What's New
Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Approved Tech FAE/E-01 Coaxium Pulse-Detonation Drive

Status
Not open for further replies.
Manufacturer: First United Astral Engineering
Type: Electronic
Market Status: Closed Market
Production: Mass-Produced
Weight: Average
Size: Average
Major Faction

Mellifluous Magenta

Well-Known Member
Mellifluous Magenta
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
SPECIAL FEATURES
  • Oversight and Administration
    • Computer Brain Module
    • Flight Computer Module
    • Diagnostic Computer Module
      • Computer brain-powered diagnostic system runs automatic maintenance checks on the drive and is able to identify parts, systems, and components in need of repair or replacement. It is capable of identifying any and all potential issues that might arise with the system.
    • Safety Control Module
  • Information Storage and Processing
  • Data and Information Security
  • FAE/G-01 Hypermatter Synthesis Engine
    • The energy pulse for the catalyzed annihilation is drawn directly from the HSE's energy capacitor. The drive itself requires no external power source beyond the Hypermatter Synthesis Engine, as the coaxium fuel provides the reaction energy.
  • Coaxium Pulse-Detonation Drive
    • Operational Phases and Technical Components
      • Phase 1: Metering and Injection
        • Isotopic Fuel Metering Assembly
          • A solid-state block of ultra-pure coaxium is housed in a stabilized containment field. Using a focused particle beam, the isotopic fuel metering assembly sputters off a precisely calibrated mass of coaxium atoms—an annihilation unit—typically measured in micrograms. This microscopic quantity is then entrained in a carrier gas (typically an inert noble gas like Argon) and injected at extreme pressure into the heart of the detonation chamber.
          • In essence, the isotopic fuel metering assembly functions to dispense a perfectly measured quantity of coaxium for each pulse.
      • Phase 2: Catalyzed Annihilation
        • Annihilation Resonator Cores
          • When the coaxium-bearing gas enters the detonation chamber, it is subjected to a simultaneous, multi-vectored energy pulse from projectors surrounding the annihilation resonator core. This pulse, a combination of specific hyper-frequency radiation and an intense magnetic pinch, catalyzes its near-instantaneous and total annihilation. The matter is converted into an ultra-dense, superheated plasma ball with an extreme energy quotient, but contained within a tiny volume.
          • A single annihilation resonator core functions to convert the coaxium annihilation unit into energy and plasma.
      • Phase 3: Thrust Vectoring and Exhaust
        • Magnetic Compression Nozzle
          • The initial energy release of the plasma ball is spherical. However, before it can expand and contact the physical walls of the chamber, the magnetic compression nozzle activates. This is a series of high-strength superconducting coils that generate a shaped magnetic field. This field acts as a physical, malleable nozzle, containing the plasma and forcing it to expand primarily in one direction: aft. The rapid expansion of this contained plasma against the magnetic "throat" of the magnetic compression nozzle generates immense thrust. The entire event, from injection to exhaust, takes microseconds.
          • The final stage of the magnetic compression nozzle consists of a series of superconductor rings (distinct from the high-strength superconducting coils that shape the initial shaped magnetic field) that can be individually and asymmetrically energized. As a plasma ball is launched from the annihilation resonator core and travels down the magnetic compression nozzle, the pulsed-plasma deflection array applies a precisely timed, off-axis magnetic pulse.
            • This nudges the plasma ball's trajectory as it exits the nozzle, imparting a slight but significant vector change to the entire pulse.
            • By carefully controlling the timing and strength of this pulse for each individual plasma ball, the system can achieve fine control over the direction of thrust on a pulse-by-pulse basis.
      • Phase 4: Cycle Management
        • Pulse Sequencing Computer
          • A single coaxium pulse-detonation drive bank consists of multiple annihilation resonator cores (often between 4 and 24, depending on the scale). The pulse sequencing computer fires these chambers in a precise, rotating sequence, thousands of times per second. By varying the frequency of the pulses, the engine controls thrust magnitude (more pulses per second = more thrust). By selectively firing chambers on one side of the engine bank more frequently, it can generate vectored thrust for turning without moving parts.
            • For instance, the pulse sequencing computer can fire the annihilation resonator cores on the starboard side of the bank more frequently than those on the port side. This makes the plasma stream exiting the magnetic nozzle bend slightly to starboard, providing additional thrust vectoring for turning (in addition to the pulse-plasma deflection array) without needing to physically move the entire engine. This process is known as differential pulse sequencing.
