Reactor Core: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 18:30, 19 June 2024

Reactor cores are specialised containment vessels designed to facilitate controlled fission, and are usually reinforced with strong, heat-resistant materials to contain the associated high pressures and temperatures.

Nuclear propulsion systems utilise the energy created by reactor cores to heat and accelerate propellant, which also acts as a coolant during periods of high thermal load. Radiator panels mounted to the outer hull of a spacecraft help to cool the core when it's not being used, or when it's too hot.

If a reactor becomes too hot, the ship's computer will attempt to bleed off heat by venting it through the RCS thrusters. At higher temperatures, thrusters are more powerful, turbines and magnetoplasmadynamic electrical generators produce more power, and more thermal energy is immediately available for manoeuvring, but thrusters will wear out faster and turbines may experience galling, reducing their long-term effectiveness.

If a reactor reaches its failure temperature and continues to heat up, the core will lose structural integrity and experience an explosive meltdown, destroying the ship it's attached to and releasing radioactive materials into the environment. Some eagle-eyed pilots you encounter are able to detect the residues these materials leave on nearby ringroids, which is often indicative of pirate activity.

Reactor Cores
Name	Manufacturer	Operating Temperature	Failure Point	Thermal Power	Mass	Price
4x SO6 fuel rod	Rusatom-Antonoff	3,500 K	4,500 K	4 GW	2,000 kg	80,000 E$
8x SO6 fuel rod	Rusatom-Antonoff	3,500 K	4,500 K	8 GW	4,000 kg	160,000 E$
12x SO6 fuel rod	Rusatom-Antonoff	3,500 K	4,500 K	12 GW	6,000 kg	240,000 E$
16x SO6 fuel rod	Rusatom-Antonoff	3,500 K	4,500 K	16 GW	8,000 kg	320,000 E$
20x SO6 fuel rod	Rusatom-Antonoff	3,500 K	4,500 K	20 GW	10,000 kg	400,000 E$
Nakamura Dynamics Yama-SSR12	Nakamura Dynamics	3,000 K	4,500 K	30 GW	5,000 kg	750,000 E$
Nakamura Dynamics Yama-SSR16	Nakamura Dynamics	3,000 K	4,500 K	40 GW	5,500 kg	1,000,000 E$
Nakamura Dynamics Yama-SSR16S	Nakamura Dynamics	3,000 K	4,500 K	50 GW	6,000 kg	1,500,000 E$

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 [[Nuclear propulsion|Nuclear propulsion systems]] utilise the energy created by reactor cores to heat and accelerate propellant, which also acts as a coolant during periods of high thermal load. [[Radiator|Radiator panels]] mounted to the outer hull of a spacecraft help to cool the core when it's not being used, or when it's too hot.
-If a reactor becomes too hot, the ship's computer will attempt to bleed off heat by venting it through the RCS thrusters. At higher temperatures, thrusters are more powerful, [[Powerplant|turbines]] and [[Auxiliary Power Unit|magnetoplasmadynamic electrical generators]] produce more power, and more thermal energy is immediately available for manoeuvring, but thrusters will wear out faster and turbines may experience galling, reducing their long-term effectiveness.
+If a reactor becomes too hot, the ship's computer will attempt to bleed off heat by venting it through the [[Reaction Control System|RCS thrusters]]. At higher temperatures, thrusters are more powerful, [[Powerplant|turbines]] and [[Auxiliary Power Unit|magnetoplasmadynamic electrical generators]] produce more power, and more thermal energy is immediately available for manoeuvring, but thrusters will wear out faster and turbines may experience galling, reducing their long-term effectiveness.
 If a reactor reaches its failure temperature and continues to heat up, the core will lose structural integrity and experience an explosive meltdown, destroying the ship it's attached to and releasing radioactive materials into the environment. Some eagle-eyed pilots you encounter are able to detect the residues these materials leave on nearby [[ringroids]], which is often indicative of [[Ganymedean Anarchy|pirate activity]].