Quick Jump Turnaround

[Hardwire]

The problem has always been there was no mechanisms to actually implement the ideas in High Guard.

Three ideas I had were somewhat similar.

1. The default fuel tanks have a piston that moves inward as the tanks empty, which, of course, reduces volume; since the tanks are empty before transition, jump calculations are based on the resultant negative volume.

2. Pop up tanks, though you'd have to ensure that the pop up mechanism doesn't permit leakage.

3. Simplified collapse, in that one of the walls of the tank, usually the roof, opens up.

Like a Jack-in-the Box lid with cables to pull it shut.

 

[Condottiere]

The imagination can run wild.

The point being taking advantage of the calculation of enclosed volume for engineering performance, whether manoeuvre or jump.

 

[Sigtrygg]

The problem has always been there was no mechanisms to actually implement the ideas in High Guard.

Three ideas I had were somewhat similar.

1. The default fuel tanks have a piston that moves inward as the tanks empty, which, of course, reduces volume; since the tanks are empty before transition, jump calculations are based on the resultant negative volume.

2. Pop up tanks, though you'd have to ensure that the pop up mechanism doesn't permit leakage.

3. Simplified collapse, in that one of the walls of the tank, usually the roof, opens up.

Pop up tanks...
couldn't the adjustable hull option be leveraged to model this?

I think you have a genius idea here.

 

[Hardwire]

Yes he has a genius idea.

 

[Condottiere]

The issue with adjustable hull, for me, is that it's too nebulous a concept to actually comment on what it can or cannot do in regard to changing the (empty) volume of ship components.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Pop up tanks...
couldn't the adjustable hull option be leveraged to model this?

I think you have a genius idea here.

That’s what I was thinking when I made notes last night to do this.

 

[Terry Mixon]

MixCorp's Expandable Jump Fuel Tanks are ready for your consideration.

Thread 'Expandable Jump Fuel Tanks'

Thursday at 6:13 PM

Expandable Jump Fuel Tanks

*** To be clear, this is more of a mental exercise than a serious suggestion as it would break the setting more than collectors would. Use at your own risk. ***

Are you tired of having to drop those expensive drop tanks and risk their destruction every jump? Do you worry that the process will eventually cause your ship to misjump? Or do you just want the advantages of a drop tank without all the fuss?

Set your concerns aside. The designers are MixCorp have come through for you with a new line of expandable jump fuel tanks that go with you but take up far less...

• Terry Mixon
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Traveller

• 

 

[rinku]

I mean we might be overthinking this a bit.
Rapid transfer from the tank just needs lower pressure outside the tanks and a valve opened. There's any number of basic cryogenic liquid to cold gas to hot gas techniques to move it all around quickly. I'm not actually sure mechanically reducing the tank's volume would even be the most efficient.

 

[Terry Mixon]

I mean we might be overthinking this a bit.
Rapid transfer from the tank just needs lower pressure outside the tanks and a valve opened. There's any number of basic cryogenic liquid to cold gas to hot gas techniques to move it all around quickly. I'm not actually sure mechanically reducing the tank's volume would even be the most efficient.

Yes, but draining the contents when it is in space and where there is no pressure on the outside to do the compression means that the gas flows in but the tank doesn't compress. It's not suction that causes the collapse, it's external overpressure.

 

[rinku]

That's a very good point. Even if the tank is sucked dry to a near vacuum, the external near vacuum isn't going to crumple anything.

I was just talking about getting the contents out - you may not NEED collapsing tanks at all, given that the liquid hydrogen is under considerable pressure.

 

[Terry Mixon]

That's a very good point. Even if the tank is sucked dry to a near vacuum, the external near vacuum isn't going to crumple anything.

I was just talking about getting the contents out - you may not NEED collapsing tanks at all, given that the liquid hydrogen is under considerable pressure.

This is true, however as the jump drive size is calculated on the volume of the ship and the tank would count as its full volume, you're paying quite the premium. The reduced volume is the selling point. If you aren't going to collapse the tank, a regular fuel pod that doesn't collapse and isn't ejected is your best bet.

 

[Condottiere]

Two things that do create pressure, would be:

1. Sunlight

2. Inertia

Of the two, I'd go for inertia, which requires acceleration.