            • Differential pulse sequencing is synergized with the pulsed-plasma deflection array. The pulsed-plasma deflection array works in concert with the core drive design. The pulse sequencing computer can already vary thrust by firing annihilation resonator cores on one side of a bank more often. Now, it can also fine-tune that thrust by vectoring the pulses from those annihilation resonator cores. This creates a two-tiered system for maneuverability: macro-control by choosing which annihilation resonator cores to fire, and micro-control by vectoring each of those pulses via the pulsed-plasma deflection array.
            • For context, a drive bank refers to a complete, self-contained engine unit that is visible on the exterior of a craft as a single thruster nozzle.
    • Atmospheric Engine Mode
    • Subaquatic Operation Functionality
  • Low Observability Systems
    • IR Suppressor
    • Nullifying Field Projector
      • Creates an active bubble around the engine that absorbs its EM and subspace emissions. It does this through a network of projectors mounted on the engine cowling that generates a localized, low-level energy damping field. This field is tuned to the specific frequencies of the drive's most telling emissions, absorbing the spike of broad-spectrum EM radiation from each plasma pulse.
    • Phased-Array Sonic Dampening
  • Cooling Systems
    • Tursturin-Lattice Exhaust Cowling
      • The inner surface of the magnetic compression nozzle, just behind the primary containment field, is a complex honeycomb matrix made of ostrine-tursturin composite. As each plasma pulse fires, it bathes this matrix in intense X-ray and extreme ultraviolet radiation. The tursturin lattice absorbs this energy as direct electron excitation. This generates a massive, pulsed electrical current across the matrix, manifesting as a photovoltaic effect for high-energy photons. This current is directly fed back to the Hypermatter Synthesis Engine's energy capacitor or the craft's power grid.
      • By converting radiant energy directly to electricity, the plasma pulse is deprived of a significant portion of its thermal energy before it can heat the nozzle walls. As a result, the exhaust plume exits measurably cooler and less energetic.
    • Toroidal Tursturin Thermocouples
      • Tursturin thermo-rings are wrapped around the hottest solid components. In particular, each annihilation resonator core is jacketed by a series of tightly fitted thermo-rings. Each is a thermocouple: one side is a conductive metal (duranium), while the other side is tursturin. The side facing the hot annihilation resonator core is the tursturin. The intense heat conducted through the annihilation resonator core housing creates a massive temperature gradient across the thickness of the ring. Due to the Seebeck effect, this gradient generates a powerful, continuous electrical voltage. Tursturin's unique property makes this conversion exceptionally efficient. The resulting direct is harvested, powering local systems and feeding the surplus to the grid.
      • The process of generating this electricity actively pumps heat out of the annihilation resonator core housing, as the energy for the electricity is drawn directly from the thermal gradient, lowering the hot side's temperature.
    • Tursturin-Wick Capillary Loop
      • A closed-loop heat pipe system (using a liquid galinstan) collects heat from various engine components. First, the hot vapor travels to the condenser section, which is a large, finned structure made of porous, sintered tursturin. As the vapor condenses back into liquid inside this porous matrix, it releases its latent heat directly into the tursturin. This latent heat energy is converted into electricity, at which point the now-cooled liquid metal is cycled back to the heat sources via a capillary pump.
      • Optimized for low-grade, distributed waste heat.
    • Phase-Change Tursturin Capacitor
      • Modules containing a high-heat-capacity phase-change material (laminasteel-salt eutectic) are lined with Tursturin plates and connected to the engine's hot components.
      • During high load, excess heat that would overwhelm primary systems is shunted into the module, melting the salt. The tursturin plates convert a portion of this incoming heat directly to power, but the main function is thermal storage.
      • When engine demand drops, the stored heat is allowed to flow back out of the module. As it does, it passes through the tursturin plates, which now convert this released thermal energy into a controlled stream of electrical power, effectively recharging the craft's capacitors from its own earlier waste heat.
      • In effect, the tursturin capacitor prevents thermal overload during combat spikes by providing a massive thermal buffer. It also actively cools the engine by converting a portion of all buffered heat into electricity.
  • Utility Systems
  • Safety Systems
    • Cascading Toroidal Field Lattice - Anti-Radiation
      • The cascading toroidal field lattice functions to contain and dissipate the initial pulse of high-energy particles. As the exhaust plume passes through a series of secondary and tertiary magnetic coils located just aft of the main magnetic compression nozzle, the coils generate a "tunnel" of alternating magnetic fields that acts like a braking and containment system.
        • Stage 1: Containment
