Fission engines in the periphery

[kaliban]

I just found that a world named Valasha in the Outworlds Alliance produces fission engines for civilian use and I wonder what could be military uses for them by 3025 after all the destruction made during Reunification and Succession Wars.

Is there any source of data for the rating of these civilian fission reactors or can I assume it is the same ratings used for Battlemechs???

Is there any other periphery state producing combat units with fission engines?

[glitterboy2098]

summary of the technical info is here:

https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Fission_Engine

they're heavier than fusion but cheaper.

[Giovanni Blasini]

I mention it here, when you asked about in the Inner Sphere, but the Gulon MiningMech and SecurityMech are actually produced in the Outworlds Alliance.

[kaliban]

I mention it here, when you asked about in the Inner Sphere, but the Gulon MiningMech and SecurityMech are actually produced in the Outworlds Alliance.

Interesting, never heard of it. Actually in sarna there is only one mentioning to it in Technical Readout: Irregulars that is is Dark Ages Tech Readout

[Giovanni Blasini]

Interesting, never heard of it. Actually in sarna there is only one mentioning to it in Technical Readout: Irregulars that is is Dark Ages Tech Readout

That's when the internal fiction is set, but the designs aren't exclusive to ones that originated in the Dark Age, with some of the designs dating to the Star League era.

[kaliban]

That's when the internal fiction is set, but the designs aren't exclusive to ones that originated in the Dark Age, with some of the designs dating to the Star League era.

one downside of this Technical Readout is that it does not have the introduction year in the units.

I was considering the fission engines to combat vehicles but IndustrialMechs are an option also

[glitterboy2098]

one downside of this Technical Readout is that it does not have the introduction year in the units.

those are usually the MUL's job, in this case 3020 and 3026 respectively.
http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/7844/gulon-gln-1a-miningmech
http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/7845/gulon-gln-1b-securitymech
and 3113 for the "C" refit
http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/7846/gulon-c-solahmamech

[Warship]

It may be off topic, but using a fission-based engine seems quite dangerous.  Let alone the upkeep, any type of damage could result in the irradiating of the crew and those nearby.  In addition, said upkeep would be more costly than combustion  or secondhand fusion engines.

[Liam's Ghost]

It's a hilariously bad choice to defend a settlement from weapons that could potentially rupture the containment vessel and turn that entire settlement into a superfund site, but hey, sometimes you fight with the weapons you have rather than the weapons you want. 

[CVB]

And sometimes the enemy attacks your settlement with weapons you'd rather not want them to have

[kaliban]

It may be off topic, but using a fission-based engine seems quite dangerous.  Let alone the upkeep, any type of damage could result in the irradiating of the crew and those nearby.  In addition, said upkeep would be more costly than combustion  or secondhand fusion engines.

No, it is not (or at least is part of my doubt). For working mechs (specially mining mechs), a fission engine seems to be a good choice in hostile environments where ICEs do no operate (like thin or no atmosphere). They also have much better autonomy than fuel cells.

 

[kaliban]

I mention it here, when you asked about in the Inner Sphere, but the Gulon MiningMech and SecurityMech are actually produced in the Outworlds Alliance.

One more retro-addition to the 3025 lore like the Merlin. It makes total sense as Valasha produces fission engines and demand mining mechs. The mechs can be produced in Sevon with Fission engines shipped from Valasha.

I just don't understand why the Gulon does not have Environmental Sealing to operate in hostile environments (many worlds in OA have unwelcome atmospheres but are rich in valuable minerals or even have moons that can explored)

[NomadicChronicler]

one downside of this Technical Readout is that it does not have the introduction year in the units.

I was considering the fission engines to combat vehicles but IndustrialMechs are an option also

I'm not a fan of fission engines for mobile units. The downsides (in case of an engine breech) are quite severe.
That said, they make great strategic/logistical tools; throw one on the back of a hauler along with a distillation setup (followed by a few water buffaloes) and they will happily churn out (re-)filled fuel cells wherever you need it.

[NomadicChronicler]

One more retro-addition to the 3025 lore like the Merlin. It makes total sense as Valasha produces fission engines and demand mining mechs. The mechs can be produced in Sevon with Fission engines shipped from Valasha.

I just don't understand why the Gulon does not have Environmental Sealing to operate in hostile environments (many worlds in OA have unwelcome atmospheres but are rich in valuable minerals or even have moons that can explored)

The issues regarding industrial mech design rules are unfortunately quite few. We really need another spec type that is halfway between regular industrial/civilian and all out military that represents Explorer (I'm looking at you Marco), SAR and Hostile Enviro. models.

[MDFification]

It may be off topic, but using a fission-based engine seems quite dangerous.  Let alone the upkeep, any type of damage could result in the irradiating of the crew and those nearby.  In addition, said upkeep would be more costly than combustion  or secondhand fusion engines.

It's a tactic. "Don't shoot at my mech, or it'll render this entire city radioactive for the next hundred years." /s

[cray]

Like most real fission reactors, BT's fission engines don't explode when they misbehave, and they lack the flammable moderators that scattered Chernobyl's radioactive material so far and wide. An AC/20 is going to drop their chunks of fuel in a few small places, not over square kilometers. Hence the game effects are primarily to the pilot/crew:

p. 126 Total Warfare:

The first critical hit to a fission engine causes the pilot
to suffer one hit every six turns (beginning six turns after the turn
in which the original damage was caused). A second engine hit
decreases this damage interval to one pilot hit every three turns.

However, if you want to play up fears of fission engines then it's worth noting that the Western Alliance introduced primitive fusion engines (Tech C) in 2020. There's only a brief window where fission engines are viable before an industrialized planet could build some sort of fusion engine.

[Starfury]

Also, fission power has advanced a long way since the 1970s in both safety, power availability, and reactor size. The biggest issue with its use has always been more political then safety related.  BT has the advantage of having cheap space lift options and far more advanced materials to store waste fuel then we do now, as well as power controls and storage materials. So fission power in any power's hands is viable, but fusion simply gives you more bang for your buck on weight, power, and reaction mass.  I

I can easily see any world with access to large amounts of fissile materials moving that way until they invent and perfect fusion power, and maintaining their fission powered units as second line equipment.  A TRO of fissile powered vehicles and mechs would be a fin side project.

[glitterboy2098]

Especially if the world is high in fissionables but low on water, as many BT worlds used to be fluffed as. If your water treatment plants for human consumption have to compete with hydrogen production, fission based power becomes very attractive.

[RifleMech]

Fission Engines come with 5 free heat sinks and mechs with them can still jump. That gives them a bit of an advantage compared to mechs with IC and FC engines.

[AJC46]

Fission Engines come with 5 free heat sinks and mechs with them can still jump. That gives them a bit of an advantage compared to mechs with IC and FC engines.

they also can power most "high energy" weapons (ie lasers and gauss weapons) and gear without needing power amplifiers that are required on ICE and FC using units using such weapons.

[RifleMech]

they also can power most "high energy" weapons (ie lasers and gauss weapons) and gear without needing power amplifiers that are required on ICE and FC using units using such weapons.

Yep  They may start off being heavier, (minimum of 5 tons) but add in heat sinks and power amplifiers and Fission ends up being lighter over all.