08-12-2011, 07:12 PM | #21 |
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Oregon
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Re: TL9 Spaceships
I'm not sure what you mean by that. The basic (very basic) operation of a fission reactor is to place sufficient radioactive material in close proximity to get a sustained nuclear reaction. This generates energy (in the form of heat plus other stuff I don't really know much about) which, in current reactors, is used to boil water. None of this is dependent on being in a gravity well - a steam turbine is driven by pressure, not gravity.
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08-12-2011, 07:30 PM | #22 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Vermont, USA
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Re: TL9 Spaceships
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* I believe: non-plasma magsails should divide acceleration; plasma sails maintain constant acceleration but realistically should require "fuel" (additional ionizable materials due to plasma loss) at about 6.8 mps per tank. |
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08-12-2011, 07:48 PM | #23 | |
Join Date: May 2005
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Re: TL9 Spaceships
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TeV |
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08-12-2011, 08:38 PM | #24 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Vermont, USA
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Re: TL9 Spaceships
Quote:
A plasma sail, on the other hand, doesn't need additional mass to get bigger, the plasma loop just expands automatically. But it leaks plasma, hence the need for "fuel" which will run out after a while. |
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08-12-2011, 09:12 PM | #25 | |
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oz
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Re: TL9 Spaceships
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And then there is the radioisotope thermoelectric generator, a simple design using thermocouples to generate small current but with immense endurance. A subcritical mass of radioisotope keeps one end of each thermocouple hot, and a radiator keeps the other ends cool. An E.M.F. is produced. No moving parts, no circulating fluid. Heat is removed by conduction to the radiator. Power:mass ratio is not impressive, but energy:mass is pretty good, and endurance is decades. These
__________________
Decay is inherent in all composite things. Nod head. Get treat. |
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08-13-2011, 03:59 AM | #26 | |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: TL9 Spaceships
Quote:
AFAIK, reactors that can operate on convection are a recent innovation for submarines, and limited to low power levels - to go fast, the sub has to turn on pumps. Making reactors able to deal with residual heat via convection with no pump once they've been shut down is a desirable feature, but is not always achieved. |
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08-13-2011, 06:26 AM | #27 |
Join Date: Jan 2010
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Re: TL9 Spaceships
I'm not sure any drive would be used. TL9 makes the miracles of a space elevator possible. on a highly developed planet like the earth it would be very practical to transport all goods to one of a couple elevators and than just haul them into space. The use of a reaction drive would probably be limited to highly sensitive military cargos and to the use of off world colonies where it is uneconomical to construct a space elevator.
My 2 cents Adi |
08-13-2011, 06:50 AM | #28 | |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Re: TL9 Spaceships
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08-13-2011, 07:02 AM | #29 | |
Join Date: Jan 2010
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Re: TL9 Spaceships
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Adi |
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08-13-2011, 07:40 AM | #30 |
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Re: TL9 Spaceships
G:Spaceships 2 gives some estimates on costs (for freight, but i suppose it can double as payload cost), though those are of course setting specific...
At TL9 reaction drives (interface rates) are rated as ~ 50 k$ per st going up and ~ 5k$ per st going down. Beanstalks gives 10 k$ per st either way. All values are in standard gravity. Elevators are still kinda slow and are rather exposed to radiation especially at low TLs (depends on design, but the heavier it gets the more expensive it gets). |
Tags |
magsail, spaceships, tl9 |
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