          • The first set of coils creates a powerful magnetic mirror, reflecting the most energetic neutrons and gamma radiation back into the core of the exhaust stream, preventing their lateral escape.
        • Stage 2: Deceleration
          • Subsequent fields are tuned to gradually sap energy from charged particles (like protons and ions), slowing them down and causing them to lose their high energy and become part of the far less radioactive exhaust gas.
    • Borated-Duranium Composite Lining - Anti-Radiation
      • The physical structure of the engine nozzle and the inner surfaces of the final exhaust cowling are lined with a composite material rich in Boron-10, an isotope with a high affinity for capturing thermal neutrons. As neutrons generated in the annihilation process scatter and lose energy in the magnetic confinement tunnel, they are absorbed by this lining, preventing them from being emitted into the atmosphere. The absorption process itself produces harmless, stable byproducts and low-energy alpha particles, which are easily contained.
    • Electron Injection Ring - Anti-Radiation
      • At the very end of the exhaust system, a ring of electron emitters (similar to a cathode) floods the exiting plasma stream with a cloud of low-energy electrons. This neutralizes the positive charge of the plasma ions, converting the dangerous, high-energy plasma into a neutral gas. A neutralized exhaust will not produce significant bremsstrahlung radiation when interacting with the atmosphere and will dissipate harmlessly.
    • Passive Radiation Sensor Array
    • Sequential Power-Up/Power-Down Lockout
      • The drive is slaved to a dedicated safety control module. The safety control module requires confirmation of nominal status from dozens of subsystems before it will allow the pulse sequencing computer to receive an enabling signal. Attempting to bypass this interlock triggers an immediate hard shutdown. Similarly, shutdown requires a controlled ramp-down of the pulse frequency to zero before primary systems are disengaged.
    • Spectroscopic Atmosphere Analyzer Networks
      • A network of ultra-sensitive gas spectrometers and radiation sniffers is installed in the engine bay, surrounding the engine bank and its fuel lines. If they detect even trace amounts of exotic particles (a signature of a microscopic containment leak) or a spike in neutron flux, they trigger a containment alert.
        • In this scenario, the affected engine bank is immediately taken offline via the safety control module. The magnetic containment fields are set to maximum power, generating a quarantine bottle around the suspected leak point. In addition, valves will automatically isolate the bank’s fuel feed.
    • Fault-Tolerant Power Bus and Distributed Control Nodes
      • Each engine bank is powered by its own dedicated, shielded power conduit from the Hypermatter Synthesis Engine's energy capacitor, with physical breakers between banks. Control is handled by a network of interlinked but independent subprocessor modules. If one bank's control node fails or is bombarded with ion interference, it is automatically isolated from the network. The other banks remain fully operational, and the ship's main computer can route control of the failed bank through a secondary node or mark it as inoperable.
    • Predictive Thermal Load Management
      • A network of thermal sensors creates a real-time heat map of the engine. The predictive thermal load management software tracks thermal cycling and predicts stress points. If a component (like a specific annihilation resonator core housing) is approaching its thermal fatigue limit, the pulse sequencing computer will automatically and temporarily reduce its duty cycle, routing pulses to other annihilation resonator cores in the bank to allow it to cool, all without the pilot noticing a drop in thrust. This vastly extends the engine's service life.
    • Fuel Line Purging and Inerting System
      • Before maintenance is authorized, the safety control module must confirm the affected bank's fuel line has been purged with inert gas and the coaxium feed physically disconnected and capped.
      • Critical components like the magnetic compression nozzle coils have physical grounding braces that must be installed by crew before work begins. These braces physically short the superconductors, ensuring they cannot accidentally energize. The safety control module will not allow the engine to power up if it detects a grounding brace is in place.
    • Localized Neutron/Gamma Curtains and Negative-Pressure Containment
      • Active Radiation Shielding
        • The engine bay walls are lined with polymer-impregnated with agrinium, which absorbs stray neutrons. In the event of a radiation alert, curtains of charged plasma can be momentarily generated between the engine and crew spaces, deflecting ionizing particles.
      • Containment
        • The engine bay is a sealed, negative-pressure environment relative to the rest of the craft. Any leak will draw contaminants into the bay, not out into crew areas. Air from the bay is constantly cycled through massive, shielded scrubbers before being recirculated or vented.
    • Power Surge Venting Capability
STRENGTHS
