipulator arm (is installed) and its stowage provisions, the Kuband rendezvous antenna, the antenna base support and its stowage provisions, and the payload bay door actuation system.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:Because of additional detailed analysis of actual flight data concerning descent stress thermal gradient loads, torsional straps were added to the lower cargo structure stringers in bays 1 through 11. The torsional straps tie all stringers together similarly to a box section, which eliminates rotational (torsional) capabilities to provide positive margins of safety. Also, because of additional detailed analysis of actual flight data during descent, room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber material was bonded to the lower cargo structure to act as a heat sink and distribute temperatures evenly across the bottom of the cargo structure, which reduces thermal gradients and ensures positive margins of safety.
Orbiter Passive Thermal Control:
A passive thermal control system helps maintain the temperature of the orbiter spacecraft, systems, and components within their temperature limits. This system uses available orbiter heat sources and sinks supplemented by insulation blankets, thermal coatings, and thermal isolation methods. Heaters are provided on components and systems in areas where passive thermal control techniques are not adequate. (The heaters are described under the various systems.) The insulation blankets are of two basic types: fibrous bulk and multi-layer. The bulk blankets are fibrous materials with a density of 2 pounds per cubic foot and a sewn cover of reinforced acrylic film Kapton. The cover material has 13,500 holes per square foot for venting. Acrylic film tape is used for cutouts, patching, and reinforcements. Tufts throughout the blankets minimize billowing during venting. The multi-layer blankets are constructed of alternate layers of perforated acrylic film Kapton reflectors and Dacron net separators.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: N/A
Thermal Protection System
The thermal protection system (TPS) consists of various materials applied externally to the outer structural skin of the orbiter to maintain the skin within acceptable temperatures, primarily during the entry phase of the mission. The orbiter’s outer structural skin is constructed primarily of aluminum and graphite epoxy. During entry, the TPS materials protect the orbiter outer skin from temperatures above 350° F. In addition, they are reusable for 100 missions with refurbishment and maintenance. These materials perform in temperature ranges from minus 250° F in the cold soak of space to entry temperatures that reach nearly 3,000° F. The TPS also sustains the forces induced by deflections of the orbiter airframe as it responds to the various external environments. Because the TPS is installed on the outside of the orbiter skin, it establishes the aerodynamics over the vehicle in addition to acting as the heat sink. Orbiter interior temperatures also are controlled by internal insulation, heaters, and purging techniques in the various phases of the mission. The TPS is a passive system consisting of materials selected for stability at high temperatures and weight efficiency. These materials are as follows:
Reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC)
Black high-temperature reusable surface insulation (HRSI) tiles
Black tiles called fibrous refractory composite insulation (FRCI)
The systems designed by Deep Space Engineering are required to cover critical functionality, availability and safety to meet key performance requirements. There are four redundant Flight Control Modules (FCM) within the two Vehicle Management Computers (VMC), these are expected to surpass the reliability requirements and ensure availability as Colossus faces stresses of day to day space travel. The redundant FCMs are necessary to provide sufficient allowances to ensure the crew is not waiting for computers to reboot when critical events such as thruster and pyro firings should be occurring. The FCMs are also useful in providing a high integrity platform to house software applications, and have sufficient processing power to perform command and control of the colossus without negatively impacting central processing unit utilization margins.
The Colossus' On-board Data Network (ODN) uses Time Triggered Gigabit Ethernet (TT-GbE) to provide data transfer within the ship. This is a triple redundant network capable of moving data at a rate 1,000 times faster than systems previous used on the ship. This technology is built upon a reliable commercial data bus that has been hardened to be resilient to space radiation and proven many times within Deep Space Engineering. This will interface directly to the ODN via standard Ethernet. The redundant nature of the ODN
In the unlikely event that something goes wrong with the primary flight computers on the colossus, a dissimilar processing platform with dissimilar flight software is hosted on the Vision Processing Unit (VPU). The VPU provides a hot backup function to the redundant FCMs during critical phases of flight. This capability will also be utilized by the crew aboard the Colossus should emergencies arise in space. This colossus now employs a wireless communication system to interface with cameras used to monitor critical events and crew activities. This system is capable of sending commands and receiving telemetry from end systems and is connected to a utility network that interfaces with the ODN. With the use of portable tablets and Deep Space Engineering's wireless communication system, the crew has flexibility to be in any area of the Colossus and have insight into the critical systems of the ship while having the ability to act on any urgent caution, warning or emergency alerts.
