The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
What, lords, in your minds, are the dangers of using unrefined fuel...Exactly? Mineral buildups from seawater? Etc... The rules have gone only so far as to say "It causes Misjumps" but why?
The Dangers of Unrefined Fuel...
- Thread starter The Hinterworlds Rambler
- Start date
Hazards might include:
Clogging of the jump grid, especially for fier grids used for higher jump fields.
Areas of the ship unprotected from the hard radiation experienced on jump enty.
Imballance of the jump field bubble causing a jump direction or distance unplanned for.
The finer fields and higher energies involved in higher jump numbers will increase the effects of impurities in hte grid or bubble.
Clogging of the jump grid, especially for fier grids used for higher jump fields.
Areas of the ship unprotected from the hard radiation experienced on jump enty.
Imballance of the jump field bubble causing a jump direction or distance unplanned for.
The finer fields and higher energies involved in higher jump numbers will increase the effects of impurities in hte grid or bubble.
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Clogging with what , do you suppose? minerals? How do Zuchai Crystals (an export of my ancestral system) fit in to the equation...?
I should think that the contaminants could leave just about anything including these curious crystals from your home system. Do they do anything?
Two things that have occured to me regarding Gas Giant fuel skimming.
1) When playing Elite (yes I know I'm showing my age) fuel skimming was rather nerve wracking and should perhaps be subject to some sort of risk.
2) What might live in Gas Giants? (on a similar note what do you do if you end up with a fuel purifier herring?)
More random thoughts as they come to me.
Vidmar
Two things that have occured to me regarding Gas Giant fuel skimming.
1) When playing Elite (yes I know I'm showing my age) fuel skimming was rather nerve wracking and should perhaps be subject to some sort of risk.
2) What might live in Gas Giants? (on a similar note what do you do if you end up with a fuel purifier herring?)
More random thoughts as they come to me.
Vidmar
ninthcouncil
SOC-11
Library Data, Adv 4 "Leviathan": Zuchai Crystal : These crystals form a raw material for the vital focussing elements in jump drives. They are both naturally occurring and manufactured, but the natural type appear to have longer operating lives. Natural crystals in a raw state are worth about Cr1000 per kilogram
Never liked them, too much like Star Trek dilithium crystals. And if they're originally natural, how did we Earth types get jump drive without them when they don't occur here?
Library Data, Adv 4 "Leviathan": Zuchai Crystal : These crystals...
If they're originally natural, how did we Earth types get jump drive without them when they don't occur here? </font>[/QUOTE]Ooops
As to how we managed we probably used a substandard substitute (as they did in ST) which got us J1/J2 and then reverse engineered a Vilani ship.
And then...
our brave boys beat seven kinds of cr*p out of them
Sorry got carried away.
Vidmar Imperator
Vice-Admiral of the Terran Confederation
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Uptart Solomani Cro-Magnon! We Vilani plied the spaceways while you provincial ruffians learned how to sharpen sticks! "Rule of Man" indeed...
With all due respect, Vice Admiral...
With all due respect, Vice Admiral...
grendelttroll
SOC-12
Now, now, now. Let's not forget the tiny, insignificant confed that took on a 10000+ world empire...and WON.Originally posted by Baron Saarthuran:
Uptart Solomani Cro-Magnon! We Vilani plied the spaceways while you provincial ruffians learned how to sharpen sticks! "Rule of Man" indeed...
With all due respect, Vice Admiral...
Then again, if you guys pulled the lanthanum rods out of your buttocks and accepted a new idea for a change, the galaxy wouldn't be safe from you!!!
Hope this helps.
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Balderdash! (raps cane on table) Balderdash!
The Confederation's Barbarity may have overwhelmed the old Imperium, establishing the "Misrule of Man" but how long could they hold it? How long before it degenerated into squabbles between petty warlords? It was only after this mighty new empire was brought low, by itself, that the tenets of Vilani rule were accepted by the unwashed rabble... you solomani speak well of change, but it is the change of Chaos...
(hehehe... what fun!)
The Confederation's Barbarity may have overwhelmed the old Imperium, establishing the "Misrule of Man" but how long could they hold it? How long before it degenerated into squabbles between petty warlords? It was only after this mighty new empire was brought low, by itself, that the tenets of Vilani rule were accepted by the unwashed rabble... you solomani speak well of change, but it is the change of Chaos...
(hehehe... what fun!)
Liam Devlin
SOC-14 5K
Hmm methinks I see the topic steering to the dangers of unrefined Solomani versus Stagnated Vilani...obviously, this is a combustible mix.
more dangerous still, unrefined arguments..
or unrefined comments...
{we take you back to your regularly scheduled topic now! }
more dangerous still, unrefined arguments..
or unrefined comments...
{we take you back to your regularly scheduled topic now!
}
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Pardon me, Lords... Force of habit...My Parents are members of the Vilani Society, What? You Solomani are all right... as long as you brush your teeth...hehehe...
So what about using Ice? How does that work mechanically? Do you need to throw chunks of Ice into the fuel tank manually? Or are Fuel scoops equipped with some sort of "Snoopy Sno-Cone Maker" Ice shaving contraption?
So what about using Ice? How does that work mechanically? Do you need to throw chunks of Ice into the fuel tank manually? Or are Fuel scoops equipped with some sort of "Snoopy Sno-Cone Maker" Ice shaving contraption?
scouttypej
SOC-7
OK, it took me awhile to dust off my brain but, here are some tidbits.
1. Zuchai crystals while not the only focusing crystal available, are the most efficient, therefore are critical to higher jump drives.
