Description
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.
Manufactured Reactor Types
Currently, two different manufacturers produce reactor cores.
Rusatom-Antonoff produce a series of liquid thorium SO6 "sunshard" reactor rods, held within a solid shell. These cores yield a high operating temp. of 3,500 Kelvin, and fail at 4,500 Kelvin.
| Name | Thermal Power | Mass | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4x SO6 fuel rod | 4 GW | 2,000 kg | 80,000 E$ |
| 8x SO6 fuel rod | 8 GW | 4,000 kg | 160,000 E$ |
| 12x SO6 fuel rod | 12 GW | 6,000 kg | 240,000 E$ |
| 16x SO6 fuel rod | 16 GW | 8,000 kg | 320,000 E$ |
| 20x SO6 fuel rod | 20 GW | 10,000 kg | 400,000 E$ |
Nakamura Dynamics produce a line of Yama cores utilise rapidly spinning drums of uranium, where the propellant is made into direct contact with the fission material. Contamination is prevented with the use of proper safety measures. This produces significantly more thermal power than the competition, while remaining lighter as well, at a significantly higher manufacturing cost. These cores have a lower operating temp. than the SO6 cores, of only 3,000 Kelvin, but still fail at 4,500 Kelvin.
| Name | Thermal Power | Mass | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura Dynamics Yama-SSR12 | 30 GW | 5,000 kg | 750,000 E$ |
| Nakamura Dynamics Yama-SSR16 | 40 GW | 5,500 kg | 1,000,000 E$ |
| Nakamura Dynamics Yama-SSR16S | 50 GW | 6,000 kg | 1,500,000 E$ |
Full Comparison List
| 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$ |