Truitt
15-10-2005, 02:11
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Truitt/Hammer_M2_Ursa_Hovertank.jpg
Powerplant and Propulsion
Because nuclear technology would be the easiest way of doing this (four extremely small turbofans) I was thinking of pebblebeds, but that is too PMT, dispite smaller ones being built monthly.
Since I also don't want a running hydrogen bomb (ala a Hydrogen Fuel cell) I have come up with an unpractical idea to power these four turbofans.
Gel-based stimulants and propellants in jet technology has gone even further with the first RAMjet-powered missile being tested some years ago. Since then, NSers have designed missiles with gel-based propulsions, instead of solid or liquid, and some estute (as myself) have used gel-based propellants in jet fueling, as it is easier to use and it will not ignite with a single spark.
Now, a normal pistol engine would not do the trick, and direct feeding of the gel propulsor would mean a more unstable speed due to the smallness of the turbofans and of the armor, which cannot go too fast. The solution: A Quasiturbine Engine.
The basic principle of the Quasiturbine is a rectangle-like object that turns counter-clockwise. The fuel is injected into an injection section of the turbine which moves it into a slimmer compression section. Combustion is inserted on the hot gel which already is reactive like a liquid at this compressed state, which a spark is given to combust. The combustion moves the turbine even more and the exhust is in the fourth section.
Basic diagrahm (http://quasiturbine.promci.qc.ca/QTVideos/Qtv2-SCAnim2.gif)
Fuel Injection Cycle (http://quasiturbine.promci.qc.ca/QTImages/Qt-Flash-Final.gif)
Because of gel being so reactive in this state, it is economical because of lack of need of a lot at once, unlike piston engines. It is also enviromental since gel-based stimulants usually dispearce as a basic element or compound, and in some cases of a hydrogen-helium gel stimulant, the by-product is water (as in hydrogen fuel cells but in more amounts).
The propulsion is to be done by two turbofans. The two are mounted behind the turret which are angled around the design. The engines control speed and give out 12,300 pounds of thrust. The speed can be cancelled by two side-fans (basic conventional fans) which retract outwards on a spring system that a battery turns them. The fans turn at 4,560 spins per minute, slowing from a speed of 50mph to 0mph in a half a minute's time.
The two other turbofans are smaller and located right on the sides of the rear of the tank. They produce some 8,670 pounds of thrust each and are used to turn the front of the tank slowly and can be used in acceleration. Because of their two-spooled design, they can also accelerate in reverse to further slow the tank.
Once the tank's heading had been changed, the directional changers can be used in thrust on that specific direction with the fixed turbofans still running, causing a small turn. High manuverability is limited, but possible in lighter variants (lighter armored variants to be developed).
Floatation Skirt
The floation skirt is designned of a nylon-rubber laytex compound that can withstand up to .50 caliber gun fire for a short duration of time. There are four skirts each, with an emergency mid-skirt which can be inflated incase of a direct hit from an enemy tank or what not. This skirt however is thin and even subjectible to infantry fire (some 6mm rounds).
These four skirts are designned so if one is blown, the entire craft can still operate. The entire craft can operate with one main skirt, as the emergency one would activate after a second skirt has been blown.
As in the fact of an anti-tank round, mine, or missiles it is more than likely all skirts will be blown. The emergency skirt can withstand the stresses of the entire craft for a few minutes. It can be used to escape or to avoid sure death, but can only go up to 30mph for two minutes.
Armor
The armor is made up of an Reactive Anti-Kinetic Armor (RAKA) and a lower honeycomb layer of vandium-lithium with two additive electrons onto the vandium atom for additive ionization of the two elements into a strong and durable light metal called Vanthium.
It can withstand hits from a 40mm rounds or smaller. However, anything larger than 40mm and it just might be finished. However, this will be fighting in the weak tundra, where anything more than 45 tons will sink, and anything with a gun bigger than 40mm is sure to be stuck.
Primary Gun
It was found that the weight of the turbofans was too great to carry a typical 80mm smoothbore, which was the original design idea. The caliber was downsized to 62mm and was given a line of new munitions to fit.
One munition is a dead-hit (meanning non-guided) round of percision. Because of this round, the tank must not be moving. It uses TNT, tungsten, and magnesium as a reaction to force a tungsten rod in the armor. It can penitrate quite a bit, being far more perising than a Leopard II's own gun, but lacks any explosive capabilities. An other munition was made an other dead-hit round, but this one slightly different. It fires from the tank and at a pre-determined time (more than likely 4 seconds of flight defaultly) will seperate. The round is tipped with a HEAT charge, a 23lb force. Mostly used against bunkers and tightly-held armored and vehicle units.
