NationStates Jolt Archive


I nuke you all

Unified Sith
16-05-2004, 22:23
OOC the tiltle is just to get u to read this. but tell me what you relly think

In the conflict with FWS the Sith military faced a dire problem, how to cross rivers quickly if the bridges have been blown. The top minds in the nation were put to work and eventualy under the orders of Comrade Sidious the mole was developed.

The nuclear subterrene (rhymes with submarine) Codenamed the MOLE


Nuclear subterrenes work by melting their way through the rock and soil, actually vitrifying it as they go, and leaving a neat, solidly glass-lined tunnel behind them.

The heat is supplied by a compact nuclear reactor that circulates liquid lithium from the reactor core to the tunnel face, where it melts the rock. In the process of melting the rock the lithium loses some of its heat. It is then circulated back along the exterior of the tunneling machine to help cool the vitrified rock as the tunneling machine forces its way forward. The cooled lithium then circulates back to the reactor where the whole cycle starts over. In this way the nuclear subterrene slices through the rock like a nuclear powered, 2,000 degree Fahrenheit (Celcius? - SW) earthworm, boring its way deep underground.

The nuclear subterrene has an advantage over mechanical TBMs in that it produces no muck that must be disposed of by conveyors, trains, trucks, etc. This greatly simplifies tunneling. The nuclear subterrenes, their presence, and the tunnels they make, could be very hard to detect, for the simple reason that there would not be the tell-tale muck piles or tailings dumps that are associated with the conventional tunneling activities.

D)ebris may be disposed of as melted rock both as a lining for the hole and as a dispersal in cracks produced in the surrounding rock. The rock-melting drill is of a shape and is propelled under sufficient pressure to produce and extend cracks in solid rock radially around the bore by means of hydrostatic pressure developed in the molten rock ahead of the advancing rock drill penetrator. All melt not used in glass-lining the bore is forced into the cracks where it freezes and remains

Such a (vitreous) lining eliminates, in most cases, the expensive and cumbersome problem of debris elimination and at the same time achieves the advantage of a casing type of bore hole liner

This is a tunneling machine that creates no muck, and leaves a smooth, vitreous (glassy) tunnel lining behind.

The mole is indeed a tunneling machine for producing large tunnels in soft rock or wet, clayey, unconsolidated or bouldery earth by simultaneously detaching the tunnel core by thermal melting a boundary kerf into the tunnel face and forming a supporting excavation wall liner by deflecting the molten materials against the excavation walls to provide, when solidified, a continuous wall supporting liner, and detaching the tunnel face circumscribed by the kerf with powered mechanical earth detachment means and in which the heat required for melting the kerf and liner material is provided by a compact nuclear reactor.

the machine is further intended to excavate tunnels up to 12 meters in diameter or more. This means tunnels of 40 ft. or more in diameter. The kerf is the outside boundary of the tunnel wall that a boring machine gouges out as it bores through the ground or rock. So, in ordinary English, this machine will melt a circular boundary into the tunnel face. The melted rock will be forced to the outside of the tunnel by the tunnel machine, where it will form a hard, glassy tunnel lining. At the same time, mechanical tunnel boring equipment will grind up the rock and soil detached by the melted kerf and pass it to the rear of the machine for disposal by conveyor, slurry pipeline, etc.

http://www.brainstrain.subterrene.iwarp.com/tunnel%20boring%20machine.jpg
The Burnsian Desert
16-05-2004, 22:25
How much?
Unified Sith
16-05-2004, 22:29
OOC: This is just a prototype however iam still deliberating on wether or not i want to sell. Production rights is out of the question however, the sale of individual units should be possible.

*thinks of a price*
Super American VX Man
16-05-2004, 22:30
OOC: 2,000 F is pretty cold...
Jordaxia
16-05-2004, 22:34
This gets the Jordaxian award for big underground drilling machines 2004!
Perhaps we can lease a few when we tunnel defensive systems into the islands of Jordaxia? I'm thinking SAMs on rails, moving around undeground, all condensing where the aircraft are attacking, then all popping up to destroy them, before disappearing back underground.
Gosselania
16-05-2004, 22:39
The Gosselanian National Railroad would love one of these for updating the rail lines in the Northern Mountains.

We would like to negotiate either purchasing a single machine or the licence to produce, whichever is cheaper.
The Burnsian Desert
16-05-2004, 22:43
Why not? I would like to rent four for the Queen's bunker expansion project. I need them for 10 years.
16-05-2004, 22:43
This can defeat oil fires... I don't like it...

But it is a good idea...
Unified Sith
16-05-2004, 22:56
bump up ya go.

more information on the availability of the mole will be given when i recieve alot more comments.
Duuk-Staarith
16-05-2004, 22:59
bump up ya go.

more information on the availability of the mole will be given when i recieve alot more comments.come on make it available i could use one
Imperial Brits
17-05-2004, 01:43
bump. come on i want feedback people.
Unified Sith
17-05-2004, 02:28
bump
imported_Illior
17-05-2004, 02:37
1 Q, how is the thing propelled? if it's boring a hole it needs to move foreward to actually hit something to melt?
Jordaxia
17-05-2004, 02:41
I can answer this one. I know him, he told me how it works. You put it on rails, and the rails end at the face of the tunnel you want to dig. Afterwards, the angling of the blades on the front just pulls it along.
Unified Sith
17-05-2004, 11:48
bump.
Transnapastain
17-05-2004, 11:57
thats a neat little idea there, bravo!

