COACC Rocket Engine

[atpollard]

I recently acquired the Megatraveller CD ROM. On page 32 of the COACC, it lists the TL 10 Fusion Rocket engine for a fixed wing aircraft burning only 5 liters per hour of fuel to generate 195 Tons of thrust. For comparison, the same page states that the TL 8 High Bypass Turbofan engine for a fixed wing aircraft burns 3840 liters per hour of fuel to generate 50 Tons of thrust. I found nothing on this in the errata. Does anyone know the correct data for the Fusion Rocket engine? It sounds too good to be true.

 

[atpollard]

I recently acquired the Megatraveller CD ROM. On page 32 of the COACC, it lists the TL 10 Fusion Rocket engine for a fixed wing aircraft burning only 5 liters per hour of fuel to generate 195 Tons of thrust. For comparison, the same page states that the TL 8 High Bypass Turbofan engine for a fixed wing aircraft burns 3840 liters per hour of fuel to generate 50 Tons of thrust. I found nothing on this in the errata. Does anyone know the correct data for the Fusion Rocket engine? It sounds too good to be true.

 

[atpollard]

I recently acquired the Megatraveller CD ROM. On page 32 of the COACC, it lists the TL 10 Fusion Rocket engine for a fixed wing aircraft burning only 5 liters per hour of fuel to generate 195 Tons of thrust. For comparison, the same page states that the TL 8 High Bypass Turbofan engine for a fixed wing aircraft burns 3840 liters per hour of fuel to generate 50 Tons of thrust. I found nothing on this in the errata. Does anyone know the correct data for the Fusion Rocket engine? It sounds too good to be true.

 

[DonM]

Look at the Engines subtable on p. 84 of Hard Times...

 

[DonM]

Look at the Engines subtable on p. 84 of Hard Times...

 

[DonM]

Look at the Engines subtable on p. 84 of Hard Times...

 

[TheEngineer]

Unfortunatelly the tables in the scanned version of Hard Times are hardly readable...but even here its really just 5 liters per hour.

If the fusion rocket engine really just relies on its own fuel reaction mass, it would have to act as a continuously working relativistic energy particle accelerator and still would not create that thrust

The only thing I could think of, is to assume a turbine/ramjet principle and not a rocket principle here, so the atmo itself is used to serve as accelerated reaction mass.
Guess the designers simply considered the specific energy density of the seperate fueltypes, but not topics like what "thrust" really means....

Regards,

TE

P.S.:
If there any errata for Hard Times anyway ?

 

[TheEngineer]

Unfortunatelly the tables in the scanned version of Hard Times are hardly readable...but even here its really just 5 liters per hour.

If the fusion rocket engine really just relies on its own fuel reaction mass, it would have to act as a continuously working relativistic energy particle accelerator and still would not create that thrust

The only thing I could think of, is to assume a turbine/ramjet principle and not a rocket principle here, so the atmo itself is used to serve as accelerated reaction mass.
Guess the designers simply considered the specific energy density of the seperate fueltypes, but not topics like what "thrust" really means....

Regards,

TE

P.S.:
If there any errata for Hard Times anyway ?

 

[TheEngineer]

Unfortunatelly the tables in the scanned version of Hard Times are hardly readable...but even here its really just 5 liters per hour.

If the fusion rocket engine really just relies on its own fuel reaction mass, it would have to act as a continuously working relativistic energy particle accelerator and still would not create that thrust

The only thing I could think of, is to assume a turbine/ramjet principle and not a rocket principle here, so the atmo itself is used to serve as accelerated reaction mass.
Guess the designers simply considered the specific energy density of the seperate fueltypes, but not topics like what "thrust" really means....

Regards,

TE

P.S.:
If there any errata for Hard Times anyway ?

 

[DonM]

Yes there is, but only two items I've found so far that are conclusively errata.

 

[DonM]

Yes there is, but only two items I've found so far that are conclusively errata.

 

[DonM]

Yes there is, but only two items I've found so far that are conclusively errata.

 

[atpollard]

WOW. Thanks all. I guess I know what reaction engine I will be using!

Important safety note - stand clear of the exhaust.

 

[atpollard]

WOW. Thanks all. I guess I know what reaction engine I will be using!

Important safety note - stand clear of the exhaust.

 

[atpollard]

WOW. Thanks all. I guess I know what reaction engine I will be using!

Important safety note - stand clear of the exhaust.

 

[atpollard]

Handwavium no 1043: Only with the discovery of the elusive relationship between gravitons and tachyons, is fusion and anti-gravity possible. The fusion rocket expels a tachyon exhaust which is no longer limited by the speed of light and is thus able to produce the feats of propulsion engineering that have always been the halmark of the Third Imperium spacecraft. Note that although it is perfectly safe to stand behind a tachyon exhaust while it is running, there is some danger in walking in front of a tachyon exhaust, since you could cross the path of where the tachyon will be at some future time as it travels backwards through time.

Or maybe not.

 

[atpollard]

Handwavium no 1043: Only with the discovery of the elusive relationship between gravitons and tachyons, is fusion and anti-gravity possible. The fusion rocket expels a tachyon exhaust which is no longer limited by the speed of light and is thus able to produce the feats of propulsion engineering that have always been the halmark of the Third Imperium spacecraft. Note that although it is perfectly safe to stand behind a tachyon exhaust while it is running, there is some danger in walking in front of a tachyon exhaust, since you could cross the path of where the tachyon will be at some future time as it travels backwards through time.

Or maybe not.

 

[atpollard]

Handwavium no 1043: Only with the discovery of the elusive relationship between gravitons and tachyons, is fusion and anti-gravity possible. The fusion rocket expels a tachyon exhaust which is no longer limited by the speed of light and is thus able to produce the feats of propulsion engineering that have always been the halmark of the Third Imperium spacecraft. Note that although it is perfectly safe to stand behind a tachyon exhaust while it is running, there is some danger in walking in front of a tachyon exhaust, since you could cross the path of where the tachyon will be at some future time as it travels backwards through time.

Or maybe not.

 

[Liam Devlin]

The GDW TNE-FF&S TL9 Fusion Rocket (page 70) describes the following characteristics:

"Thrust: (in tonnes per cu.meter of engine) 9

Price (MCr, per cu.meter of engine) 0.35

Maximum Thrust (MaxT, as in tonnes, per engine installed, listed as a minimum per) 100

Fuel Consumption (FC/ in tonnes/ per hour) 0.00035.

Fuel Type (FT/ Fuel consumed) LHyd

Airframe (AF/ for vehicle required at these speeds achieved) Hypersonic."

That's a wee bit more than 5 liters..helpfully yours,

 

[Liam Devlin]

The GDW TNE-FF&S TL9 Fusion Rocket (page 70) describes the following characteristics:

"Thrust: (in tonnes per cu.meter of engine) 9

Price (MCr, per cu.meter of engine) 0.35

Maximum Thrust (MaxT, as in tonnes, per engine installed, listed as a minimum per) 100

Fuel Consumption (FC/ in tonnes/ per hour) 0.00035.

Fuel Type (FT/ Fuel consumed) LHyd

Airframe (AF/ for vehicle required at these speeds achieved) Hypersonic."

That's a wee bit more than 5 liters..helpfully yours,