Are you working on Firefly blueprints??????

POSTED BY: WaddleDoodle
UPDATED: Wednesday, November 2, 2005 18:49
VIEWED: 11454
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CAPNRAHN

Thursday, October 28, 2004 12:52 PM

One could surmise it is a plasma base that is accelerated by the spinning ring of the gravity drive {the bit wrapped around the 'waist' of a Firefly}. IOW - Forcing compressed superheated plasma out of the Firefly class' aft vents much like a Ion drive - but with a 'kick in the arse' instead of the slow build up of said Ion drive.

It is theorized that Ion drives or even compressed hydrogen drives (Bussard Ram-Jets} could make a speed signifantly close to the averages speed of light of 186,000 miles per second. Local space/time 'fabric', gravitic and aether {for the lack of a better word} density can alter that speed.

Does that help?

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

UNCHARTEDOUTLAW

Thursday, October 28, 2004 2:30 PM

Wow, that actually is a very good explanation. I like it. Thanks!!

-Taylor

Uncharted Outlaw!
"The secret is understanding time."
See my Firefly Store: http://www.cafepress.com/NorCalRiviera

WADDLEDOODLE

Friday, October 29, 2004 8:19 PM

So are we talking the scoop which compresses and vents a stream of particles....otherwise, if we go the plasma route, how is the plasma generated?

I've always had some issues about the engine. The small "spinner" that is the "heart" of the ship, that in "Out of Gas" wouldn't spin so the ship was dead. What do you think it is? It's TINY when compared to the rest of the engineering section. I was thinking that it may be the "heart" of the ship but is actually a smaller component of a larger system. Perhaps a high power generator. Since in "Serenity" Wash mentions fuel cells, I gathered they were chemical fuel cells (not cells in the bladder sense) which without "we're not going anywhere." So the chem fuel cells power the generator ("the spinner") that in turn works a dynamo that magnifies it's energy output. This operates the "ring" which I gathered was a particle collector.

CAPNRAHN

Friday, October 29, 2004 8:39 PM

The fuel cells {in today's parlance is pure hydrogen} could contain the reactant -- hydrogen or even a 'heavier' atomic base molecule.

I think the interior engine is much like the distributor/electrical 'junction'/catalizer (not the itty bitty one that broke in "OoG"} for the plasma generation reaction.

The exterior 'hula-hoop' does not seem to be structured as a ram-scoop and no mention has ever been made about 'suckin' up fuel' - much to the opposite - if they could - they would not have to obtain fuel cells - except for back up storage/emergancy supplies.

No, I think the hula-hoop is the "Gravity Drive" - super dense fluids are rotated in opposing directions and then the 'gravity' is dispersed through web-work built into the vessel's decks.

Now this can also provide a VERY important element to the drive system I mention in my previous post. And that is the hula-hoop could function as a particle accelerator to strip electrons from the hydrogen in the fuel cells and produce the high energy photon bundles that we see as the burst of light and gas emitted from the aft vents during a hard-burn.

The science I present is still a bit widgy, but it sorta works ...

How's that sound?

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

WADDLEDOODLE

Friday, October 29, 2004 10:55 PM

I’ve always liked the theoretical particle called “Gravitons.”

The use of Gravitons would kill two birds with one stone. G-particles could be used to propel the ship through “gravity pulses” AND also be used to provide gravity to all decks. I envision the “Hula hoop” as a graviton collector. Like any particle, they would swirl through space waiting to be scooped up.

I have an idea….

Lets hammer out the purpose of the different components 1) mentioned in the show and 2) seen on the show that related to a) propulsion b) power generation c) gravity.

Life support, Commo, Sensors, etc can be explained with conventional science and theoretical sciences.

Off the top of my melon regarding propulsion:

Parts mentioned by the crew:
Trace compression block
Gravity boot

Parts seen by the viewer:
“Hula” hoop
“Spinner”
Vents covering the aft portion of the ship

Can we agree on some points about the VTOL pods to get them aside? I imagined them as air breathing turbines in Atmo, but hydrogen SCRAM jets in vaccum. If not, by all means, lets hammer it out.

EDITED TO ADD:

As far as the "Hula hoop" being used as collector~ I imagined a generated magnetic funnel.
Not unlike the BUSSARD Collector theorized by NASA for hydrogen collection.

Different note: The visible venting plasma from the rear third of the ship (behind the hula hoop) that we know as FULL BURN may not be the vents only use. It's possible they are venting non-visible particles...be the particles Gravitons...or Ionized.

Hey folks, I'm not married to my ideas....that's why I'm interested in pooling together ideas.

CAPNRAHN

Saturday, October 30, 2004 2:37 AM

No Worries! But at the moment I am doing some research - as soon as I have collated the data - I'll post it here.

Could take a day or three, so in the mean-time carry on discussin'! OR ya can also figger out what ta call us engineerin' fanatics!

I'll be back ...

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

WADDLEDOODLE

Saturday, October 30, 2004 2:27 PM

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Technophiles?

Geek Squad?

Or my favorite:

CAPNRAHN

Sunday, October 31, 2004 9:21 PM

Kaylee's Angels... hee hee

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

WADDLEDOODLE

Friday, November 5, 2004 7:27 PM

Okay, here's a few thoughts of how I see the Firefly Universe.

SPACE TRAVEL

By the flight scenes, I gathered that "Serenity" travels in real space. No "Warp" or "StutterWarp" technology is used. Just speed. Since ships have systems aboard to generate gravity, perhaps the theoretical particle dubbed the Graviton is the culprit. If so, then I would theorize that Gravitons could be used for propulsion. Perhaps collected and directed.

Anyway, all that aside, I figued that the travel speed was somewhere in the range of 15-25% of the speed of light.

Distances from Earth in terms of 1-way light travel time:The Moon: 1.5 light-seconds away
The Sun:8 light-minutes awayMars:4 to 20 light-minutes awayPluto:8 light-hours away.

Multiply those values by 4 for 25% light speed. 32 hours from Earth to Pluto....that's pretty good speed and would allow good distances to be covered.

[SIDE BAR] These travel speeds would have to assume that the Firefly universe is a collection of a large number of star systems, all within days, weeks or even months if spanning all of the known 'verse, of each other. I figure that when man first moved to the stars, travel time spanned years or decades. I'm not stating that they used Generation ships, but perhaps leap frogged coreward towards dense packed solar systems. Strings of colonies. And since the technology to terraform worlds (probably over decades or centuries) is used, perhaps the various habitable planets were just lifeless planetoids that earlier generations began "processing"

Any thoughts are welcome.

WADDLEDOODLE

Thursday, November 11, 2004 4:43 AM

CapnRahn?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

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