Greetings all,
About Jump Jets.
One of the suggested ideas of how and why jump jets work:
~ This is taken from the essay on BattleTech Mech's and how/why they work.
Ref:
http://www.sarna.net...Mech_Technology
Jump jets work by ingesting atmosphere via a system of turbo compressors to be used as reaction mass in reaction chambers.
- The system hits the compressed reaction mass with electron beams powered by the magnetohydrodynamic tap from the fusion engine, which converts the compressed reaction mass into an explosion of plasma.
- This superheated plasma is than channeled through a magnetically sealed venturi baffle, resulting in a controlled and concentrated flow out of the jump jet exhaust port.
- BattleMech jump jets don't add plasma vented from the fusion engine - only aerofighters do this. Because jump jets work with plasma, their reaction chambers closely resemble fusion reactors; down to the magnetic containment fields.
- Jump jets can only be run for so long due to a couple of reasons; the first being that they can not survive their operating temperatures for an extended amount of time, and the second is that they normally ingest oxygen rich atmosphere for reaction mass - the super heated oxygen would destroy the assembly if it were continuously used.
- BattleMechs normally carry a small supply of reaction mass - usually hydrogen, water, or mercury - in order to operate where there is no atmosphere.
( The reference to the use of Mercury, probably because the propellant molecule or atom is easy to ionize, has a high mass/ionization energy ratio. But this is still toxic and expensive, tended to contaminate the vehicle with the metal and was difficult to feed accurately. )
- Why underwater jump jets will not work. Firing a jump jet filled with incompressible water generates enough pressure to rupture even the toughened jump jet casings. Jump jets can not use stored reaction mass under water either - the jets will not work with water plugging their nozzles.
One of the 'backstories' as how this process is listed as working.
9erRed
Edited by 9erRed, 02 September 2014 - 05:16 PM.