Questions on airlocks

[jhulse]

I'm getting very close to finalizing several designs and deck plans for my upcoming campaign. If I can just make it past all these deadlines at work.... :-(

On airlocks... T20 states 3 tons per airlock (although one is “free” with the basic hull) Also, additional airlocks can be obsorbed as a portion in the 20 tons of minimum “bridge” for each ship.

1) In a cargo bay, what is the rule for sliding bulkheads, ramps, hatches, overhead doors, etc... Is each opening considered an airlock? Example... one design has a main cargo bay and two smaller cargo bays. Each cargo bay is interlocked, but can be closed off by sliding bulkhead doors. In that way, each cargo space can be independently depressurized.
A large ramp extends from the back of the ship from the main cargo bay, plus there are a pair of large overhead doors (like the shuttle) to handle bulky cargo. The main ramp is separated by sliding bulkhead doors (similar to a firefly class).
Each small cargo bay has its own small hatch/ramp. This provides easier access to multiple cargos with different destinations etc…
So, do each of these ramps/doors count as airlocks? (3 tons per airlock)

2) Docking tubes. Is this standard for typical airlocks? If not, how much $ and space would it add? How many meters does a "typical" docking tube extend?

Thanks for any input.
Jak Naz

 

[veltyen]

The first airlock still takes up tonnage (either out of the bridge allowance or from general space) just not cost, so it isn't really that much of a freebie.

1) To be an airlock rather then a pressure door it needs to have a locking mechanism (locking as in canal rather then key). So specifically it needs a sealed chamber that can have air pumped into and out of holding tanks allowing a transition from near vacuum to over 1 ATM in pressure.

If you don't need to be able to pressurise/depressurise a chamber you only need a pressure door, I'm pretty sure these come free with the general fittings of a ship. These will stay sealed against vacuum, but generally cannot be opened in vacuum.

Therefore most of your cargo doors would be free, only ones you designate as airlocks you cost you space and credits.

One thing I allow is to have an airlock work on a much larger scale, just taking a lot longer. For example an airlock leads from a cargo area to "outside" (where else?) In that case you can seal all the pressure doors to the cargo area and safely depressurise the cargo bay, effectively using all of it as a single airlock. That should take a while though (hours rather then minutes).

I generally count the 3 dTon airlock as 1dTon of pumping mechanism and storage tanks, and 2 dTon of pressure chamber. YMMV

2) I don't think anything more then a multiple interface fitting would be standard. You can always suit up and line jump from an airlock, and you might want to suit up anyway depending on how much you trust the docking tube.

 

[jhulse]

Thanks for the input. A couple of campaigns I've played in the past, the whole cargo bay is depressurized to float in salvage material, fighter, ships boat, etc...
Even when we went into combat, the whole ship was depressurized to prevent explosive decompression in the event of a hull breach. But that was back in the early 80's even before MT, so there was little understanding of how the life support system worked. We always assumed it possible to pump all the air into "life support" areas; i.e. pressurized canisters. But that’s a lot of canisters! Perhaps cooling to the point the atmosphere becomes a liquid?

 

[jhulse]

Thanks for the input. A couple of campaigns I've played in the past, the whole cargo bay is depressurized to float in salvage material, fighter, ships boat, etc...
Even when we went into combat, the whole ship was depressurized to prevent explosive decompression in the event of a hull breach. But that was back in the early 80's even before MT, so there was little understanding of how the life support system worked. We always assumed it possible to pump all the air into "life support" areas; i.e. pressurized canisters. But that’s a lot of canisters! Perhaps cooling to the point the atmosphere becomes a liquid?

 

[jhulse]

Thanks for the input. A couple of campaigns I've played in the past, the whole cargo bay is depressurized to float in salvage material, fighter, ships boat, etc...
Even when we went into combat, the whole ship was depressurized to prevent explosive decompression in the event of a hull breach. But that was back in the early 80's even before MT, so there was little understanding of how the life support system worked. We always assumed it possible to pump all the air into "life support" areas; i.e. pressurized canisters. But that’s a lot of canisters! Perhaps cooling to the point the atmosphere becomes a liquid?

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Oh dear, Jak, you'll have Bill over here getting on about depressurizing the ship in combat!

Being able to depressurize the entire cargo bay would not only require some additional space for equipment, but it would require an extra airlock on the inside of the ship: going INTO the cargo bay. If you want to use the cargo bay as an airlock, I would set some factor of the cargo bay size x 3dTons.