On 24 Aug 2016 at 15:54, DED [Traveller wrote:
> Has anyone come up with non-nuclear EMP weapons? I've checked a few
> sources but haven't found any. I thought that they might make for a
> nice alternative to what's been published for combating Virus.
>
> I read about "Explosively pumped flux compression generators" on Wiki
> (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_pumped_flux_compression_gen
> erator) and thought that would be a good choice." EPFCG" from here
> out.
>
> My initial concept is that of a spear gun with a backpack. The spear
> is fired at the Virus-inhabited thing (stationary server, robot, or
> vehicle). Attached to the shaft of the spear is the EPFCG package
> which produces the EMP. But said package requires a starting current
> to operate, much like the early A-bombs required a conventional
> explosion to trigger the start of the fission process (unless I'm
> misremembering that). This starter current is fed from capacitors
> stored in the backpack (just like laser rifles). The spear is
> connected to the backpack via a 20-meter cable. The EPFCG package is
> destroyed in the process of generating the pulse. I'd imagine that
> once the EMP is generated, the cable could detach from the spear and
> retract back to the person who fired it. Said cable could then be
> attached to the next spear.
The cables aren't gonna work. the capacitors *have* to be part of the
package. Remember, you are running insane *currents* (not so much
voltage) thru the coil that gets explosively compressed.
Long cables and high current don't go together well. The longer the
cable the higher the resistance and thus the higher the losses (and
the heating of the cable). They'd "wear out" rather quickly.
Also, the high current thru the cable would be generating a
significant magnetic field all by itself. Which would cause the cable
to whip around in all sorts of ways.
Given examples from other things Traveller capacitor tech should be
able to keep the bulk down even with the capactitors as part of the
"bomb".
So depending on how good the tech is, you may have anything from
briefcase sized (sort of an EMP satchel charge) to grenade sized.
> I haven't figured out the "blast radius" for the EMP or the number of
> charges produced by each backpack before re-charging was required. I
> suspect that there's a formula to determine EMP strength per amps or
> watts used, but that's outside my knowledge base. I suppose I could
> just rely on handwaving, but I'd prefer to have some numbers to play
> with.
Can't help you on the figures. But I think the strength drops by
inverse square law.
Ooo! Since EMP induces high voltages in conductors, and the voltage
is dependent on the *length* of said conductors. That's an even
*bigger* reason to not use those long cables.
Don't forget that not everything is susceptible to EMP either. Tube
(and related) tech is pretty much immune. Can't find a link for the
old TIMMs, but they are solid blocks of metal and ceramics. Tubes the
size of a dime No filaments, just heat the entire block to the
required temp. Rugged as hell in a number of ways.
Don't think TIMMs based systems could support Virus though. Not
unless it was the size of a multi-story building.
But optical computers would be immune as well. Their power supplies,
and interface devices (ie the stuff used to connect the optical
system to electrical based devices) would be vulnearable to some
extent.
And then, of course, there are Faraday cages. Of course, those only
protect as long as there aren't any wires connecting to the outside.
You could use fiber optic connections thru the "cage" but the same
problem that optical computers have with interface devices exists.
--
Leonard Erickson (aka shadow)
shadow at shadowgard dot com
> Has anyone come up with non-nuclear EMP weapons? I've checked a few
> sources but haven't found any. I thought that they might make for a
> nice alternative to what's been published for combating Virus.
>
> I read about "Explosively pumped flux compression generators" on Wiki
> (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_pumped_flux_compression_gen
> erator) and thought that would be a good choice." EPFCG" from here
> out.
>
> My initial concept is that of a spear gun with a backpack. The spear
> is fired at the Virus-inhabited thing (stationary server, robot, or
> vehicle). Attached to the shaft of the spear is the EPFCG package
> which produces the EMP. But said package requires a starting current
> to operate, much like the early A-bombs required a conventional
> explosion to trigger the start of the fission process (unless I'm
> misremembering that). This starter current is fed from capacitors
> stored in the backpack (just like laser rifles). The spear is
> connected to the backpack via a 20-meter cable. The EPFCG package is
> destroyed in the process of generating the pulse. I'd imagine that
> once the EMP is generated, the cable could detach from the spear and
> retract back to the person who fired it. Said cable could then be
> attached to the next spear.
The cables aren't gonna work. the capacitors *have* to be part of the
package. Remember, you are running insane *currents* (not so much
voltage) thru the coil that gets explosively compressed.
Long cables and high current don't go together well. The longer the
cable the higher the resistance and thus the higher the losses (and
the heating of the cable). They'd "wear out" rather quickly.
Also, the high current thru the cable would be generating a
significant magnetic field all by itself. Which would cause the cable
to whip around in all sorts of ways.
Given examples from other things Traveller capacitor tech should be
able to keep the bulk down even with the capactitors as part of the
"bomb".
So depending on how good the tech is, you may have anything from
briefcase sized (sort of an EMP satchel charge) to grenade sized.
> I haven't figured out the "blast radius" for the EMP or the number of
> charges produced by each backpack before re-charging was required. I
> suspect that there's a formula to determine EMP strength per amps or
> watts used, but that's outside my knowledge base. I suppose I could
> just rely on handwaving, but I'd prefer to have some numbers to play
> with.
Can't help you on the figures. But I think the strength drops by
inverse square law.
Ooo! Since EMP induces high voltages in conductors, and the voltage
is dependent on the *length* of said conductors. That's an even
*bigger* reason to not use those long cables.
Don't forget that not everything is susceptible to EMP either. Tube
(and related) tech is pretty much immune. Can't find a link for the
old TIMMs, but they are solid blocks of metal and ceramics. Tubes the
size of a dime No filaments, just heat the entire block to the
required temp. Rugged as hell in a number of ways.
Don't think TIMMs based systems could support Virus though. Not
unless it was the size of a multi-story building.
But optical computers would be immune as well. Their power supplies,
and interface devices (ie the stuff used to connect the optical
system to electrical based devices) would be vulnearable to some
extent.
And then, of course, there are Faraday cages. Of course, those only
protect as long as there aren't any wires connecting to the outside.
You could use fiber optic connections thru the "cage" but the same
problem that optical computers have with interface devices exists.
--
Leonard Erickson (aka shadow)
shadow at shadowgard dot com