Vehicle design-drive trains

[JeffSandmeier]

Still working on the spreadsheet, and I've run into a snag with the drive trains. Can anyone state, preferably in an excel-style formula, how to determine the volume needed for a drive train? Following the rules on pages 238-239, I keep coming up with different numbers than those in the standard design (the corrected errata ones). What I have tried so far is the volume per unit, times the number of DTU's installed, times the EP's required for the amount of thrust required for the speed desired. This, however, keeps coming up short of what the standard designs say should be there. What am I missing?

 

[snrdg082102]

Morning (PDT) AaronKohura,

Don't you have any questions on the Computer Design Sequence?

I'll see what I can come up with in an Excel formula. My question above was made since I created a spreadsheet, which I've sent to Hunter, for the CDS. Hopefully, the product works well enough to be of use.

Originally posted by AaronKohura:
Still working on the spreadsheet, and I've run into a snag with the drive trains. Can anyone state, preferably in an excel-style formula, how to determine the volume needed for a drive train? Following the rules on pages 238-239, I keep coming up with different numbers than those in the standard design (the corrected errata ones). What I have tried so far is the volume per unit, times the number of DTU's installed, times the EP's required for the amount of thrust required for the speed desired. This, however, keeps coming up short of what the standard designs say should be there. What am I missing?

 

[JeffSandmeier]

I decided to tackle the vehicle design section first. I thought if I could get that to work, the cumputer designs should be easy. Easier still is if someone else already did it for me.

 

[snrdg082102]

Afternoon AaronKohura,

I tackled the CDS first because there was a hue and cry that the sequence was horribly broken. I think the system works since I was able to duplicate the computer information as listed in Chapter 13. First the computer tables before the autopilot are just the cores (p. 224 Tables and Type & Model text pp. 225 - 226). Next, the EP conversion from the CDS to the Spacecraft and Starship Design Sequence Computers has a slight problem, which I'm still trying to resolve.

Okay, I'll get off my soap box and return to the topic of the post. I have been using the combo box from the Forms tool bar and the index function in my spreads lately so that is what I've used to figure out a solution that might work. This will be easier if I send you the spreadsheet. Please drop me and email: tmr0195@concentric.net

Originally posted by AaronKohura:
I decided to tackle the vehicle design section first. I thought if I could get that to work, the cumputer designs should be easy. Easier still is if someone else already did it for me.

 

[JeffSandmeier]

I'm not really familiar with combo boxes in Excel. I've tried to use them a couple of times, and could never figure out how to input the list that the drop-box was supposed to use. If your solution is comprehensible to a novice with Excel, please feel free to send it. My address is sandmeier@cavtel.net

 

[tjoneslo]

Originally posted by AaronKohura:
Can anyone state how to determine the volume needed for a drive train? What am I missing?

Are you including the extra volume per DTU for the extra drive trains?
For example: The Wheeled Drivetrain takes 11vl per DTU, but if you have four wheels, it should be 12vl per DTU.

More example: Wheeled ATV: 10,000vl vehicle requires 100 TH/kph, times 100 kph = 1000 TH required. 10 TH/DTU gives 100 DTU requred. 8 wheels require 11vl + 0.5/wheel past 2 or 11 + 3 or 14vl per DTU. 100 times 14 = 1400vl for the wheeled drivetrain.

I can't give this to you in Excel format because I don't know what your starting values are.

 

[JeffSandmeier]

Yes, I tried including that. That throws off the money calculation, and still does not make the volume come out right. I think I know what I'm doing wrong now, the way I was calculating the extra DTU's didn't take into account the EP's required for the thrust. I'll try that and see how it works.

 

[snrdg082102]

Lo AaronKohura,

The sample is on the way. Please not that I did not do a complete selection for the combo box, but what is there, hopefully, gets you where you want to go.

Originally posted by AaronKohura:
I'm not really familiar with combo boxes in Excel. I've tried to use them a couple of times, and could never figure out how to input the list that the drop-box was supposed to use. If your solution is comprehensible to a novice with Excel, please feel free to send it. My address is sandmeier@cavtel.net

 

[snrdg082102]

Evening Tom J-L,

My reason for suggesting an exchange of email addresses, easier to send a spreadsheet. Of course I might be OTL, but I tried.

Originally posted by tjoneslo:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by AaronKohura:
Can anyone state how to determine the volume needed for a drive train? What am I missing?

Are you including the extra volume per DTU for the extra drive trains?
For example: The Wheeled Drivetrain takes 11vl per DTU, but if you have four wheels, it should be 12vl per DTU.

More example: Wheeled ATV: 10,000vl vehicle requires 100 TH/kph, times 100 kph = 1000 TH required. 10 TH/DTU gives 100 DTU requred. 8 wheels require 11vl + 0.5/wheel past 2 or 11 + 3 or 14vl per DTU. 100 times 14 = 1400vl for the wheeled drivetrain.

I can't give this to you in Excel format because I don't know what your starting values are. </font>[/QUOTE]

 

[JeffSandmeier]

Thanks for the help. I got the problem fixed last night, everything works except the weapons, which I am slowly wading through. The spreadsheet is not pretty, and uses the blunt-instrument approach to some problems, but at least it works. Once I get it done, where can I put it for people to critique? I don't have a web page, and I don't know of anyplace to post such things (my first public effort and all).

 

[snrdg082102]

Glad to here you have the spreadsheet up and running AaronKohura. I'd check with Hunter for stuff here. I got this from tjoneslo for an article that I've been working on for a long while:

"Another suggestion is to give it to swordy at Traveller Downport,
Traveller Downport , There is space there."

Also, did the quick instruction I included with the spreadsheet help in working with the combo box?

Originally posted by AaronKohura:
Thanks for the help. I got the problem fixed last night, everything works except the weapons, which I am slowly wading through. The spreadsheet is not pretty, and uses the blunt-instrument approach to some problems, but at least it works. Once I get it done, where can I put it for people to critique? I don't have a web page, and I don't know of anyplace to post such things (my first public effort and all).

 

[JeffSandmeier]

It helped to understand combo boxes, but I had gotten the work done without it, before I got the e-mail. Like I said, I used the old Navy method. If it don't work, get a hammer.

 

[snrdg082102]

What do you mean get a hammer, when I was in the Navy we got bigger hammers not just any old hammer to fix a problem. Navy Submarine service 1975-1995, spent time in Norfolk, VA - once for decommissioning a boomer and the second time overhauling the Simon Lake before deploying to the Med.

Sorry, I took so long on getting back to you, but I was expecting an email from you so I could send the spreadsheet. Then I went through the JTAS NNTP discussion boards and checked T20. I saw your email address and fired it off right away. Yeah, I know leave it to a bubble head to be a day late and a couple buck short. As stated earlier good going in hammering the spreadsheet into shape.

Originally posted by AaronKohura:
It helped to understand combo boxes, but I had gotten the work done without it, before I got the e-mail. Like I said, I used the old Navy method. If it don't work, get a hammer.