robkelk Wrote:This got me going on this train of thought. Bear with me here...Quote:HowDon't be there when it goes off.
would I compete against antimatter reactors using nuclear reactions?
Hrm...
Luckily for you, this is something that the Midnight is good
at...
The engines do just fine. The design is absolutely wonderful when it comes to getting maximum bang for the buck , thus making them nearly peerless in the field of propulsion technologies. The issue that I've got my mind on is energy throughput of the reactors. A normal fission reaction can't hold a candle (literally!) to an anti-matter reaction. Therefore, it stands to reason that Fenspace!Ben would have to come up with a new sort of nuclear fission - either something radically different and probably highly dangerous... or a wholly different method of capturing the energy (some means of direct-energy conversion perhaps).
I'm opting for the former as it would fit in with well within the Handwavium's abilities. I also wouldn't put it past the 'Wave to make the reaction process more efficient.
*Thinks for a moment, adopting the pose of The Problem...*
Here we go. A reactor that utilizes direct conversion of radiation bombardment and thermal energy into usable electricity (or electro-plasma for the Trekkies out there). Additionally, the fuel comes in the form of traditional fuel rods... but with a twist. The fuel is progressively expended, turning to completely inert components as it passes through the reactor, much like burning a candle. There is not radioactive waste whatsoever and the remnants can be easily reprocessed into useful materials like DU ammunition (with the added benefit of being totally inert - no more worries of radiation poisening from ammo handling).
The name? Cool Cuke Reactor. The housing, due to it's thermal conversion, is cool to the touch even when running above red-line (the danger there being that you might cook-off the whole damn stack). Therefore, it's cool as the proverbial cucumber. Also, it's a cool nuke, therefore Cuke = Nuke. I know, terrible pun, but it works.
Thoughts?