How would EM drive fit into ship design?

[Shadowrunner]

I was wondering if and how ship designers and GMs would incorporate EM Drive in the Traveller universe. Would/should the GM simply disallow it in the game or use existing rules for higher TL drives, or is there a logical solution. I've only played Imperial CT mainly, so not an expert.
EM drive is explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EmDrive

It works apparently, but defies the laws of physics and is not fully understood, so I was at a loss in determining the right TL and amount of tonnage it would use.

It makes the small "flying saucer" UFO sightings more plausible or credible, as it doesn't require fuel, only a nuclear reactor, so EM craft don't need huge fuel tanks, only what the reactor and LSS need. It might explain the "spinning" UFO myth also. Are they aliens or Human time travellers?

I'm slowly outlining deckplans for a flying saucer and a cigar-UFO, but unsure how to distribute power/fuel/drives.

 

[whartung]

How is this that much different from the M-Drive we have today, which simply requires a power plant and no reaction mass?

In GT, they pretty much don't "fuel" the fusion power plants, and just give them a duration of 200 years. Connected to a M-Drive, that's 200 years of thrust.

HG is, what, 4 weeks/ton of fuel for a fusion power plant?

Anyway, minimal fuel requirement for the power plant, all told.

FF&S has a design sequence for a Dean's Drive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_drive

I've always considered Traveler to be more of the "humming and flying" universe than the "molten fire" TNE universe.

Grav vehicles just hum more, float off, and then float/fly away, accelerating, but can stop for stop lights without flinging the vehicle around to thrust backwards. Starships float off in to space, etc. No real drama, just a Star Wars buzz.

 

[The Oz]

I agree with Whartung; the CT maneuver drive can be thought of as a very highly advanced version of the EM drive.

 

[aramis]

How is this that much different from the M-Drive we have today, which simply requires a power plant and no reaction mass?

In GT, they pretty much don't "fuel" the fusion power plants, and just give them a duration of 200 years. Connected to a M-Drive, that's 200 years of thrust.

HG is, what, 4 weeks/ton of fuel for a fusion power plant?

Anyway, minimal fuel requirement for the power plant, all told.

FF&S has a design sequence for a Dean's Drive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_drive

I've always considered Traveler to be more of the "humming and flying" universe than the "molten fire" TNE universe.

Grav vehicles just hum more, float off, and then float/fly away, accelerating, but can stop for stop lights without flinging the vehicle around to thrust backwards. Starships float off in to space, etc. No real drama, just a Star Wars buzz.

Assuming the EMdrive is ONLY producing thrust... it's a weak version of the Late-CT/MT/MGT M-Drive.

If it's also an Alcubierre warp drive, it's going to be a constant speed measured in PSL... at which point the rating is likely (in generation 1) the percentage directly, gen 2 in tenths of C, gen 3 in units of C, gen 4 units of 10C...

 

[kilemall]

Another one of those IMTU deals to be posted in near future, but basically I have EM-drive only work in vacuum and capable of 1-G, so for takeoff or anything above 1-G fuel use occurs via the MHD drives to provide greater thrust.

I'm going more fire then hum.

OH, and antigrav working only when it has gravity to push off of, tapering off lift capacity as the Gs drop at further distances (but less G to pull back too so it evens out).

 

[Shadowrunner]

Thank you all, I really appreciate that. I forgot to mention that EM is thought to facilitate speeds near light speed, but wouldn't be able to "warp" speed.
A lot of this was beyond me and it's impressive people's grasp of physics.

 

[aramis]

Thank you all, I really appreciate that. I forgot to mention that EM is thought to facilitate speeds near light speed, but wouldn't be able to "warp" speed.
A lot of this was beyond me and it's impressive people's grasp of physics.

Actually, Alcubierre's and White's predictions both allow FTL with a com-ex warp field. If the EMDrive is in fact doing what White thinks, then his previous prediction of 10C (1000PSL) may very well be the maximum pseudovelocity.