Ground vehicle power plants

[jec10]

Interesting to note that the best modern gas turbine engines like the LV100 generate up to 1MW output per m3. In my copy of CT/Striker they only envisage "MHD turbine" engines outputting 0.60MW per m3. In MT (as corrected by errata) the MHD turbine output is upped to 0.80MW per kiloliter.

 

[G. Fieendish]

Re: this thread
Intresting, but isn't this dependant on the energy density of the fuel used....?
I suspect that the Striker turbine is burning LH2, while the LV100 is using diesel fuel or kerosine....

 

[jec10]

Re: this thread
Intresting, but isn't this dependant on the energy density of the fuel used....?
I suspect that the Striker turbine is burning LH2, while the LV100 is using diesel fuel or kerosine....

You tell me, in CT/Striker it says "fuel for other power plants weighs 1 kilogram and costs Cr.25 per liter".

 

[Peter Schutze]

>You tell me

not sure about the older rules but things like Fire Fusion and Steel have fuel modifiers ....

(from memory) wood is 1/4 of coal for steam power and alcohol only x0.8 compared to refined hydrocarbons (ie gasoline) for internal combustion

there was also differences for higher tech fuels but (from memory again) radioactives never seemed to be differentiated .... in the real world there's a difference between uranium and plutonium and most other radioactives dont come close to either

 

[Anthony]

Interesting to note that the best modern gas turbine engines like the LV100 generate up to 1MW output per m3.

We won't even mention helicopter engines. A T700/6E turboshaft can produce about 1.8 megawatts of shaft power in a volume of about 0.4 cubic meters with a weight of about 0.25 tons.

 

[Ishmael]

I look at it this way...

Engine's efficiency is based on tech level. Efficiency and fuel's energy density gives fuel use rate. output energy/engine strength (related to volume and material strength ) is proportional to reliability.

The T700/6E can generate that power but will require more maintainence than a LV100 and use more fuel given a similar efficiency.

I also rate transmissions in a similar way with trans broken into 2 parts...half on engine and half on suspension. Engine/power plant output is either mechanical ( shaft) or electrical and the trans converts/controls what is sent to the drive/trans on the suspension. Transmissions have efficiencys too...mechanical is different from electrical. Electrical <-> mechanical conversions are alternators/motors.
This allows for diesel-electric locomotives or solar powered cars, for example.
Suspensions must exist if vehicle touches the ground, even if its just a rigid skids ( or wheels or legs or tracks ). Retractable gear take up volume but is protected by hull armor. Fixed gear are not protected by armor, do not take up volume and add to aero drag. Gear capacity is proportional gear cube_root_volume/material strength. Ground pressure related to 2/3's root of gear volume and vehicle mass.....
I have ideas for prop and ducted fan thrust too. a lot but slower versus less but faster.....helicopter rotor compared to fanjet.
sigh
I have too much time on my hands.
blah blah blah
I ought to write everything up formally someday and not just scattered scraps of paper....I'm lazy.