Re: starship-design: Hi, from a newbie

["Sci" <scifox@asylum30.freeserve.co.uk>]

Okay, to save time, I'm cutting and pasting a few replys all into this one
Email. =)

> Maybe my mention of redundancy reflects old-fashioned thinking that
> is still in use, but I see a redundant system set up such that, if
> one of the units goes down, its partner (or maybe a separate,
> independent monitoring system) yells for a replacement.
> Redundancy is, you know, the current approach used in lots of
> critical aircraft systems. Yes, it would be nice to have a system so
> robust that it needs no backup, but until one is proven to exist, it
> may be more effective all around to double up on the really important
> stuff.

Okay, in my first Email, I breifly mentioned I was working on a modular
vacuum walling system.  This seems a good time to elaborate a little more,
as related ideas are in the "options" package, so to speak.
If you're ever seen the toy Contrux (as I think it was called), you'll be
imagining something close to what I've come up with.  A supporting frame,
filled with gasket-sealed panels.  I've shown the concept ideas to the cheif
designer where I currently work, and he couldn't see any glaring design
faults.

Anyway you have, say, a corridoor made up of panels and frame (perhaps
Speedi-Frame would be another analogy?).  Each panel has 4 neighbouring
panels.  Idealy, you want to know your structure is okay, and what's going
on, so really you want a sensor in every panel to say "Yup, hi I'm here,
still in one piece" to wherever you want to know that (bridge, engineering,
etc..).
In each panel, have a small networking module, with a minimal processor (as
larger ones would be more susceptable to damage by radiation) and an I/O
interface.  The interface has the integrity sensor in it, but you can also
add more.  Fibre-optics are effectivly immune to electrical and magnetic
interferance, and are high-capacity.  With high-capacity output, you could
run many other things off these panel modules, such as temperature,
pressure, humidity, radiation sensors, security-camera feeds, or control
things like automatic doors, fire-supression systems or alarms.
Each module is connected to (normaly) about 4 around it say, if one panel
looses contact with another, the one that still operates, sends a data
packet saying this both to one of several "Black Box" data nodes, as well as
any active Command/Engineering station (*).

((*) These stations being interfaces with more signifigant processing power.
Since all the units know the units next to them, at start-up, a network-scan
of all the module neighbours could easily be extrapolated into a full map
off all of them, showing relative possitions.)

Adding a limited backup battery to each module would also alow to be
specific in case of power-failure as aposed to a module actualy dying.

The idea is something like your own body's nervous system.  The nerves in
your arm tell you hot and cold, and move your muscles about, but they don't
actually think.  The system still operates if you are sleeping, and even in
cases of severe brain-damage.
Even in the case of an extreme situation, such as the break-up of the
structure entirely, batterys would keep the still-connected chunks running,
and allow any survivors to access it by pluging either a command station to
a hand-held unit into the network, alowing them to find which areas still
held pressure, the remaining escape routes, etc.. or even maybe
network-routing to a communications station.

The concept is not complete just yet, as I'm still working through how to
connect the frame itself to the panel-network, as they would be needed more
for stress and strain information.

> On the topic of redundant systems, you still have to
> watch for cascading problems with a non-diverse systems.
> The major system is the electrical system - with out
> power you are left in the dark. I like the idea of
> beamed power for space craft (solar energy?) thus a failure
> of generator can be replaced with a spare floating around in
> space.

I agree that electrical power could well be a safety issue.  Few things will
run without it.  Life-support for one.  Emergency lockers situated at known
intervals should probably contain some form of emergency space-protection,
(from maybe NASAs "bubble" thingie, to a lightweight single-use type
spacesuit), some method of communication, and power and oxygen cells.
Oh yeah, food and meds might be good too. <=)

> >Lets not forget to kick the thing!
>
> Abnout as likely to be usefull in repairing a fusion drive.,   ;/

Well, we'll see about that.
*patpats his pet vacuum-chamber*

> Metal is about the most easily recylclable material known, but plastics
are a
> good secound.

And metals are a lot easier to repair.  They can be welded, cut, rewelded,
even under vacuum conditions.  Plastics however tend to degass very badly
under vacuum, especialy in heat, and also become brittle in cold.  Certain
types of rubber are better, and most of my panel ideas are designed using
Viton-gasket seals, which are good up to about 150 degrees C.  If you need
then to take more than that, it'd probably be a personal-vacant areas
anyway.  Just in case though, soft metals are also used as gaskets.
BTW, did you know Aluminum become radioactive under neutron radiation,
whereas steel and stainless steel don't?

> Oddly, the "green" materials like wood, paper, etc are the hardest to
> recycle.

Well, unless the wood's alive.  Tenchi-Muyo anyone?

> >Also I read that a inch of water protected life in the sea from
> >cosmic radiation when the earth was young. A shell of water or ice
> >would have two advantages - protection from radiation - large mass
> >to stabilize a rotating habit.
>
> It takes more then that in space.  The equive of a couple feet of steel.

I recall seeing an idea something like this on the rec.arts.sf.science
NewsGroup.  It involved having a huge ball in space with numerous layers,
like a pearl.  Inside the first layer-gap there were large water conduits.
Beneath that layer, more water, but this time with oxygen-producing and
waste-eating algea in it.  There was more, but I cannot recall the rest.

> Here is a nice (but fictional) computer display of say critical
> information.
> http://www.peachprincess.com/Merchant2/full/yessir.jpg
> While this image is from a forth coming Adult game, I has a nice
> feel to it for a console.

Indeed it does, even if personaly I'd go for something a little less harsh
than neon-green.  Who knows how long you'd have to spend staring at it?

Peter