An other munition is guided, to be used while firing. It fires and is a blast-fragment, designned to explode to destroy treads by knocking them off or by destroying a few wheels. The charge is a small 2lb TNT stick which appon hitting an object (the target, ground, or what not) blows to a massive force of the fuel that remains, which is a liquid-based fuel. The explosions causes the pieces of the munition to act like a warhead itself. It is guided by either a laser, IR, or LIDAR guidance system with a radio connect to the tank's computer.
The tank itself is designed to hold five of either round, of any combonation. More than likely the tank will not be alone, so amounts of rounds is not an option.
On more details to the gun, it has a thermal sleeve and an exhust redirector to the front of the turbofans, which in turn are sucked in.
A clip feed is set up with two clips located running around the side of the turret. One side can be configured which ever way, the other to the other. This can be decided on which clip to choose once firing.
Other Guns
The Snowblind is to be used against tanks, yes, but the need for lighter munitions may come. So, a .50 caliber gun has been mounted behind the turret (attached to it, actually) and can be swivled around the turret to the sides at 90 degree angles.
A more unconventional take is the newer rocket system which launches up to 10 small rockets with a flast-fragmented tip each. They are designned to be fired at a group of infantry, buildings, tanks, or what not. Or when guided rounds are not available and when you just can't stop; point and unleash the horde.
Also loaded is a grenade launcher, some 72mm sized, which is capable of firing a reinforced reared grenade up to 1,245 yards at 670 rounds per minute on a 32 round turret-stored feed. It is located right above the turret where a conventional machine gun would usually be placed.
Other
The crew work in an intense area. Although three can operate the machine (Driver, Cordenater, Gunner) it is suggested that a fourth be added for in-mission maintance, control, and so on.
Due to four turbofans, and with exhausts of the gun fire and macine heat is expelled infront of the intakes, the heat signature is massive. In the climates where the Jewittist Republic lays IR is the only liable way of sensors, due to a massive difference between outside air of -10 degrees F to an engine's exhaust of 103 F. There must be a way to stop incomming IR rounds, and the solution is the rockets. The rockets produce a massive amount of heat, heat which if firing hastingly at the enemy could confuse an enemy round into thinking its target is comming straight at it.
An additive IR-evading characteristric is that simular to newer air craft. The turbofans' exhust is shaped not like a sphere, but like a triangle. Its 90-degree angles allows for the heat to split into three waves instead of a single massive one, which in turn mix with the outside fridget air and could be some 80 degrees F just a meter from the exhust (from the original 120 degrees F). This could aid in avoidance if flares or rockets were fired.
As to the problem of radar, it is totally useless due to the speed at which it is going. An anti-aircraft round or something capable of engaging a manuvering aircraft would be needed, and as for LIDAR and Satellite, good luck.
For a further explaination of the floatation skirt, it is designned to distribute the weight evenly throughout the entire mass, instead of on two long planks (like tanks normally do with treads). Although the weight of treads and controls of the treads is replaced by the weight of the turbofans and skirt equipment, there is actually a better efficancy.
Seeing some need of countermeasures, dispite them being in such low amounts to have no effect, is a single chaft trail of flares which fire flares above the turret forward of the tank, to allow incomming missiles (mostly from aircraft) to belive that the tank is still moving, but as a flare, and not the actual tank. Because the flare stores are only enough for a single shot and the weight is massive, they will usually be used in unison with other tanks. Also, each flare has a small reactive lithium-nitrogen charge which, when mixed, causes the flare to disperce. Although the explosion will barely even harm a human, the light materials in the active flare will be heavily influenced into a massive cloud.
Due to further confusion, these flares are in fact red during launch, but when the lithium-nitrogen charge activates (usually within 4 secounds; enough time for the tank to be long-gone) the flares change to a cyan-lime green color that makes quite a show for pilots and troops.
Further
A skirt itself produces, for say, ten pounds of support (per skirt). There are four skirts, so fourty pounds of support. The armor, crew, and mechanisms to hold up a treaded system would be thirty four pounds, but since a skirt mechanism is a lot less and the armor is far less than that of a typical MBT, the total pressure on the four skirts is twenty pounds, half. Now, due to distributional changes of the four seperately, it is really about eighteen pounds stress.
With those out of the way, there are the guns, missiles, rockets, and turbofans. Each turbofan is small, two pounds each. With 8 pounds total, or seven with distribution in count, that is 26 pounds stress on the skirt. It still has enough room for some 14 pounds, which the guns, missiles, and rockets all are together 12 pounds (after distribution). This allows an extra 2 pounds for support.
NOTE: This was an example, the numbers are much larger, but downsized for simplicity.
Specifications
Length: 7.9m
Width: 4.1m
Height: 2.9m
Weight: 61t
Speed: 98km/h (Ideal Conditions)
Turning Length For 90 Degrees: 3.1km (w/o Engine Assistance)
Turning Length For 90 Degrees: 560m (w/ Engine Assistance)
Range: 340km (But If Done With Engine Then Gliding Some 810km)
Powerplant and Propulsion
Because nuclear technology would be the easiest way of doing this (four extremely small turbofans) I was thinking of pebblebeds, but that is too PMT, dispite smaller ones being built monthly.