Deep Space Engineering believes these are required for any space operations, as a sudden breakdown could lead to catastrophic consequences. To ensure continuity three units work in parallel with two active and one standby to take over if one fails. A fourth computer is kept as spare that is used as soon as one of the computers in active duty has problems.
COMMUNICATIONS:
Major changes introduced by the Deep Space Engineering upgrade of the Colossus include the replacement of the Rheinland-built radio communications system with a Unified Command Telemetry System, ending the necessity for reliance on Rheinland for the production of antennas, feeders and communication electronics. Furthermore, the new telemetry and command system provided by Deep Space Engineering is capable of relaying telemetry to the ground and receive relayed commands during the portion of its flight path outside of Liberty Space.
Another communications upgrade completed with the Colossus-class transport is the implementation of a Proximity Communications Link to enable relative navigation as an additional source of navigation data outside of Rheinland space. The Colossus is outfitted with receivers for accurate time determination, state vector calculation and orbit determination – allowing a more accurate targeting of burns, even by the spacecraft itself, no longer relying on radar tracking that is no only inaccurate but also only possible in a limited number of locations.
The Colossus also hosts an improved camera system and uses digital video transmission to deliver a better image quality to allow for use of the video & data overlay for remote-controlled operation of the spacecraft if needed. The improvements made to the flight control system, on-board software and communications systems will also permit the switch from analog to digital video transmission for improved video quality during proximity operations.
MEMORY MODULES
After years of operations, Deep Space Engineering has noticed that most of the failures of memory modules on one of the printed circuit boards of the computers. Each time, a failed computer was removed, returned for repairs and then re-launched, it caused unnecessary downtime and costs for vessels. It soon became clear that this approach was not sustainable due to the lack of available parts. Following extensive technical discussions and testing Deep Space Engineering has created a new circuit board, with the same form and function but built using modern and available components. This has been fitted into the colossus. All is now confirmed to be working properly, with great satisfaction to the personnel at Deep Space Engineering. This solution requires less costly downtime as only the boards need to be swapped instead of the whole units – the repair time is now reduced from a matter of months to a few days.
DISPLAY AND CONTROLS
The Colossus' Display and Control equipment is the crew interface to Deep Space Engineering's systems. The Displays and Controls consist of three Display Units, seven Switch Interface Panels, two Rotational Hand Controllers, two Translational Hand Controllers, and two Cursor Control Devices. The Switch Panels and Hand Controllers hardware interfaces through serial interfaces to the Power and Data Units (PDUs) and then via the ODN to either FCMs within the or the VMC for processing. The Display Units (DUs) utilize a variety of Formats to provide data to the crew for awareness and action when necessary. Everything has been translated into Libertonian-English for ease of use.
The colossus' Display and Controls are designed for an intensive amount of crew interaction both in nominal and off-nominal scenarios. The Display Format Software enables an improved streamlined addition of access via the Display Engine. The formats will be displayed on DUs, a display within the habitat, or the supplemental wireless tablet. The Display Formats allow the crew to interact with the display and provide insight into the health and status of the systems. Electronic Procedures have been developed for the colossus to allow direct interaction with the Display enabling reduced workload on the crew. The Electronic Procedures efficiently step the crew through planned tasks and reduce crew workload by highlighting various telemetry on the Display. Additionally, the Electronic Procedures have built in links to the on-board Caution & Warning System which alert the crew when on-board faults and anomalies occur. The Electronic Procedures link provides the ability for the crew to bring up Electronic Procedures which communicate the urgent actions the crew need to take in order to address the Caution & Warning condition. This same methodology will be employed to allow the crew more time for performing missions by minimizing maintenance and sustainment tasks on the colossus. Utilizing a DCM within the habitat and similar display technology allows for seamless integration with the displays and familiarity for the crew for operations.
POWER
The colossus' power system is capable of generating and supplying more power than is required for its operations and surplus power can be shared to supplement crew survival equipment. Because the colossus' power margins are a critical resource, there are also supplementation's to the colossus' power with the solar panels. The four colossus solar arrays generate about 11kW of power and spread 62 feet when extended. The colossus' batteries use small cell packaging technology to ensure crew safety when providing 120V power to the many systems on the colossus. Power is transferred between the solar arrays and batteries and to the end item loads via the Power and Data Units (PDU). This technology is leveraged to ensure a safe environment while the crew is on-board the colossus as well. The power system is designed to support hardware that needs to be operational at all times.
