Quote:
Originally Posted by PTTG
I'd say it takes about an hour, maybe more if it's large or crude, less if it's small or advanced.
|
Lacking anything else to go on, an hour sounds like a good timeframe. I mean, theoretically it might take days to build up the necessary charge, but like all things would depend on the technology assumptions of the gameworld.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaltonS
Do you think it's retractable?
|
Possibly. It's a superconductor loop, so if that can be built with wire that wire may be coilable. OTOH, if it's made from something that's not flexible, like the ceramics used in modern superconductors, the loop may not be flexible; though such loops may be foldable. So it's very much materials dependent which is entirely dependent on your worldbuilding assumptions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaltonS
Should it be discharged first? How would that be done?
|
It would have to be. As a magnetic superconductor the magnetic field would tend to push it into a circular shape. Trying to "reel it in" while it's charged would result in the magnetic field pushing back against you. Also, if you could manage to reel it in the coil would warm to the ships temperature, which could be above it's superconductor temperature... and would result in a boom. Big badda boom. (above the superconducting temp the charge generates resistance, which generates heat, which warms the loop more, which results in more resistance, which generates more heat, which quickly turns into a catastrophic failure of the loop). If it's a solid loop, breaking the loop (to fold it) would result in a catastrophic failure once the loop is broken.
Discharging it would just be draining the electromagnetic field from it, which could be done as a direct energy drain or by using opposing electromagnetic fields, which would result in an electric charge being transferred to the opposing field generator. Either way you would wind up with energy which you could either use for something useful (charging batteries, firing weapons, running systems) or could be used to generate heat and dumped into an external radiator.