Since I also don't want a running hydrogen bomb (ala a Hydrogen Fuel cell) I have come up with an unpractical idea to power these four turbofans.
Gel-based stimulants and propellants in jet technology has gone even further with the first RAMjet-powered missile being tested some years ago. Since then, NSers have designed missiles with gel-based propulsions, instead of solid or liquid, and some estute (as myself) have used gel-based propellants in jet fueling, as it is easier to use and it will not ignite with a single spark.
Now, a normal pistol engine would not do the trick, and direct feeding of the gel propulsor would mean a more unstable speed due to the smallness of the turbofans and of the armor, which cannot go too fast. The solution: A Quasiturbine Engine.
The basic principle of the Quasiturbine is a rectangle-like object that turns counter-clockwise. The fuel is injected into an injection section of the turbine which moves it into a slimmer compression section. Combustion is inserted on the hot gel which already is reactive like a liquid at this compressed state, which a spark is given to combust. The combustion moves the turbine even more and the exhust is in the fourth section.
Basic diagrahm (http://quasiturbine.promci.qc.ca/QTVideos/Qtv2-SCAnim2.gif)
Fuel Injection Cycle (http://quasiturbine.promci.qc.ca/QTImages/Qt-Flash-Final.gif)
Because of gel being so reactive in this state, it is economical because of lack of need of a lot at once, unlike piston engines. It is also enviromental since gel-based stimulants usually dispearce as a basic element or compound, and in some cases of a hydrogen-helium gel stimulant, the by-product is water (as in hydrogen fuel cells but in more amounts).
The propulsion is to be done by two turbofans. The two are mounted behind the turret which are angled around the design. The engines control speed and give out 12,300 pounds of thrust. The speed can be cancelled by two side-fans (basic conventional fans) which retract outwards on a spring system that a battery turns them. The fans turn at 4,560 spins per minute, slowing from a speed of 50mph to 0mph in a half a minute's time.
The two other turbofans are smaller and located right on the sides of the rear of the tank. They produce some 8,670 pounds of thrust each and are used to turn the front of the tank slowly and can be used in acceleration. Because of their two-spooled design, they can also accelerate in reverse to further slow the tank.
Once the tank's heading had been changed, the directional changers can be used in thrust on that specific direction with the fixed turbofans still running, causing a small turn. High manuverability is limited, but possible in lighter variants (lighter armored variants to be developed).
Floatation Skirt
The floation skirt is designned of a nylon-rubber laytex compound that can withstand up to .50 caliber gun fire for a short duration of time. There are four skirts each, with an emergency mid-skirt which can be inflated incase of a direct hit from an enemy tank or what not. This skirt however is thin and even subjectible to infantry fire (some 6mm rounds).
These four skirts are designned so if one is blown, the entire craft can still operate. The entire craft can operate with one main skirt, as the emergency one would activate after a second skirt has been blown.
As in the fact of an anti-tank round, mine, or missiles it is more than likely all skirts will be blown. The emergency skirt can withstand the stresses of the entire craft for a few minutes. It can be used to escape or to avoid sure death, but can only go up to 30mph for two minutes.
Armor
The armor is made up of an Reactive Anti-Kinetic Armor (RAKA) and a lower honeycomb layer of vandium-lithium with two additive electrons onto the vandium atom for additive ionization of the two elements into a strong and durable light metal called Vanthium.
It can withstand hits from a 40mm rounds or smaller. However, anything larger than 40mm and it just might be finished. However, this will be fighting in the weak tundra, where anything more than 45 tons will sink, and anything with a gun bigger than 40mm is sure to be stuck.
Primary Gun
It was found that the weight of the turbofans was too great to carry a typical 80mm smoothbore, which was the original design idea. The caliber was downsized to 62mm and was given a line of new munitions to fit.
One munition is a dead-hit (meanning non-guided) round of percision. Because of this round, the tank must not be moving. It uses TNT, tungsten, and magnesium as a reaction to force a tungsten rod in the armor. It can penitrate quite a bit, being far more perising than a Leopard II's own gun, but lacks any explosive capabilities. An other munition was made an other dead-hit round, but this one slightly different. It fires from the tank and at a pre-determined time (more than likely 4 seconds of flight defaultly) will seperate. The round is tipped with a HEAT charge, a 23lb force. Mostly used against bunkers and tightly-held armored and vehicle units.
