alt-tech: helium 3 fuel for power plants

[BwapTED]

Fuel

Refined fuel is liquid helium 3. You can skim and filter it from (many) gas giants but you can’t just scoop up free unrefined fuel from lakes and seas (1977 rules versus 1980 rules, no?).

Liquid helium is, I think, about 8 cubic meters per metric ton. Not 14.
But I’m keeping the Book 5 one ship ton= 14 cubic meters scale.
So, what’s the extra stuff in the tanks/fuel section? It is additional reaction mass/ejectable heat sinks.

Thoughts?

 

[Xerxeskingofking]

Fuel

Refined fuel is liquid helium 3. You can skim and filter it from (many) gas giants but you can’t just scoop up free unrefined fuel from lakes and seas (1977 rules versus 1980 rules, no?).

Liquid helium is, I think, about 8 cubic meters per metric ton. Not 14.
But I’m keeping the Book 5 one ship ton= 14 cubic meters scale.
So, what’s the extra stuff in the tanks/fuel section? It is additional reaction mass/ejectable heat sinks.

Thoughts?

could work, or maybe just don't bother with saying whats the extra mass. the jump takes X D tons of fuel, be that H¹ or He³, form a pilots perspective it doesn't matter.


to put it another way, the traveller D-ton (as a unit of volume) is still defined by volume of liquid Hydrogen displaced, even though the fuel used is liquid He³. since the players normally work with fuel in at the D-ton level, they aren't that bothered if their D-ton of He³ weighs 1.75 tonnes in 1g, rather then 1 tonne

 

[BwapTED]

I think the main effect is making ocean/lake wilderness refueling unavailable.

 

[Lycanorukke]

What sort of He³ reactor are you looking at?

A He³+He³ reactor or a H²+He³ (about 30% more power than just He³)?

If you use the second reaction, you need to cart around the Deuterium as well which can live in the 'empty' tankage.

 

[kilemall]

I have He³ reactors, they give more power per dton due to less shielding required and less fuel (although not all as some is still hyperacclerated reaction mass doing double duty as heat ejecta), but require millions in fueling cost.


If the reactor is damaged to zero, you lose the fuel as well as the reactor and have to refuel again as well as replace the power plant.


Allows for He³ mining business/shenanigans and military designs to have an edge, without being overpowering or shutting down the greater flexibility and economics of other fusion reactions.


Most of the other fusion reactions I have going are muon-catalyzed for jump drives and personal vehicles, and gravitic fusion for the starships.

 

[infojunky]

Ok, I am in the Powerplant gets refueled at Annual Maintenance crowd, thus specifically He³ or H² really doesn't make much of a difference.

 

[BwapTED]

Ok, I am in the Powerplant gets refueled at Annual Maintenance crowd, thus specifically He³ or H² really doesn't make much of a difference.

Ah!

I'm in the 'power plant uses up fuel at the book formula' crowd.

I like the idea of refueling being important.

 

[infojunky]

Ah!

I'm in the 'power plant uses up fuel at the book formula' crowd.

Which Book? FF&S? Book 2? Book 5?.. Etc. etc...

Recently I have been pondering the Book 2 power fuel usage numbers, and Converting them to Water used to drive the Manunver drive as highly optimistic Plasma drive.... Though even more recently the 288 burn limit on a standard Power Plant fuel load has come to mind as well, but both those ideas are still percolating around in my head.