The Golden Rule
Intent: To create a stealthier and more energy-efficient electromagnetic propulsion system for the people of Kiribi and the Galactic Republic.
Development Thread: N/A
Manufacturer: Kiribian Systems Armory (Licensing Options Available)
Model: Shawyer Drive System
Affiliation: Kiribian Systems Union, Galactic Republic
Modularity: No
Production: Production: Mass Produced
Material: Titanium, Ceramics, Components for magnetron.
Description:
The Kiribian military approached KSA with the requirement for a new line of stealth vessels that could endure long periods of operation time without the need for refueling. With no current drive systems on hand to meet such a demanding requirements, KSA was forced to develop a new system from scratch. Many schemes were devised, including developing a line of stealthy ion engines emulating the concept of the Stealth X fighter. Still, no solution was found that provided the right balance of stealth and fuel efficiency.
One engineer working on the project, Robert Shawyer, finally came up with a propulsion system that would meet the requirements. Inspired by the operation of solar sails, he came up with a closed system to emulate the effect of craft being propelled by lasers or tachyon bursts colliding with their sails. His prototype system consisted of a high powered magnetron and a special conical shaped resonance cavity. When activated, the magnetron produces microwaves that are funneled into the cavity. Force is exerted on the surface of the cavity's interior as the microwaves bounce off its surface, much like a laser colliding with a solar sail. Greater force is produced at the wider end of the cavity, which results in thrust.
There are many advantages to the propulsion system that Shawyer developed. Firstly, it is an inherently stealthy design, as no exhaust contrails are produced. With no fuel needed for reaction the drive can run directly off a craft's main power source. The extra space saved by removing unnecessary fuel tanks could then be filled by extra components like a larger reactor or a shield generator. There is no radioactive byproduct produced by the drives, making a safer working environment for maintainers (very important in the minds of the eco-conscious Kiribians). Finally, as no contrails are produced, the drive can be housed inside the superstructure of a craft for added protection and greater maneuverability.
Consideration needs to be taken when selecting materials to produce the resonance cavities, as they heat up when bombarded with microwaves. Common materials like ceramics and titanium are fine to use when producing drives of comparable performance to other propulsion systems like standard ion drives, but quality alloys like phrik are required for high-performance drives used to propel special vessels (read: limited or unique productions).
In honor of his creation, the propulsion system was dubbed the Shawyer drive, with Regor himself making a small fortune off of bonuses and royalties.
*Special Note: As the Shawyer drive is classified as a stealth engine, a development thread is needed for each craft that uses this drive system.
Primary Source:
Other Sources:
Star Wars Wiki
Solar sailer. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Solar_sailer
Ion engine. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ion_engine
Real World Inspirations
RF resonant cavity thruster | Wikiwand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from https://www.wikiwand.com/en/RF_resonant_cavity_thruster
Emdrive - Theory - Principle of Operation. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from http://emdrive.com/principle.html
EM Drive Developments - related to space flight applications - Thread 5. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=38577.msg1440938#msg1440938
