Power plant failure in jump space?

[Wol]

G'day all,

Just trying to work out if there is a canonical version of what happens if the power plant is destroyed or fails in the middle of jump space. Does the bubble collapse and the effect is a possibly catastrophic misjump or instant death, or could battery power keep the bubble going until the ship arrives at its destination. Their are some indications that power usage in j-space may be pretty low anyway. No sensors to run at least).

Grateful for your thoughts.

 

[kilemall]

Ship design specifically states that power plants have to match jump drive values, so that strongly suggests the bulk of power during a jump is going to the jump drive.

 

[Condottiere]

Though it be could theorized that as long as you could maintain that required energy output, plus whatever overheads to keep essential machinery like life support operating, you'll get to your destination, fairly alive and well.

 

[atpollard]

Ship design specifically states that power plants have to match jump drive values, so that strongly suggests the bulk of power during a jump is going to the jump drive.

Or it suggests that the JD is overclocking the PP when it rips open the fabric of n-space and creates a bubble in J-space ... once in Jumpspace, there is literally NOTHING that you can do to affect the journey except leave the bubble and die.

Power for life support is your only Job-1 ... otherwise you exit j-space right on schedule, only long dead.

YMMV

 

[flykiller]

what happens if the power plant is destroyed or fails in the middle of jump space.

what, your characters get bored and start a firefight in engineering?

 

[Condottiere]

Usually, the mortgage just was paid off and someone forgot to renew the insurance.

 

[flykiller]

in space no-one can hear you file ....

 

[kilemall]

what, your characters get bored and start a firefight in engineering?

Actually, it could be the functional equivalent of 'I have a bomb' on an airliner, the hijack goes off against the engineering space rather then the bridge and the desperate/lunatic/fanatical WILL shut it down unless the crew surrenders control.

Or, could be bluffing.

A lot depends on the consequences.

 

[kilemall]

Or it suggests that the JD is overclocking the PP when it rips open the fabric of n-space and creates a bubble in J-space ... once in Jumpspace, there is literally NOTHING that you can do to affect the journey except leave the bubble and die.

Power for life support is your only Job-1 ... otherwise you exit j-space right on schedule, only long dead.

YMMV

<Shrug> depends very much on your conception of jump I suppose.

I'm rather focused on where all that fuel goes, so a lot of my conception of the PP/J interaction is tied up in a massive muon-catalyzed fusion event, most of which is used as power for entering jumpspace/creating wormhole/jump bubble/alcuberrieness, but in my case may involve a massive reaction accel into the whateverness.

 

[atpollard]

<Shrug> depends very much on your conception of jump I suppose.

I'm rather focused on where all that fuel goes, so a lot of my conception of the PP/J interaction is tied up in a massive muon-catalyzed fusion event, most of which is used as power for entering jumpspace/creating wormhole/jump bubble/alcuberrieness, but in my case may involve a massive reaction accel into the whateverness.

That still requires the powerplant at full capacity at the START of jump only, not necessarily at full power for 1 week. (If I have understood correctly).

For a hypothetical, I have a J5 ship with JD5, PP5, MD1 and a second PP1. So is there any reason that I can't fire up the gas hog PP5 and JD5, enter Jumpspace, and then use the economy PP1 to provide life support for the week in jumpspace?

 

[kilemall]

That still requires the powerplant at full capacity at the START of jump only, not necessarily at full power for 1 week. (If I have understood correctly).

For a hypothetical, I have a J5 ship with JD5, PP5, MD1 and a second PP1. So is there any reason that I can't fire up the gas hog PP5 and JD5, enter Jumpspace, and then use the economy PP1 to provide life support for the week in jumpspace?

Double posting MADNESS!

Well, near as I can tell, the average monthly ship operations are 2 weeks in jump 2 weeks realspace and use the same fuel amounts both places, I could see averaging it out with less used in jump and more for reaction mass if one is inclined that way, but otherwise it's constant fuel use and therefore suggests full use during jump.

 

[atpollard]

Double posting MADNESS!

Well, near as I can tell, the average monthly ship operations are 2 weeks in jump 2 weeks realspace and use the same fuel amounts both places, I could see averaging it out with less used in jump and more for reaction mass if one is inclined that way, but otherwise it's constant fuel use and therefore suggests full use during jump.

Double posting fixed.
Sorry, the Madness is hard wired.

 

[Wol]

what, your characters get bored and start a firefight in engineering?

Something like that, there was a firefight, the losers were desperate, negotiations broke down and they were holed up in engineering. They preferred dead to a return to prison. Our heroes stormed engineering. The losers wrecked the powerplant... Neither side was bluffing

Regards

 

[Reynard]

I've seen different descriptions of a jump drive, one saying it has its own power plant while another hints the regular power plant supplies the energy. Either case though, once powered, the jump drive is running the show for a week.

Wrecking the power plant in transit just means a dead ship appears barreling at whatever vector it had at exit. Everyone is dead from cold except possibly low berths which often has a backup emergency battery but even that could be near drained. You would need another ship to physically slow the craft now without working maneuver drives. If unable to slow or stop it, it will need to be obliterated to prevent becoming a hazard. Matching velocity could allow for investigation and possibly a rescue.

And. of course, YOUR ship is the only one near enough.

 

[Wol]

Ta. I think that is the nice version.

I am never sure if you need power to preserve the hydrogen envelope for the jump bubble., or if o how much.

Regards

 

[flykiller]

Something like that, there was a firefight, the losers were desperate, negotiations broke down and they were holed up in engineering. They preferred dead to a return to prison. Our heroes stormed engineering. The losers wrecked the powerplant... Neither side was bluffing

best kind of fight.

imtu jump is calculated, intiated, and completed at the start. after that the ship just "coasts" through, the jump drives are shut down and the power plant plays no role.

 

[Wol]

That seems to fit in with the summaries here http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Jump_Drive
If energy is needed post jump it must be minimal.

Regards

 

[aramis]

best kind of fight.

imtu jump is calculated, intiated, and completed at the start. after that the ship just "coasts" through, the jump drives are shut down and the power plant plays no role.

Until the mid 90's, I ran it as the Jump Drive was passively involved after initiation - damage to it can trigger relativity errors, etc, but as for path, you're just along for the ride. Destroy it, and the field drops... and the PP was required to power this secondary effect of protecting the ship from J-space.

Now, I'm not certain how I'll run it for my next game.

 

[flykiller]

protecting the ship from J-space

anything in jump space that needs to be protected from the ship? can imagine our reaction if extra-dimensional beings started zipping through our neighborhood from one non-dimentional point to another ....

Now, I'm not certain how I'll run it for my next game.

do you want it to play a role? could take the nasa attitude - "if they can't do anything about it then don't tell them" ....

 

[Condottiere]

Maybe maintaining that jump bubble.