Hello again Postmark,
On 06/19/2020 8:14 AM Thomas RUX <xxxxxx@comcast.net> wrote:
Hello Postmark,
On 06/19/2020 5:30 AM Postmark - postmark.design at btinternet.com <xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote:
On 17 Jun 2020, at 03:42, Thomas RUX <xxxxxx@comcast.net> wrote:
The Model 4 computer is indeed 4 tons and draws 2 EP from the Power Plants output of 4 EP. The computer's EP does not require fuel. Here is the best example I can think of. You fill up the gas tank on a 1kw power generator and plug in some stuff like lights, TV, and a small refrigerator that draw 0.5 kw. The items pulling power do not increase the fuel capacity of the generator.
Tom Rux
Hi Tom,
That statement is easier to refute, it’s on High Guard p28.
The top of the page has the reminder that at TL15, EP equals tons of power plant and tons of fuel*.
The next line reminds us the EPs are used for computers And the bit below that reminds us that systems cannot be installed that cannot be powered (they cannot be installed in reserve**).
So in your example, items pulling power do increase the fuel usage and in standard LBB design, your fuel requirement is always usage for 1 month, ie 1 ton per EP.
There are, if I counted correctly, 28 hulls in S9. Two of the hulls are small craft leaving 26 starships. Of these remaining hulls 21 are TL 15 and their power plant fuel tonnage = their EP. The five hulls below are not TL 15.
The TL 9 J2 Scout/Courier CT Supplement 9 (S9) p. 11 is a Book 2 design. Book 2 does not use EP under CT LBB 5 HG 2e the ship has an EP of 2. The Power Plant 2 require 0.01 x 2 x 100 = 0.02 x 100 = 2 tons of fuel. Note that under CT LBB 5 HG 2e that the Scout/Courier can not have a a J2 drive until TL 11.
The J4 TL 10 Express Boat is another Book 2 which under CT LBB 5 HG 2e is not possible until TL 13. This craft has no power plant but it is capable of keeping two people alive for the approximately one week in jump space and per CT Supplement 7 p. 9 three additional days.
The 300-ton TL 14 Gazelle Close Escort, CT S9 p. 17, has a Power Plant 7 which requires 0.01 x 7 x 300 = 0.07 x 300 = 21 tons of fuel which matches the EP = 21.
The TL-12 800-ton Mercenary Cruiser, CT S9 p. 21, is a Book 2 design. The write-up lists that the ship has an EP of 24. The cruiser has a Power Plant 3 which requires 0.01 x 3 x 800 = 0.03 x 800 = 24 tons of fuel.
The 60,000 ton TL 14 Azhanti High Lightning Class Frontier Cruiser in CT S9 p. 31 power plant produces 3,000 EP. The cruiser has a Power Plant 5 which requires 0.01 x 5 x 60,000 = 0.05 x 60,000 = 3,000 tons of fuel.
My conclusion from four of the five non-TL 15 is that a power plant produces 1 EP per 1 ton of fuel does.
To recap in CT Supplement 9 the TL 9 Scout/Courier p. 11 the Power Plant 2 requires requires 2 tons of fuel to operate for 4 weeks and produces 2 EP, TL 14 Close Escort p. 17 has a Power Plant 7 a fuel requires of 21 tons and produces 21 EP, TL 12 Mercenary Cruiser p. 21 uses a Power Plant 3 that requires 24 tons of fuel to operate for 4 weeks, and TL 14 Frontier Cruiser p. 31 has a Power plant 5 requires 3,000 tons of fuel and produces an output of 3,000 EP.
These four hulls clearly indicate to me that 1 ton of power plant fuel = 1 EP.
New material: CT LBB 5 HG 2e pp. 27-28 "Energy Points: Before installing computers or arming a ship, it is necessary to calculate the energy available to the ship. This calculations uses the formula E = 0.01 x M x Pn, where E equals the energy points available, M is the tonnage of the ship, and Pn is the power plant number."
TL 9 100 ton Scout/Courier with Power Plant 2 produces 0.01 x 100 x 2 = 1 x 2 = 2 EP. The power plant fuel tonnage is 1% x Ship tonnage x Power Plant Number = 0.01 x 100 x 2 = 1 x 2 = 2 tons of fuel.
TL 15 400 ton Survey Scout p. 13 has a Power Plant 3 which produces 0.01 x 400 x 3 = 4 x 3 = 12 EP. The power plant fuel requirement uses the same formula resulting in 12 tons of fuel.
From p. 28 "Note; At Tech level 15, energy points also equals the tons of the power plant and the tons of the power plant fuel required.
A Power Plant at TL 15 requires 1% of a hulls tonnage. The Survey Scout's Power Plant 3 is 0.01 x 400 x 3 = 4 x 3 = 12 tons. The Power Plant 3 requires 0.01 x 400 x 3 = 4 x 3 = 12 tons of fuel. The Power plants Energy Point Out put is 0.01 x 400 x 3 = 4 x 3 = 12.
The Note on p. 28 means that at TL 15 power plant EP is the same as the plants tonnage and fuel tonnage. In lower TLs power plant 1 ton of fuel produces 1 EP.
* At lower TL you would need more tons of PP and the fuel assumes 1 month operations so a higher or lower duration should adjust things.
Yes, per CT LBB 5 HG 2e p. 27, "The stated fuel tonnage supports four weeks cruising (including time spent in jump space) before refuelling is necessary."
CT LBB 2 1977 p. 5 "A power plant, to provide power for one trip (internal power, maneuver, and other necessities) requires fuel..."
The reactor fuel rods on the four boats I served on were consumed while producing the energy need to be converted to operate all the electricity needed to operate the equipment. The computer drawing 2 EP from the fusion power plant has been taken into account to operate for one trip of four weeks with or without making a jump.
Small craft use the same formula as starship's to compute EP and indicates that the power plant fuel load lasts for four weeks also.
** which strictly isn’t true because of backup computers, backup screens, backup bridges and agility < Mn but I think means that you do not have a step where you
I know I read somewhere, unfortunately I can not find the source, that the backup systems do not draw power until they come online while the primaries are offline being repaired.
CT Adventure 5 TCS p. 15 "Spare Systems: "Spare jump drives, maneuver drives, computers, and screens may be installed in a ship to take over in the event that the main unit is disabled.
These are backup devices only and may not be in operation at the same time as the main device. The higher-output device is the mainstay and operates under normal conditions; the backup devices do not consume fuel or energy points when not in use. When the main device takes battle damage that reduces it below the level of the backup, the backup takes over. If the backup is then damaged, the main unit returns to action. Which ever unit has the highest current factor is the one in operation; when damage is received, it is applied to the unit in operation.
My understanding is that the Power plant EP is calculated before adding any system that requires EP. The total EP of all systems can not exceed the Power plant's total EP output. The power plant fuel load allows a ship to operate for four weeks. One ton of fuel provides 1 EP.
Tom Rux