2. Going to jump involves several steps, rushing these steps is highly inadvisable.
A. Warming the grid. A precharge is routed from the main power plant to the jump grid. This warms the grid and evens out the small resistance variations in the grid.
B. Laying in the course. A preplotted course is entered into Jump program. This controls how power from the jump drive will be fed to the grid. This also tells the jump drive when to bleed off the power from the grid to the jump radiators. The duration, pattern, and amount of power fed to the grid, Controls the direction and distance of jump.
C. Jump is initiated. Fuel is routed to the jump drive. This is a fast burn fusion reactor capable of converting the entire jump fuel volume to energy in a few turns. As the fuel is burned the energy is stored in the jump capacitors, then fed to the grid in one controlled burst.
!!! Here is where the problem starts. If you are burning unrefined fuel, impurities burn at varying rates than that of refined fuel. This causes power surges to the capacitors. This can cause several outcomes.
Nothing. Every thing is happy, happy.
Power surges cause the capacitors to overload. Capacitors blow apart destroying everything in a good sized radius. Alas most of the ship is in this radius. Crew unhappy.
Jump program (which assumes refined fuel when doing it's calculations) routes power to the grid either to soon or not soon enough. The power level in the capacitors not being what the jump program thinks it is, causes a misjump. I don't think I need to detail this. We have all heard the old salts sea stories about misjumps. The small extra arm on his forehead speaks volumes.
D. Last step, the jump drive shunts power from the grid to the jump radiators. This causes the ship to reenter normal space, hopefully where you planned.
Now that being said. If you or your crew are regularly using unrefined fuel, here is what I suggest you do. Find yourselves a good programmer, get him write a custom jump program. Have this program not assume refined fuel in it's calculations, assume unrefined fuel. This will hold the power in the jump capacitors for a short while before routing it to the grid. This will make going to jump take longer. Bad thing if you are being chased. As most of my clients tend to be. It will also make the program take up twice the size in your main computer, thus requiring a computer rated at one jump higher that your jump drive (i.e. a model 3 or 2bis for a jump 2 drive). Please let me know if I can be of further assistance to you and your crew.
1. Zuchai crystals while not the only focusing crystal available, are the most efficient, therefore are critical to higher jump drives.
2. Going to jump involves several steps, rushing these steps is highly inadvisable.
A. Warming the grid. A precharge is routed from the main power plant to the jump grid. This warms the grid and evens out the small resistance variations in the grid.
B. Laying in the course. A preplotted course is entered into Jump program. This controls how power from the jump drive will be fed to the grid. This also tells the jump drive when to bleed off the power from the grid to the jump radiators. The duration, pattern, and amount of power fed to the grid, Controls the direction and distance of jump.
C. Jump is initiated. Fuel is routed to the jump drive. This is a fast burn fusion reactor capable of converting the entire jump fuel volume to energy in a few turns. As the fuel is burned the energy is stored in the jump capacitors, then fed to the grid in one controlled burst.
!!! Here is where the problem starts. If you are burning unrefined fuel, impurities burn at varying rates than that of refined fuel. This causes power surges to the capacitors. This can cause several outcomes.
Power surges cause the capacitors to overload. Capacitors blow apart destroying everything in a good sized radius. Alas most of the ship is in this radius. Crew unhappy. Jump program (which assumes refined fuel when doing it's calculations) routes power to the grid either to soon or not soon enough. The power level in the capacitors not being what the jump program thinks it is, causes a misjump. I don't think I need to detail this. We have all heard the old salts sea stories about misjumps. The small extra arm on his forehead speaks volumes.D. Last step, the jump drive shunts power from the grid to the jump radiators. This causes the ship to reenter normal space, hopefully where you planned.
Now that being said. If you or your crew are regularly using unrefined fuel, here is what I suggest you do. Find yourselves a good programmer, get him write a custom jump program. Have this program not assume refined fuel in it's calculations, assume unrefined fuel. This will hold the power in the jump capacitors for a short while before routing it to the grid. This will make going to jump take longer. Bad thing if you are being chased. As most of my clients tend to be. It will also make the program take up twice the size in your main computer, thus requiring a computer rated at one jump higher that your jump drive (i.e. a model 3 or 2bis for a jump 2 drive). Please let me know if I can be of further assistance to you and your crew.
Dear Baron. Clogging can come from various non-hydrogen elements present in the impurified fuel. These can be almost all elements, and almost any element has a potential for problems. Clogging is though not the only problem that can arise, and there is no one way of answering what it is that causes the engine failures in a simple manner without given a case study. Clogging, uneven burn, damage or erosion to internal machinery, problems with stabilization, all are common reasons.
The most common reason for these problems to occur however is that the trace elements present, which seem harmless (if they are seen at all) when the unpurified fuel in encountered in it's "natural environment" become a liablity when the pressure and heat increases during burn, as they start mixing with the hydrogen to form various matter combinations, each with a specific and often unique set of problems.
Yours truly,
The Marquis Veeleth
I have an idea of what causes misjumps. How about free neutron contamination. Most types of fusion emits a free neutron. This neutron becomes embedded into the wall of the fusion reaction chamber, this makes the jump drive radioactive and brittle and may interfere with its operation. One type of fusion reaction doesn't produce a free neutron though and that is fusion between Hydrogen-2(deuterium) and Helium-3. Refined fuel consists of those two isotopic elements. Anything different in the mixture produces a fusion reaction that causes neutron contamination. Helium-3 is most available in the Atmosphere of gas giants or for sale at most starports, but just scooping out water obtains many different types of hydrogen that produces neutron contamination when fused and reduces the operational lifetime of your jump drive as well as contributing to misjumps. That's my idea of what refine Jump fuel is anyway.
