High Burn Thruster fuel

[Jak Nazryth]

For the fuel in a High Burn Thruster, in Scoundrel it simply says "chemical" as in "powerful chemical rocket".
Has anyone discussed what this chemical might be?
Is it simply liquid rocket like the good old Saturn V's?
What is the tech level, where can you buy it?
Starport C and better?
Can a ships crew make their own if they have the equipment?
Can you buy "fuel processors" for this "chemical" fuel?

My players will be getting a tramp with a HBT installed and are asking questions I don't yet know how to answer.
Anyone?

Thanks

 

[dragoner]

Hydrazine?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrazine#Rocket_fuel

 

[Sevain]

The High Burn Thruster seems too good to be true, especially for Small Craft. If you install two units (40% of size of M-Drive) you can keep one thruster active as long as you have fuel. If you then spend the remaining 60% of M-Drive volume on fuel you get 12 hours of operation out of your drive system. You now have a drive that is cheaper and does not require a power plant. This is immensely superior to the usual Reaction M-Drive.

 

[Condottiere]

1. Whatever it is, it looks like it's extremely energy dense and uncontrollable, in the sense that the full potential thrust is produced.

2. Cost benefit analysis shows it's great for short term operations and expendable craft.

3. I did base a sub-ten ton ultralite fighter/interceptor/trainer design around it.

 

[Reynard]

Lots of fuel, needs to shut down after an maximum hour of use at a cost of for time equal to the time operated and at a cost of 20x refined hydrogen. It's an old fashion nitro burner on a rum runner car. You're not doing a week's travel on this system and you still need a power plant with its fuel requirements to run all the ship's systems.

As to fuel, in a technological universe running on hydrogen, rocket fuel for this unit would be rare as hen's teeth. You would need a pretty sophisticated facility to make this stuff just like in the real world. Nobody makes jet or rocket fuel in any quantity in their basement. A 'processor' would be that big building with all the specialized equipment to combine the chemicals to make the fuel.

Since it's in the Scoundrel book, you get an idea these aren't standard propulsion features and most police cutter will be highly suspicious with ships carrying them. There are reaction drives and rockets that these HBT are not classed with. I'd say you could find legitimate use for these such as drag race competitions in space or short ranged interceptors but I'll bet these are acquired at pirate bases who will sell the only source of fuel... at a price.

 

[Jak Nazryth]

They plan on operating throughout the Trojan Reach and other areas where piracy and slaving is more common, so they want an extra kick if a Corsair shows up and gives chase.
At first I thought a HBT would be a fusion rocket, simply using normal liquid hydrogen the same way the power plant uses it, except producing electricity by sipping fuel, it produces thrust by gulping it.
No worries. I like the idea of HBT fuel produced more in more lawless areas.
I'll just say TL 10 or higher to produce it and a streetwise roll to find a supplier if your in "civilized" areas.

 

[phavoc]

For the fuel in a High Burn Thruster, in Scoundrel it simply says "chemical" as in "powerful chemical rocket".
Has anyone discussed what this chemical might be?
Is it simply liquid rocket like the good old Saturn V's?
What is the tech level, where can you buy it?
Starport C and better?
Can a ships crew make their own if they have the equipment?
Can you buy "fuel processors" for this "chemical" fuel?

My players will be getting a tramp with a HBT installed and are asking questions I don't yet know how to answer.
Anyone?

Thanks

Depends on how you want to handle this for your players. What it could be is that the bulk of the fuel is available in raw material form on any TL7 or above planet, and that an oxidizer or some other key ingredient is available only from planets with the same TL as the drive itself, or greater.

Making a 'homebrew' version by mixing it in the tank runs the risk of damage/explosion when adding in the oxidizer, not to mention it's very hazardous and they have to be wearing vac suits and have say a neutral atmosphere like nitrogen to work in (it boils off in a vacuum). If you want to mess with them further any homebrewed fuel is more unstable than normal since it cannot be properly mixed (to do so would require the proper industrial facilities) and every hour they use the drive there is potential for it to fail, or clog and require maintenance - just like bad gas works on carbarator.

Or, to make it easy, add one gallon of oxidizer to 100 gallons of LOX and call it a day.

 

[Mytholder]

When I was writing it, I think I assumed TL12 (Trav really needs a default assumed TL) and was a horrible cocktail of exotic gunk that really doesn't want to exist. I'd just reread Stross's A Tall Tail...

 

[F33D]

For the fuel in a High Burn Thruster, in Scoundrel it simply says "chemical" as in "powerful chemical rocket".
Has anyone discussed what this chemical might be?
...
What is the tech level, where can you buy it?

Based on the Delta v it delivers, it is nothing that current Earth science can duplicate. In fact the power output exceeds know theoretical chemical energy from a chemical reaction. Therefore, crank the TL WAY up. Maybe 13 or higher. Would be a real bitch to store and handle with any kind of safety.

 

[Condottiere]

It's based on it's reaction drive counterpart, so the tech level it's first available at would be seven.

 

[F33D]

It's based on it's reaction drive counterpart, so the tech level it's first available at would be seven.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I would expect that these thruster are solid-rocket propellant, similar to the assist rockets on the Space Shuttle. You turn them on and they run until empty - no throttling possible. Their description sounds exactly like a solid rocket thruster.

 

[F33D]

I would expect that these thruster are solid-rocket propellant, similar to the assist rockets on the Space Shuttle. You turn them on and they run until empty - no throttling possible. Their description sounds exactly like a solid rocket thruster.

That would be correct. Meaning that you want them manufactured correctly and precisely so that the formed combustion chamber doesn't cause them to blow up.

 

[Condottiere]

Fuel might be subject to tech level production process discount.