An other munition is guided, to be used while firing. It fires and is a blast-fragment, designned to explode to destroy treads by knocking them off or by destroying a few wheels. The charge is a small 2lb TNT stick which appon hitting an object (the target, ground, or what not) blows to a massive force of the fuel that remains, which is a liquid-based fuel. The explosions causes the pieces of the munition to act like a warhead itself. It is guided by either a laser, IR, or LIDAR guidance system with a radio connect to the tank's computer.
The tank itself is designed to hold five of either round, of any combonation. More than likely the tank will not be alone, so amounts of rounds is not an option.
On more details to the gun, it has a thermal sleeve and an exhust redirector to the front of the turbofans, which in turn are sucked in.
A clip feed is set up with two clips located running around the side of the turret. One side can be configured which ever way, the other to the other. This can be decided on which clip to choose once firing.
Other Guns
The Snowblind is to be used against tanks, yes, but the need for lighter munitions may come. So, a .50 caliber gun has been mounted behind the turret (attached to it, actually) and can be swivled around the turret to the sides at 90 degree angles.
A more unconventional take is the newer rocket system which launches up to 10 small rockets with a flast-fragmented tip each. They are designned to be fired at a group of infantry, buildings, tanks, or what not. Or when guided rounds are not available and when you just can't stop; point and unleash the horde.
Also loaded is a grenade launcher, some 72mm sized, which is capable of firing a reinforced reared grenade up to 1,245 yards at 670 rounds per minute on a 32 round turret-stored feed. It is located right above the turret where a conventional machine gun would usually be placed.
Other
The crew work in an intense area. Although three can operate the machine (Driver, Cordenater, Gunner) it is suggested that a fourth be added for in-mission maintance, control, and so on.
Due to four turbofans, and with exhausts of the gun fire and macine heat is expelled infront of the intakes, the heat signature is massive. In the climates where the Jewittist Republic lays IR is the only liable way of sensors, due to a massive difference between outside air of -10 degrees F to an engine's exhaust of 103 F. There must be a way to stop incomming IR rounds, and the solution is the rockets. The rockets produce a massive amount of heat, heat which if firing hastingly at the enemy could confuse an enemy round into thinking its target is comming straight at it.
An additive IR-evading characteristric is that simular to newer air craft. The turbofans' exhust is shaped not like a sphere, but like a triangle. Its 90-degree angles allows for the heat to split into three waves instead of a single massive one, which in turn mix with the outside fridget air and could be some 80 degrees F just a meter from the exhust (from the original 120 degrees F). This could aid in avoidance if flares or rockets were fired.
As to the problem of radar, it is totally useless due to the speed at which it is going. An anti-aircraft round or something capable of engaging a manuvering aircraft would be needed, and as for LIDAR and Satellite, good luck.
For a further explaination of the floatation skirt, it is designned to distribute the weight evenly throughout the entire mass, instead of on two long planks (like tanks normally do with treads). Although the weight of treads and controls of the treads is replaced by the weight of the turbofans and skirt equipment, there is actually a better efficancy.
Seeing some need of countermeasures, dispite them being in such low amounts to have no effect, is a single chaft trail of flares which fire flares above the turret forward of the tank, to allow incomming missiles (mostly from aircraft) to belive that the tank is still moving, but as a flare, and not the actual tank. Because the flare stores are only enough for a single shot and the weight is massive, they will usually be used in unison with other tanks. Also, each flare has a small reactive lithium-nitrogen charge which, when mixed, causes the flare to disperce. Although the explosion will barely even harm a human, the light materials in the active flare will be heavily influenced into a massive cloud.
Due to further confusion, these flares are in fact red during launch, but when the lithium-nitrogen charge activates (usually within 4 secounds; enough time for the tank to be long-gone) the flares change to a cyan-lime green color that makes quite a show for pilots and troops.
Further
A skirt itself produces, for say, ten pounds of support (per skirt). There are four skirts, so fourty pounds of support. The armor, crew, and mechanisms to hold up a treaded system would be thirty four pounds, but since a skirt mechanism is a lot less and the armor is far less than that of a typical MBT, the total pressure on the four skirts is twenty pounds, half. Now, due to distributional changes of the four seperately, it is really about eighteen pounds stress.
With those out of the way, there are the guns, missiles, rockets, and turbofans. Each turbofan is small, two pounds each. With 8 pounds total, or seven with distribution in count, that is 26 pounds stress on the skirt. It still has enough room for some 14 pounds, which the guns, missiles, and rockets all are together 12 pounds (after distribution). This allows an extra 2 pounds for support.
NOTE: This was an example, the numbers are much larger, but downsized for simplicity.
Specifications
Length: 7.9m
Width: 4.1m
Height: 2.9m
Weight: 61t
Speed: 98km/h (Ideal Conditions)
Turning Length For 90 Degrees: 3.1km (w/o Engine Assistance)
Turning Length For 90 Degrees: 560m (w/ Engine Assistance)
Range: 340km (But If Done With Engine Then Gliding Some 810km)