Hydrogen needs for high energy weapons

[Dragoner]

I liked book four for what it was, none of trav was backed by solid science; it only gets worse in striker and MT/TNE. Marc and co are liberal arts people and it shows, no problem there, it is why I liked the earlier stuff in that one could make up better reasons for the fluff.

 

[BytePro]

Same expectations - never had a problem with Traveller's 'realism' or lack thereof. Liked the idea of a 'mercenary striker', tickets and heavy weapons. All of which could have been done with the existing rules in less than 4 pages.

 

[Kaeto]

Gotta love how my explanation gets ignored in favor of a handwavium eplanation.

 

[BytePro]

Well if you were to use the description of the Hellbore in the novel Bolo Rising. The ammunition for a FGMP or a PGMP could be a sliver of hydrogen slush of a few grams of mass, coated in super dense that has been compressed to a metallic state. It is held suspended in a magnetic field until the moment of firing, then the plama is launched down the barrel of the weapon a split-second after a laser fires to clear the bore and the firing path of air.

Of course Hellbores are in the 20 cm or better range an they launch the plasma bolt at .6 lightspeed.

Its fine fluff - but requires even more handwaviums...

Sure, you could try to address the PGMP12 issue using 'hydrogen plasma bullets', but the issue of cost and availability is still there. The fantasy elements of the fictional weapons isn't really being questioned in this thread - rather the OP was questioning an element of the rules that is logically broken.

IMO, it is easily resolved in the context of the writing and the majority of the following weapon descriptions. PGMPs require hydrogen for their 'plasma bolts'. The implied amount is trivial. Higher TL PGMPs also use hydrogen for power. Recharging PGMP12s implies supplying power and 'fuel' - I take the Cr 50 for commercial recharging to include hydrogen. Recharging from starship PP also implies adding hydrogen - the fuel for the ship anyway, so readily available - even if just from a simple adapter added to a check valve. Its a simple and easy fix just clarifying what 'recharging' means. <shrug>

 

[McPerth]

In fact, the first time I thought about it was when designing (MT rules) a solar powersat with some defense capability in the form of a fusion turret. As rules stand, it needed no fuel, being solar powered (after all, its main mission was as powersat), but I gave it anyway 1 kl of hydrogen assuming some will be needed for the fusion bolts should its secondary mission ever called to action (and anyway it had a nearly 5 kl of spare space remaining).

I have no idea about how many times could the fusion turret be fired with this kl of hydrogen...

 

[BytePro]

Er, as many shots as the plot defines?

If one is real pedantic about the rules from CT an upper limit can be defined based on a powerpack massing 7000 grams which supports 24 hrs x 60min/hr x 4 combat rounds/min... with a SWAG on how much mass is not fuel and how much fuel is used for ammo vs energy. I'm sure MT provides data to extrapolate the later from other starship rules.

BTW, a powerstat is going to require some means of station keeping (hydrogen ions?). In addition, Solar wind near planet could easily have a hydrogen density (quick google netted 3-6 atoms/cubic centimeter) to support 'recharging' over the large area covered by a powersat...

 

[McPerth]

BTW, a powerstat is going to require some means of station keeping (hydrogen ions?). In addition, Solar wind near planet could easily have a hydrogen density (quick google netted 3-6 atoms/cubic centimeter) to support 'recharging' over the large area covered by a powersat...

Of course hydrogen ions could work, but when designing it I thought some grav plates (about 0.15 G acceleration) would sufice for station keeping.

 

[BytePro]

Doh - yeah that would work!

Gotta ask though, with the TL for grav plates and fusion turrets - why have a solar powersat?

 

[McPerth]

Doh - yeah that would work!

Gotta ask though, with the TL for grav plates and fusion turrets - why have a solar powersat?

To obtain power from the sun, why else?

I know fusion power is cheap and available, but I'm sure solar powersats will still have their uses, either for cultural biases, for easiness to deploy (on new colonies/faclities or just temporary stays on planets where no power distribution gird exists), for lower TL planets export...

 

[aramis]

Doh - yeah that would work!

Gotta ask though, with the TL for grav plates and fusion turrets - why have a solar powersat?

Because it means not having to take it off line anywhere near so often.

Solar power, a few hours of gravitics on battery power, and you get the ability to bring it in for annual maintenance, rather than NEEDING to bring it in for twice-a-quarter refuels.