Sorry you didnt get a lot of feedback, next time, title the thread

"Omgz i nook jooo allz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111"

you'll get more reads :)
Unified Sith
17-05-2004, 14:38
bump
Jordaxia
17-05-2004, 14:40
lol. It will get you as much negative press because of it though.
Jeruselem
17-05-2004, 14:47
Neat! Good for making tunnels too!

We might need it to form a new inland sea :)
Cousin Eddie
17-05-2004, 14:47
Huh. Could have sworn that there used to be something like that on a children's program called Thunderbirds...
Nova Hope
17-05-2004, 14:53
We are wondering about some of the negative effects. Ex. how well is the reactor sheilded, is this Drill going to radiate the tunnel?

We are also cuirous about it's performance capabilities in Top Soil and Peat.
Cousin Eddie
17-05-2004, 14:58
ON a more serious note, I would raise issues on the science behind it perhaps. But I do not know if that is the kind of response you were looking for.
Jeruselem
17-05-2004, 15:07
Huh. Could have sworn that there used to be something like that on a children's program called Thunderbirds...

OOC

THE MOLE

http://www.thunderbirdsonline.com/site/craftprofiles/images/moleshot1.jpg

International Rescue requires many additional machines and vehicles to help in specialised danger zone situations. Of these, the Mole - an incredible drilling machine - is one of the most spectacular. Weighing 30 tons, it is powered by engines that are supplied by fuel from an on-board nuclear reactor. The Mole is ferried to the danger zone aboard one of the Thunderbird 2 pods and then carried by its own tracked vehicle to the drilling site. Once at the location, the Mole is tilted for vertical drilling with its C30/1 drill bit, which can cut through any known metal or rock. Usually driven by either Virgil or Scott, the Mole also has room aboard for disaster victims. Caterpillar tracks on its side propel the Mole down its own bore hole. This allows the vehicle to return to the surface in reverse once the rescue operation has been completed.
Unified Sith
17-05-2004, 16:45
1) The mole will not irradiate the tunnel, it utilizes the tremendous heat created by a nuclear reactor to melt the rock.

2) It is fully capable to deal with any material.
Durtistan
17-05-2004, 16:53
OOC:

Trust Unified Sith to come up with a Nuclear drilling machine when the average briding unit would have done. Using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut, if you ask me.

The science is hokey - watched 'The Core' recently US? - but what the heck! It's fun.

How are you cooling the interior of the machine, US? How are you operating it without cooking components and/or people? I assume that since it's the lithium that's doing the cutting you've got a method of cooling the rock down before it collapses in a gooey heap behind the subterrene and seals it in place?

You know, folks, it's only a short time before he impliments an Earthquake Making Machine...

:lol:

But WTF. I think the design is cool, and a good idea.
Nova Hope
17-05-2004, 18:09
1) The mole will not irradiate the tunnel, it utilizes the tremendous heat created by a nuclear reactor to melt the rock.

2) It is fully capable to deal with any material.

#2 no doubt. I simply meant that if this thing's forward locomotion is based on being bulled by the blades how is going to go forward when the stuff it grabs on to for traction lets go. The only reason I'm asking is because if this is an accepted technology I'd love to buy it of you. I have some mountains and a odd neighbour. This thing could allow me to cost effectively build sub teranian supply lines. But I'll ask for it IC later.
Vynken
17-05-2004, 18:10
Am I the only one worried about excessive use of these subterrenes creating massive sinkholes and swallowing up cities and stuff? It's a cool idea, granted, but unless I'm missing something, this thing leaves big gaping tunnels behind. Now that said, it's a pretty good idea if you use it simply in warfare rather than for everyday use.

Picture this: Your nation is invaded by a neighbor. They swarm over your borders and capture their objective in a matter of hours, digging in to make retaking it almost impossible. You, using one of these subterrenes, bore a tunnel from your territory to a hundred miles behind the lines and promptly drive an entire Army Group through into their rear area. The havoc you could cause would be incredible. Of course, you could send about twelve of these after their capital city, undermine the foundations, and cause it to sink into the Earth.
Unified Sith
17-05-2004, 21:32
thats the plan. however production rights will not be given. these will be rented and i will sell them exclusively to allies or to those who are willing to pay top dollar.
Bob-Bob
14-12-2004, 19:31
bump
Emporer Pudu
14-12-2004, 21:10
wow, the title realy did get me to want to read it...The only thing that threw me off was the author of the threads name, i knew Unified Sith wasent that n00bish. Anywho, whats all this about Moles?
Bob-Bob
08-05-2005, 02:11
Bump to celebrate an uncelebrated weapon!
MassPwnage
08-05-2005, 02:13
Sounds like Tiberian Sun.
Kormanthor
23-09-2006, 18:17
It would work in the crust of a planet but the mantle and cores would be a differant story.