LIFE SUPPORT
These systems have been designed to maintain a comfortable environment for the crew-members for both short-sleeve cabin operations as well as suited operations under a variety of challenging external environments. It now maintains a fully controlled cabin atmosphere and living environment. Additionally, it is robustly designed to sustain critical functions for returning the crew safely home after a failure or catastrophic event, such as a toxic contamination or fire event or a breach in the pressurized cabin vessel. While the Colossus is designed for a reference mission of 21 days, the capabilities may be extended further when augmented with additional consumables and minimal equipment to sustain the larger volume. Combined with a flexible layout configuration that utilizes standardized interfaces on the colossus, this approach allows for the streamlined implementation of an affordable and timely initial capability that anticipates growth on the ship as it transitions to a self-sufficient capability. Deep Space Engineering's Air Revitalization System (ARS) is responsible for providing adequate ventilation for the crew, maintaining carbon dioxide, humidity, and trace contaminant concentrations at comfortable and safe levels, and maintaining the temperature at the desired crew selected set-point. It includes two different types of fan packages, each redundant, that are optimized over a range of operating points.
Multiple heat exchanges remove heat from the air and transfer it to the Thermal Control System (TCS). A regenerative system continuously removes carbon dioxide and humidity, while a high efficiency particulate filtration system removes dust, fungi, and microbes from the air. Air monitoring ensures critical gases are within safe parameters and a suite of emergency equipment protects against fire and toxic contamination vents. The system accommodates for both low (sleep) and highly active (exercise) periods for the full crew compliment. As such, many of these components are already sized to handle the crew as-is or may be minimally duplicated to accommodate the extended volume and mission requirements. The colossus' TCS consists of both an active coolant network and passive heaters and insulation to protect the internal thermal environment from the extreme external temperatures and to collect and reject heat from internal components. The TCS is sized for a high heat load capacity and utilizes both radiators and a regenerative Phase Change Material (PCM) heat exchange to accommodate peaks of high thermal loads without relying on the use of expendable consumables. By leveraging Colossus' capabilities and initially minimizing the internal components, the TCS can be simplified to primarily passive thermal control while scarring for an active coolant network.
The colossus' Potable Water System (PWS) is a simple system of a pressurized storage tank water supply that is distributed to the crew for drinking and food rehydration via a water dispenser. The water dispenser is designed to be compact and modular, which allows for the option to upgrade with an adapter kit to interface it with water storage bags. This offers mass and volume savings of water storage tanks, pressure tanks, and avoids the duplication of a water dispenser.
The colossus' Waste Management System (WMS) features a full commode suitable for short to mid-length duration missions, offering both privacy and comfortable means for the crew to use the bathroom. It employs a small urine tank that is vented to space and replaceable canisters for solid waste storage. By utilizing the colossus' WMS, the crew only need to provide the additional consumable materials for the extended mission duration while saving valuable mass and habitable volume.
TEST LOG
test56921C
*
*
*P HYD DEPRESS R4
√HYD MPS/TVC ISOL VLV (three) – CL
R2
√APU SPEED SEL (three) – NORM
√AUTO SHTDN (three) – ENA
HYD MN PUMP PRESS (three) – LO (MA)
* FES & HEATER ACTIVATION
* C L2
FLASH EVAP FDLN HTR (two) – 1
P R1
O2 TK1,2 HTRS B (two) – AUTO
H2 TK1,2 HTRS B (two) – AUTO
MS1 A12
APU HTR TK/FU LN/H2O SYS 1A,2A,3A (three) –
AUTO
* AC BUS SNSR
* R1
AC BUS SNSR (three) – OFF (1 sec),
[indent] then AUTO TRIP
* MAJOR MODE CHANGE
* CRT1
GNC, OPS 105 PRO
*
Select any AOA I TGT (3-12) to set AOA flag,
but do not load until OPS 3
* If Delayed AOA (AOA after Direct Insertion OMS 2 burn): √MCC
SITE
TIG
C1
C2
Ht
θt
PRPLT
KSC
16401
-0.6575
65.8
69
NOR
15748
-0.6313
65.8
82
If no MCC uplink, ALL target data MUST be manually entered in OPS 3 RCS
COMPLETION and Recovery Prebank pages use
‘w/OMS 1’
Post burn expect reduced time of free fall (TFF)
* MNVR TO DEORBIT BURN ATTITUDE
*
B
F6,F8
√ADI ATT (two) – INRTL
√ERR (two) – 5
√RATE (two) – 5
C
MNVR – ITEM 27 EXEC (*)
(√ADI ATT with CRT BURN ATT)
* AOA DEORBIT BURN (2 ENG)
*
√MM302
√OMS BOTH
Enter TGO + 5 sec
√TRIM: P +0.4, LY -5.7, RY +5.7
L,R OMS
He PRESS/VAP ISOL A (two) – GPC
B
(two) – OP
*
:00 Start watch (√Pc, ΔVTOT, ENG VLVs)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* TEST SUCCESS
*
*
*
*
TEST COMPLETED BY: Repairs and Maintenance Supervisor - Charlotte Frank
Alternative Supplies Part Two, prepared by Charlotte Frank
Part one can be found here
Findings:
After further research and testing continuing on from this initial report we have determined that the basic idea should be used in development of the already existing thermo-electric generator. In this system, the heat generated by the decaying nuclear components is used to generate the required power. In the required application of an engine suitable for use on any vessel, it is important to note that the generator must be removed, this will allow for the working fluid supplied to produce thrust directly. While this is good in theory, it is important to note that Temperatures of about 1500 to 2000 °C are possible in this system, allowing for specific impulses of about 7 to 8 kN·s/kg. It is still to be seen how this will compare to engines that already exist in the affordable, mass-manufacturing situations such as on Baltimore Shipyard.
