Heat Generation & Thermo Dump Panels

Overview

Adamist starships create the power for their onboard systems using fusion generators that form part of the ships propulsion system.  These fusion generators use Heilum3 and Deuterium as fuel. Whilst the fusion generators on an Adamist ship can generate enormous amounts of power they also generate a significant amount of heat. The systems on board an Adamist starship also generate a lot of unwanted heat, and  this heat is a threat to the crew and systems of an Adamist starship if it is not radiated away into space.

Heat Dissipation

An Adamist Starship radiates it's unwanted heat into space by the deployment and use of several Thermo Dump Panel Arrays. After deployment  the Thermo Dump Panels are capable of radiating any unwanted heat into space. These dump panels are connected directly to the internal systems of an Adamist starship using solid state superconductors.  The introduction of these superconductors replaced the need to have volatile coolant systems to transfer heat from the internal systems to the Dump Panels.  The Dump Panels themselves are made of a very durable conducting material that can radiate heat away in a very efficient manner.

A typical Adamist starship can have anywhere between three and six thermo dump panel arrays, depending on the size and type of ship. 

Thermo Dump Panel Operation

When performing a ZTT jump the Dump Panel Arrays are stored internally, as the ship must assume a spherical aspect before the jump can commence. Failure to retract the Dump Panels before jump will lead to their destruction.

The operation of the Thermo Dump Panels is illustrated in the diagram shown on the right.

After jumping, each Dump Panel array rises from the hull as a cylinder, and once this procedure is complete the panels unfurl. The more machinery and generators in use, the more these panels will unfurl, exposing an increasingly larger surface area to radiate the heat away into space. When a large amount of heat needs to be disposed of, the panels will begin to radiate in the visible spectrum, and can often glow a dull red.

Thermo Dump Panels also have the option to flex along there length, giving them the ability to point the majority of the broad surface in a chosen direction. This can be used to keep the broad surface pointed away from the sun, making it easier to radiate the heat away (not necessary in interstellar space or deep interplanetary space). This ability can also be used to direct the heat into a nearby body (such as an asteroid or comet) to aid in avoiding detection.

Heat Storage

When under high acceleration or in combat the panels are withdrawn to avoid them becoming damaged or destroyed. Although thermo dump panels are made from tough materials, and are very durable, they can easily be damaged by high acceleration or by weapons.

The heat generated by the internal systems during this time is temporarily stored in internal reservoirs. These internal thermal reservoirs are also made from solid state superconducting materials and are directly linked to the thermo dump panels. After the high acceleration has ended, or combat has ceased, the thermo dump panels are extended fully to quickly shed the unwanted heat.

When the heat stored in the internal reservoirs reaches saturation point, the captain is faced with the choice of either risking the heat building to dangerous levels (which could prove fatal), to extend the panels and face the likely prospect that they will be damaged, or to withdraw from combat. Warships and expensive mercenary ships are equipped with large thermal reservoirs enabling to store heat for longer periods of time, although even the largest warship still has it's limits.