From: [email removed]
> I think that we are basically in agreement with Adrian Hurt when we propose
> that the numerator of the agility equation contains the power needed by
> the maneuver drive to funtion plus "extra" power if there is any.
> (maybe I'm not reading him right but I think that is what we are both saying)
And this "extra power" is defined as "power plant output minus power used by
all systems, including manoeuvre drive". Let's try converting it to algebra:
Pm + Pe
Agility = ------- * 10
M
where Pm is power used by manouevre drive, Pe is "excess power", M is mass of
ship.
Your definition of excess power is:
Pe = Pp - Pm - Ps - Pw - Penv - Pc
where Pp is output of power plant, Ps is power used by various low-power
systems (comms, sensors etc.), Pw is power used by weapons, Penv is power
used by environmental controls, and Pc is power used by computers. So,
Pm + Pp - Pm - Ps - Pw - Penv - Pc
Agility = ---------------------------------- * 10
M
Note that Pm can now be eliminated:
Pp - Ps - Pw - Penv - Pc
Agility = ------------------------ * 10
M
And that top line is what I call "power available to the manoeuvre drive".
Pm, the power rating of the manoeuvre drive, doesn't come into the equation,
except for being an upper limit on the numerator - the manoeuvre drive can't
use more power than its maximum rating, and that's how you prevent agility
from exceeding manoeuvre rating.
[email removed] (Dominic Duvall) writes:
> Mr. Scott wrote:
> :The Starship Operators manual says these things are used at speeds
> :approaching 1 million RPM. Ok, lets assume a gyro 1 meter in radius, and
> :say 1000 kilograms. (sound reasonable?)
>
> Well, your analysis shows that such an assumption isn't reasonable. Why
> not assume that the gyro is smaller and less massive?
In which case it's spinning faster, and still dangerous. I have a vague
memory of a S.F. short story in which a ship used gyros for turning, and
was therefore very slow on the turn. There was a comment to the effect that
there were two ways of turning the ship; thrusters, which were difficult to
balance and to do precise manoeuvres, and gyros, which gave the ship all the
agility of a bogged hippopotamus. (It's the "bogged hippopotamus" bit I
remember most accurately. :-)
- - --
"Keyboard? How quaint!" - M. Scott
Adrian Hurt | JANET: [email removed]
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