While this is good in theory, it seems the power generated by this system is still typically fairly low, a problem continuing on from the original generator designs. A fully "active" system in an engine can be expected to generate above a gigawatt of power, the generator in question seems to only produce a small 5 kW. This means that the design, while highly efficient, can only produce thrust levels of perhaps 1.3 to 1.5 N. This would suggest this design is only useful only for thrusters in ships, bringing into question how this will be efficient or viable to implement.
While it is not efficient for use as a full engine, it is important to note that this is considered self-sufficient. This self-sufficiency is a major sell point in the continuation of the design and development of this engine. Keeping this in mind, it is important to note that a subsystem can become self-sufficient in two different ways. It can either naturally fulfill its role hence does not require any power input from its system or can produce enough power through internal means to support its own operation. The initial thermo-electric design of generator as discussed in the first part of this report will technically qualify as a self-sufficient subsystem by applying both approaches. It first naturally heats up its insert material up to emission temperatures then powers its hydraulic valves with electricity generated from its own decay heat using a thermo-electric generator. During operation, the power generated by the thermo-electric generator will exclusively be used to enable the vessels operation however, unless used continuously, which will rarely be the case, the application of this principle has turned this engine into an auxiliary power source that could be used to extend the range of operation of vessels payload.
The Implications of General Relativity and Gravity on Jumps, prepared by Charlotte Frank
Jump drives are a piece of equipment that allows vessels to travel exceptionally long distances almost instantaneously.
The vessels able to use this device are required to be able to withstand the forces of energy around the ship, as well as have a powercore great enough to begin the required processes of activating the device. If the ship does not meet these requirements, it will almost undoubtedly result in catistrophic system failure, including all essential life supporting systems, and ultimately death of every individual on that vessel.
Inertia is not required to begin the jumping sequence, in fact with the energy required to initiate this, it is recommended the vessels stay still. Many jump drive devices have built in security features to prevent movement upon activation of the device. This is to prevent any potential damage from the massive gravity well on the departing end, or from damage by moving into structures on the arrival end. It is recommended to jump away from objects with known coordinates, and under no circumstances are blind jumps to be completed.
Coordinates are essential. These must be calculated to ensure a safe jump. It is important to note that the further the intended travel, the more complicated the calculation will be. While there is theoretically no limit on how far a vessel can jump, it is important to note that an incorrect calculation will have dire consequences such as catastrophic decompression when getting too close to a planet or large object; or collision with space debris
According to the theory of general relativity, gravity bends space-time to the extreme, with regions of high mass. Planets have substantial mass and produce high levels of gravity; space vessels on the other hand are rarely large enough to create any form of notable gravity.
As a jump drive requires the curvature created by this bend in space-time to operate, it is essential the device be able to create its own extraordinarily strong form of gravitational field. A technique often employed by manufacturers of jump drives is to have a number of proton filled batteries. The collision of these protons creates waste partials such as the higgs boson and top quarks (many manufacturers are looking for ways to recycle these partials); this also creates a small yet gravitionally heavyblack hole.
It is essential for this black hole to be large enough to power the ship, and eventually be destroyed by the Hawking radiation effect. This is where radiation due to quantum effects near the black hole event horizon reduces the mass and rotational energy of the black hole. It is because of this, if black holes do not gain mass through some other means, they are expected to shrink and vanish. This is known in the Hawking Radiation theory as black hole evaporation.
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