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Beowulf Free Trader, Step 5: Drives and Fuel

robject

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Drives and Fuel (pp. 318-322, 337-340)

Next, drives are chosen (pp. 318-322; drive formulas are on page 337, while drive potential-related tables are on pages 338 and 340). Note that choosing drives resembles the Book 2 process more than the High Guard process; however, the tables were created from formulas, and the formulas could be used straight for drives.

The Beowulf has Jump-1, Maneuver-1, and Power Plant-1; Using the type B hull as a vertical index into the drive potential table (p. 340), one finds that potential-1 corresponds to a drive ‘A’. So we install a Jump Drive A, Maneuver Drive A, and Power Plant A using the table on page 338. The volume of the J-Drive A is 10 tons, the volume of the M-Drive A is 2 tons, and the volume of the P-Plant A is 4 tons, for a total volume of 16 tons. Looking at the bottom of the table, we see that the J-Drive and P-Plant cost MCr1 per ton, while the M-Drive costs MCr 2 per ton. Total cost is therefore MCr 1 x (10+4) + MCr 2 x 2 = MCr 18.

The typical jump drive requires 10% hull volume of fuel per parsec jumped (p. 319). In this case, the jump drive requires (1 x 200)/10 = 20 tons of fuel. T5 allows advanced technology to “optimize” fuel usage. In this case we will stick with the defaults, however.

The power plant requires fuel equal to the power plant rating times 1% of the hull volume (p. 337), according to the equation (H x P)/100, where H is the hull volume, and P is the power plant rating. In this case, the power plant requires (200 x 1)/100 = 2 tons of fuel, per month.

The default mode for a PowerPlant is Decentralized. Our fuel usage is therefore 2 tons per ‘month’ (p. 337). We will install 8 weeks’ worth of fuel, for a total of 4 tons.

Code:
A-BS11 (Beowulf-class Free Trader) TL 10

Volume	Component		MCr	Notes
200	Hull B, SL		14	
-	Plate structure		-	AV 10
-	Landing Skids		-	Flat surfaces
10	Jump Drive A		10	Jump-1
20	Jump Fuel		-	1 parsec
2	Maneuver A		4	1G accel
4	Power Plant A		4	1 month = 2t fuel
2	P-Plant Fuel		-	1 month
1	Fuel Scoops		0.1	200t/hr
1	Fuel Intakes		0.1	40t/hr

Fuel Scoops

We should install Fuel Scoops and Fuel Intakes. Frontier refueling is, after all, a big deal in Traveller.

Traveller5 has three ways to gather fuel: Fuel Scoops, Fuel Intakes, and Fuel Bins. Scoops are for skimming from a gas giant. Intakes are for refueling from surface water, such as rivers or seas. Bins are for gathering fuel from water ice, such as that found at the poles, or in comets or ice-teroids.

Consulting table F on page 339, a 1-ton Fuel Scoop costs KCr100 and can skim up to 200 tons of fuel in an hour, and a 1 ton Fuel Intake (similarly KCr100) can collect 40 tons in an hour.

We'll take one of each. Though the Beowulf's jump drive doesn't run well when the power plant burns unrefined fuel, NOTHING runs with NO fuel.
 
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On Refueling.

Well Rob,

Last I remember the Beowulf Class has traditionally had Fuel Scoops. I don't seem to recall it having a Purifier, but it might be a nice thing to add.
 
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