11-28-2016, 05:17 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Austin, TX
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Removing the steam from Ogres
I didn't want to (further) derail the minis thread by talking about nuclear power without steam, so here's a new thread.
It is apparently possible to dispense with the steam generator and get electricity. Here's one article on the subject. That technique goes through photons rather than steam as the intermediate step. Assuming increases in efficiency (as usually happens with technology) or perhaps other methods might make it possible for Ogres (and other devices in the Ogreverse) to get power directly from nuclear reactions (fusion reactions in the case of the Ogreverse), it should be possible to dispense with steam. That's gotta involve lower weight and be more robust than packing around a bunch of water (or sodium or whatever) and all the associated piping. Just a thought. :)
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11-28-2016, 05:20 PM | #2 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Plainfield, IL
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Re: Removing the steam from Ogres
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11-28-2016, 05:25 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Austin, TX
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Re: Removing the steam from Ogres
I think "relatively safe" fits perfectly into the Ogreverse. This a universe in which people have adopted the idea of firing nuclear shells from automatic weapons. I'm sure those nukes are "relatively clean"....
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11-28-2016, 05:27 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Removing the steam from Ogres
Quote:
Incidentally, the referenced system appears to be a form of RTG, not a form of nuclear reactor, and like all RTGs, has extremely low power density. |
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11-28-2016, 07:25 PM | #5 | |
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Re: Removing the steam from Ogres
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You could use the same for driving a turbine from fusion heat. BPC would be handy for that. Or the Ogre Universe's superior materials science could make better thermoelectric generators. BPC insulation might help a lot. If you're up for purified handwavium, give them radioelectric generators and skip the conversion to and from heat. |
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11-28-2016, 09:11 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Cowtown, Canada
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Re: Removing the steam from Ogres
This reminds me of the 'Nuclear Lightbulb' drive from GURPS Spaceships. It uses the photons to heat reaction mass. :)
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11-28-2016, 09:56 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Austin, TX
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Re: Removing the steam from Ogres
The article mentions nuclear lightbulbs, in fact.
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11-28-2016, 10:40 PM | #8 |
Join Date: May 2007
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Re: Removing the steam from Ogres
Checking the Ogre cutaway poster, we see big "drive units" flanking the reactor in the belly. This suggests that it uses some form of nuclear turbine. To me, it makes sense to keep things mechanical.
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11-28-2016, 10:43 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
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Re: Removing the steam from Ogres
I sorta like the idea of an Ogre released a huge plume of radioactive steam as a "fog of war" and deterrent ... not necessarily with onboard water, of course, a simple syphon from a nearby stream would do.
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11-30-2016, 11:24 AM | #10 |
Join Date: May 2007
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Re: Removing the steam from Ogres
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