TL and Drive Trains

[savage]

Been looking through the drive train section and against gravity?

Is there a TL modifier for vehicle drive trains. I noticed one for wpns in antigravity but haven't seen one for DTs. Assuming the standard is 1EP size should drop as TL increases or thrust may improve...

Anyhow is there a rule I've missed or a rule of thumb on DT specs related to TL?

Savage

 

[tjoneslo]

There isn't a rule for Drivetrains to get smaller with TL. Given the nature of Drivetrains, I can't see them getting much smaller either.

Power plants I can see getting smaller with TL, but not significantly. Say, an internal combustion engine goes from 5 vl per EP at TL5 to 4 vl per EP at TL7 and 3 vl per EP at TL9.

 

[savage]

Ok I'll rephrase.
If it utilizes energy (EP, Kinetic, etc) TL should be able to improve it, make it more efficient, more agile, stronger. And if the TL is far enough beyond the original level even smaller (less size to do the same task).

Per what I saw of the rules (unless I missed something) the same Grav Tech is implemented at TL8 and TL14. That makes little sense. Think of the significant improvement in chassis and wheel drive trains since the model-T.


Savage

 

[tjoneslo]

Comparing the Model-T to your car, the wheels are about the same size, the transmission is physically about the same size, the axle and differential is about the same size. Your car may have two differentials (like mine with All Wheel Drive). Some components are larger because they need to handle the larger power output of the engine (the Model-T has a 20 horsepower engine). The tires must be larger to handle the stress of the higher speeds.


It might change a little, but from my understanding of engineering, the differences fall into the noise level of the T20 vehicle design system. The differences just are not big enough to show up in the design system.

 

[gclarkii]

Yes, the parts are the same size, however, the efficiency has increased. Modern cars put more power to the ground with less heat than cars from 30, 60 or 90 years ago.

As an example, if I take two identical Ford Mustangs with 5.0L engines, one with a C4 drivetrain and the other with a modern AOD-E drivetrain, the AOD-E car will win the races, it uses the power better. The power plant is the same, but thrust has increased with tech level.

Working out the progression would require play testing, but for a ballpark I would use the following:
10% thrust increase per TL above introduction.
10% volume reduction per 2TL above introduction.
With a maximum of 4TL of enhancement.

Further changes would be to allow multiple for ALL drive trains. A ship can have 4 propellers with separate drivetrains, shutdown one, and the other 3 still work. I also don't see a reason not to allow hovercraft to have mutiple independent drivetrains (say 12 fans, lose one and you just become more sluggish, and you can't destory all of them at once).

TravTechFive

 

[savage]

Yes I'd agree but it would require testing. I worked at GM for Powertrain and LAD for a few years in the 90s. Hence, I felt it was a reasonable question.

Powertrain has improved dramatically but a racing Model-T engine (22hp) could achieve 100mph
(scary thought). One needs to realize that wood was
also used in the infrastructure of the model T. If nothing else higher TL drivetrain means efficiency (performance), strength (better materials and refinement), and torque. Wheel technology alone should clearly identify that
improvements are possible.

I'd say any item produced 4TLs after invention will produce enormous improvements.

Savage

 

[mike wightman]

Simple experiment really.
Take a model T engine and put it into a modern drive train/chassis. Similar performance???

 

[Anthony]

Disintegrating car? You'd want to use an engine that the rest of the car could withstand, which probably means similar performance, just much lighter and more reliable.