  • Extreme Thrust-to-Power Ratio: The catalyzed annihilation of coaxium provides energy densities matching that of matter-antimatter reactions. This translates to phenomenal acceleration and specific impulse, allowing for rapid course changes, high sublight speeds, and exceptional escape velocity from gravity wells.
  • Unmatched Maneuverability: The dual-vector system, achieved via differential pulse sequencing (macro) and the pulsed-plasma deflection array (micro), provides near-instantaneous granular thrust vectoring without moving parts. This allows for aggressive, unpredictable flight patterns that can overwhelm targeting computers and enemy pilots.
  • Integrated Power Recovery: The drive itself is a secondary generator owing to its tursturin-based cooling systems. These systems actively convert waste heat into usable electricity, feeding power back to the ship's grid and improving overall energy efficiency.
  • Closed-Loop Fuel Sustainability: Paired with the FAE/G-01 Hypermatter Synthesis Engine, the drive has a perfectly closed fuel loop. It consumes coaxium synthesized by the Hypermatter Synthesis Engine, eliminating all reliance on external fuel depots, tankers, or supply lines. This grants unparalleled strategic independence and range.
  • Inherent Safety Architecture: The design incorporates multiple, redundant safety layers: the sequential power lockout, spectroscopic leak detection, fault-tolerant buses, and the cascading toroidal field lattice for radiation containment. This makes catastrophic failures exceedingly rare during normal operation.
  • High Durability and Low Maintenance: The lack of gimbaling mechanical parts and the presence of the predictive thermal load management system reduces wear and tear. The solid-state fuel metering and magnetic containment systems have fewer failure points than traditional turbopump or plasma injector engines.
  • Atmospheric and Subaquatic Versatility: The drive's thrust is generated by magnetic containment and plasma pulses, which function equally well in vacuum, atmosphere, and even underwater (with adjusted pulse frequency and cooling), providing all-environment propulsion from a single system.
  • Low Profile: Unlike conventional drives that glow like furnaces on infrared scopes, the FAE/E-01 is engineered to be thermally austere. As a result, the thermal bloom is a fraction of its thrust equivalent, making it exceptionally difficult to acquire and lock onto with standard infrared targeting systems, especially at long range or against the thermal noise of a planet or stellar background. The drive also has a minimal EM signature due to the nullifying field projector.
  • Resilient: The drive has integrated terentatek hide, providing resistance to the Force. Anti-EMP and Ion measures are present in the form of reinforced duraplast electronic hardening and a combat de-ionization, allowing the system to resist high-energy electromagnetic discharges or quickly return to function in the event that it is compromised.
WEAKNESSES
  • Prolonged Spin-Up and Power Dependency: The drive cannot instantly achieve maximum thrust from a cold start. It requires a stable, high-power feed from the Hypermatter Synthesis Engine's energy capacitor to initiate and sustain its magnetic fields and annihilation pulses. If capacitor reserves are depleted, the drive's performance will plummet.
  • Vulnerability to Magnetic and Ion Interference: The engine's function is predicated on precise magnetic field control. Concentrated ion cannon fire or powerful electromagnetic pulses that overwhelm the integrated anti-EMP/Ion defenses can scramble the magnetic compression nozzle or pulsed-plasma deflection array fields, causing immediate thrust instability, a safe-mode shutdown, or, in a worst-case scenario, a containment failure and "hard burn" detonation within the chamber.
  • Critical Dependence on HSE Synergy: The Coaxium Pulse-Detonation Drive is not a stand-alone propulsion unit; it is the final component of an integrated FAE power ecosystem. Its performance is wholly contingent on a flawless, high-bandwidth connection to the FAE/G-01 Hypermatter Synthesis Engine for both fuel (coaxium) and the massive, stable electrical power required for its magnetic containment fields. If the HSE is damaged, powered down, or disconnected, the Coaxium Pulse-Detonation Drive becomes inert scrap within seconds. It cannot operate on stored battery power or alternative fuels, making the entire vessel's mobility hostage to the integrity of a single, complex system.
  • No True Stealth: Although the Coaxium Pulse-Detonation Drive has low emissions and a low thermal signature, these features on their own do not confer pure stealth capability, unless the host craft is equipped with advanced stealth systems. In this, the engine contributes more to the low observability character of a craft, minimizing detection range, without making it wholly invisible.
DESCRIPTION
The FAE/E-01 Coaxium Pulse-Detonation Drive is First United Astral Engineering's foundational leap into native propulsion technology. Designed from inception to synergize with the FAE/G-01 Hypermatter Synthesis Engine, the FAE/E-01 is the kinetic manifestation of a self-sustaining power philosophy. Its purpose is to convert the theoretical infinite energy of synthesized hypermatter into unprecedented and controllable thrust, liberating FAE-designed crafts from the tyranny of fuel logistics and conventional engine limitations.

