Guide to the Reactor

The core used on the HCR-146 Emissary is a magnetized target fusion (MTF) hydrogen fusion reactor capable of burning hydrogen and its isotopes to form helium and energy.

The reactor itself is dominantly inert, providing a method of clean and sustainable energy using fuel collected from the surrounding vacuum to power the core. However, it still requires considerable set up to start and maintain.

Reactor Overview

1. Reactor Chamber
2. Plasma Transmission Pipe
3. Power Transmission Pipe and Converter
4. Auxiliary Power Units
5. Ion Engines
6. Fuel Injector Pipe
7. Turbines
8. Hydrogen Storage
9. Compression Laser Array
10. Neutron Fuser Array

The reactor chamber is the central ignition chamber, where hydrogen gas is vented in from the fuel injector pipes on the top and bottom and heavily pressured to collapse into a sphere, where the hydrogen becomes plasma and produces high amounts of heat and energy. Fusion creates helium as a byproduct, which is removed through the plasma transmission pipes, fed through the turbines to create additional power, and fed to the rear of the vessel, where it ionizes xenon gas to power the rear ion engines. The lower injector pipe has a neutron fuser array to convert hydrogen to deuterium or tritium for injection by fusing the hydrogen atoms with additional neutrons, depending on what is required. The power transmission pipe converts the energy produced by the fusion reaction into electrical energy via the power converter, which is fed to the rest of the ship.

Cooling

The reactor is cooled by a high heat capacity liquid coolant that is chemically treated to turn blue when cool and red when hot. The hot coolant is piped into radiator arrays on the top of the ship, where excess heat is radiated into space. The cold coolant is circulated back into the reactor chamber to prevent the reactor from melting from the heat and pressure.

Auxiliary Power

In the event of a reactor breach, compromise, or otherwise failure of the reactor to produce enough power to be self-sustainable, Engineering possesses four auxiliary power unit towers at the rear of the ship. These APUs, rather than perform a conventional fusion; instead, burn fuel and oxidizer through internal combustion and electrolysis to generate heat and electricity, which is circulated through the turbines to produce power. The APUs are also used to jumpstart a fusion reactor both during an emergency and normal setup.

Hydrogen Collection

During transit, hydrogen naturally found in space is collected by the ship’s ram intakes and processed for contaminants. Filtered hydrogen is then pumped into the hydrogen fuel tanks to await for conversion and injection.

Setup Process

NOTE: An engineering hardsuit is required during the setup process. The following procedure is used to jumpstart the fusion reactor. This is the standard procedure.

APU Jumpstart

Starting the fusion reactor firstly requires the APUs to be jump-started. During a warm start (existing auxiliary power), only two APUs need to be ignited to start the reactor.

The APUs must first have their combustion mixture added in. Usually, this comes in the form of 70% hydrogen and 30% oxygen to be released into each chamber. After the gas is injected, an ignition plug generates an electrical spark to ignite the APU unit, creating energy and water vapor. The pressurized water vapor is vented into the turbines to produce electrical energy, which will be used for the reactor jumpstart.

Hydrogen-Tritium Conversion

Once the APUs are set up, the energy will be used to first power on the neutron fuser array, located at the bottom of the reactor. In the reactor control room, locate the FUSER ARRAY switch and set it to TRIT to convert the hydrogen fuel into tritium. Ensure the neutron fusers have a blue glow.

Fuel Injection

When the TRIT counter is at 100%, set the INJECTION button to ON and wait for the chamber to pressurize to a minimum of 15,000kPa. Ensure the pressure does not exceed 30,000kPa to avoid stress on the chamber.

Coolant

While the chamber is pressurizing, locate the COOL LOOP switch on the control panel and set it to CIRC. This will activate the coolant pumps, circulating the coolant fluid to and from space and the reactor. Wait for the chamber thermometer to read at 0 degrees Celsius before attempting ignition.

Once the chamber is pressurized with fuel, locate the COMPRESSOR board on the control computer and set all 8 lasers to CHARGE and the OP switch to AUTO. Wait for all to display 100% on the charging meter. Once they are all charged, the reactor will automatically fire the compression lasers to condense the hydrogen gas.

Once the gas is sufficiently condensed, set OFFSET ANGLE to all compression lasers from a minimum of 5 degrees to a maximum of 20 degrees. The angle offset will allow for the condensed gas to start spinning, increasing the chance of fusion. Set the INJECTION RATE of the fuel injector to 1,000 mol/second at 4,000kPa to allow the gas to begin particle collision. This acts as a catalyst for the fusion reaction to occur.

Fusion

After the compression lasers are active, the tritium in the chamber will begin changing to plasma, generating energy and heat. The plasma will shortly afterward begin conversion into helium, releasing additional energy. The helium is automatically scrubbed from the reactor chamber and piped to the rear engines.

Power Distribution

The energy generated by the reactor will be automatically converted into electrical energy by the power converters and sent to the ship’s power cells and then the electrical grid.

Locate the PWR DIST panel on the control computer and set all 8 power cells (PWR1-8) to charge at 1500kW and discharge at 1000kW. Discharge rate is limited to 2000kW maximum to avoid electrical overload.

Fuel Change to Deuterium

After about 45 elapsed minutes of reactor power, it is recommended to switch the fuel to deuterium (DEUT on the fuser array) to reduce hydrogen consumption and reduce the danger of the reactor, at the cost of reduced power generation. Set the FUSER ARRAY switch to DEUT to begin automatic conversion of any new hydrogen fuel into deuterium instead of tritium.

Emergency Procedures

In the event of an engineering emergency, several emergency procedures are available to avoid potential catastrophe.

Grid Overload

During events such as an electrical storm or surge, the circuit breakers in the power distribution circuit will trip, causing the reactor to commence an emergency shutdown and the ship to lose power. The first step to perform is to inspect the reactor assembly and all sub-components for damage.

1. Inspect for damaged coolant, plasma transfer, or power transmission piping.
2. Check if the reactor shell is damaged or leaking.
3. Check if any of the injectors are malfunctioning or shorted.

Conduct a full breaker reset by locating the emergency panel underneath the starboard console in the control room. Open it and pull the BREAKER RESET lever. This will reset and replace all circuit breakers. Do not reengage power until the damage has been repaired.

Conduct the following replacement procedures:

1. If a pipe section is compromised, it can be replaced or, if the damage is minor, welded shut. Please use TIG welding tools in welding piping.
2. If a segment of the reactor shell is damaged, it needs replacement. Several replacement shell segments come pre-stocked in the cargo bay.
3. If a reactor fusion component such as the fuser array or fuel injector is damaged, it requires replacement. Replacements also are supplied in the cargo bay.
4. If replacement parts are exhausted, cannot be located, or are otherwise unsuitable for safe replacement, the ship is ordered to return to the nearest port for immediate repair Please consult EMERGENCY PORT RECALL for details on the procedure. Run the ship, meanwhile, on remaining energy and gas reserves on all four APU units.