OK, Ramscoops and Traveller ...

[Rycharde]

Well, I just found the Exatar Project (the development of a ramscoop for supplying hydrogen for jump drives). Now I am trying to write up a module for Traveller and have determined the following:

For every space of ramscoop hardware the unit will way 1.25 tons and cost MCr1.0.

I got these figures and such from Vehicle Exp 1, p. 13.

Now the tricky part (at least for me ), what is the crew requirement for a ramscoop?

Thanks too all that respond.

Rycharde

 

[atpollard]

Now the tricky part (at least for me ), what is the crew requirement for a ramscoop?
Thanks too all that respond.
Rycharde

I like to keep things simple ... I would stick with 1 Engineer per 35 dTons, just like the rest of the drives in Classic Traveller (with a minimum of 1).

Obviously, you should match the Gurps rules for Jump Drives. The point is to just treat it as a normal part of the Jump Drive and do what you would do for any other Jump Drive.

 

[Rycharde]

Thanks. Now off to complete my safeguard from misjumps :rofl:

 

[far-trader]

I was going to comment when I first saw this but figured, meh, it's science fiction why worry

But I still find I have to point out it doesn't seem practical.

"Interstellar space contains an average of 10 to the -21 kg of mass per cubic meter of space, primarily in the form of unionized and ionized hydrogen, with smaller amounts of helium, and no significant amounts of other gasses. This means that the ramjet scoop must sweep 10 to the 18 cubic meters of space to collect one gram of hydrogen."

Granted, densities within a solar system will be higher, but it's still going to take a long time to collect the hydrogen needed for a jump. More than the week(s) I think GT suggests. More like months I'd guess. Not at all practical for most applications. Not when one can just dip from an ocean, sea or icecap or skim from a gas giant.

But anyway, like I said it is science fiction so don't sweat it if it's what you want for the game. I was just more curious if GT took this into account than anything.

 

[Rycharde]

Final (hopefully) writeup:

I understand the bit about using the oceans and gas giants or even paying for it at a starport, but this is an emergency system if you misjumped into empty space. Then you will thank your lucky stars you have a ramscoop to refuel your tanks.

It might even find military applications for jumping through a rift, or side stepping around the front lines in a war with the Zhodani or whoever.

Researchers would use it to gain a better understanding of empty space or to investigate the rifts and abysses that populate both our local charted space as well as help in the next expedition to the core or rim.

Here is my write up:

Super Bussard Ramscoop (TL10)

The fusion ramscoops developed during the TL9 and early TL10 were too volume intensive and did not have a big enough hydrogen intake to be viable. It was in the late TL10 that a developer on Terra by the name of Samuel P. Bussard (direct descendant of Robert W. Bussard who originally theorized the possibility of ramjets) found a way to pull in a greater amount of hydrogen to make ramscoops viable. Though with the advent of maneuver drives which required less fuel that other available forms of propulsion, the concept was never developed from Bussard's work.

The problem of misjumps, and the likelihood of being dropped off in a systemless area of space without fuel, the researchers at Rycharde's Realm's Jump Propulsion Division looked into the ramscoop with great interest. Finally, coming up with a working model of a ramscoop, they released it with much aplomb in 1119.

Since the ramscoop is so rarely used the engineers could be the engineers used for the jumpdrive. If the jumpdrive has been damaged, then the time of maintenance/repair will have to be added as well, of course.

The Super Bussard Ramscoop/TL10+ can acquire 21.8 cf/hr of hydrogen (500 cf in 22.9 hrs).

Late TL10 - 1 space. - 12.5 stons - MCr10.0 - 1 Crew/25 modules - Intake is 21.8 cf/hr.
TL11 - 1 space. - 12.5 stons - MCr10.0 - 1 Crew/50 modules - Intake is 21.8 cf/hr.
TL12 - 1 space. - 12.5 stons - MCr10.0 - 1 Crew/100 modules - Intake is 21.8 cf/hr.

 

[wordserpent]

If another type of propulsion system were used to get a ship moving, it might be able to compensate for it's lack of scoop volume with a high velocity. Say a fusion thruster or some other pwerful engine or maybe even chemical rockets?

 

[Drakon]

It was in the late TL10 that a developer on Terra by the name of Samuel P. Bussard (direct descendant of Robert W. Bussard who originally theorized the possibility of ramjets) found a way to pull in a greater amount of hydrogen to make ramscoops viable.

Using lasers to ionize the hydrogen, then magnetic intakes to draw it in? Using this method, it keeps the scoops practically vurtual. Less weight, size and mass, but you pay for it in the energy draw.

 

[Agemegos]

Using lasers to ionize the hydrogen, then magnetic intakes to draw it in? Using this method, it keeps the scoops practically vurtual. Less weight, size and mass, but you pay for it in the energy draw.

I'd love to see a plan for these "magnetic intakes" Because as best I can work out, an intake that intakes hydrogen nuclei will repel electrons, producing a central static charge that will repel protons and choke the intake.

 

[YunusWesley]

Stephen Baxter addresses problems with ramscoops in _Manifest: Space_. Afraid I don't have it handy, but he presented them as only useful in the local space of a star. There, the solar wind provides sufficient density of material to overcome the choking problem... or I may be way off. But as it's a recent hard sf treatment, it's worth looking at if you're interested in ramscoops.

 

[sandmanninja]

I love the idea of ram scoops, but there isn't a whole lot of hydrogen out there.
Near a star or maybe deeper Coreward you could run into denser pockets.

I had a spreadsheet where I figured out how long it took a ship to manuever it's way to near light speed. As long as you have an operating fusion plant, you can get up to near C in 1-3 months. Time dilation kicks in and in a few "days" (ship time), you're a light year away.

It might be an interesting adventure to have to spend years thrusting between the stars and get back to find you've been declared dead or somesuch. It won't be thousands of years, just 3.5 years per parsec (if you travel at about .95C).

 

[Tellon]

Yeah Ramscoops are interesting to look at ..

Usually Ramscoops go with Fusion Rockets -- which would work with me, since IMTU doesn't use Jump-drives ...

but that is a creative idea -- using a scoop w/ a jump drive