Operating on the principle of catalyzed annihilation, the drive meticulously meters microscopic "units" of ultra-pure coaxium, subjecting them to a simultaneous hyper-frequency and magnetic pulse within its annihilation resonator cores. This process triggers a total matter-to-energy conversion, creating a series of contained micro-supernovae. These plasma pulses are then shaped and vectored by a sophisticated dance of magnetic fields: the primary magnetic compression nozzle contains and directs the thrust, while the pulsed-plasma deflection array fine-tunes its angle with microsecond precision. This solid-state vectoring, combined with the pulse sequencing computer's ability to fire banks of cores in differential sequences, grants the FAE/E-01 dazzling agility, allowing for razor-sharp turns and erratic combat maneuvers that risk defying traditional physics-based targeting solutions.

However, this immense power comes with constraints. The drive is symbiotically tied to the HSE, relying on it for both fuel and the colossal electrical power needed to maintain its containment fields. It is vulnerable to electromagnetic warfare, and the limitations of the HSE means that it must “spin-up”, meaning that the engine can not achieve maximum thrust from a cold start.

In application, the FAE/E-01 is a modular, scalable system. A single starfighter might utilize a pair of small-bank units for breathtaking dogfighting performance, while a capital ship might be studded with dozens of large banks, enabling startling translational movement for a vessel of its mass. It excels in roles demanding strategic independence, high-speed interception, and dynamic, attritional combat where its ability to sustain high thrust without refueling is a decisive advantage. In this, the FAE/E-01 Coaxium Pulse-Detonation Drive is the cornerstone of FAE's vision of autonomous, long-range propulsion, transforming the company's craft into some of the most formidable and self-reliant platforms in the galaxy.
 

Out Of Character Info

Intent: Create a modular, all-purpose engine and thruster system for First United Astral Engineering.
Permissions: See Body

Technical Information

Affiliation: First United Astral Engineering, Exclusive Writers and Buyers
Model: FAE/E-01 Coaxium Pulse-Detonation Drive
Modular: Yes
Material: See Body
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top Bottom