Another Blow to Hypermatter Fuel's Existence?

[Mike DiCenso]

There is a huge difference between having a fuel tank full of oil versus an oil reservoir, which might be used for something other than fuel. Say as lubrication for mechanical moving parts, like hydralic actuators.
-Mike

[Khas]

*shrugs*

Just said oil reservoirs. Didn't specify what they were for.

[Praeothmin]

Well, I like your car analogy, because while most cars run of gasoline fueled engines, they also have oil reservoirs to keep the engines running smoothly, oily power steering fluid to assist steering, braking fluid (very oily once again) to help braking, so why would it be so hard to believe that a ship 1600 meters long has huge oil reservoirs for moving parts and bearings, such as the ones used in the trash compactors, for example...

[Kor_Dahar_Master]

Well, I like your car analogy, because while most cars run of gasoline fueled engines, they also have oil reservoirs to keep the engines running smoothly, oily power steering fluid to assist steering, braking fluid (very oily once again) to help braking, so why would it be so hard to believe that a ship 1600 meters long has huge oil reservoirs for moving parts and bearings, such as the ones used in the trash compactors, for example...

The fact that they actually have trash compactors and even dump trash is another example of low tech.

[Mike DiCenso]

That is an interesting point there, Kor. If SW tech was so damn superior, then why can't they take a bit of effort to have their garbage recycled in some manner. Hell, even the old Trek NX-class starships could recycle some things, rather than dump it overboard.
-Mike

[Picard]

Beacouse it isn't "so damn superior". However, I would expect at least some form of recycling system in use. One possible explanation I can think of is that, with SW vessels being so combat-oriented, they simply don't include recycling plants. Also, I don't remember DSI garbage compactor scene very well, but if it was organic waste, then it cannot be recycled, except as biofuel or for harboretums they don't have.

EDIT: Just watching the scene. It seems that garbage is mostly mechanical in nature; however, novelizations mention "smell" and "mucus" (I think; I translated last one from Croatian translation) which suggests partially organic composition of garbage.

[Praeothmin]

Plus they had an old sofa in there too...

Oh wait, that's in Family Guy's parody, "Blue Harvest"... Damn that was funny... :)

[General Donner]

Do you have the full quote of this? I've only skimmed through the AoTC ICS, which I don't own, though I have other books in the series.

Here's the quote from my old notes, back when I was a Warsie. The book is packed away somewhere right now, so I can't check, but it should be accurate:

Most starships use fusion systems that confine more powerful hypermatter annihilation cores.

This is true, but it doesn't stop people from trying to skirt around it with claims of ICS being higher canonicity, or that TCW fits perfectly with ICS and doesn't contradict it at all.

Probably wishful thinking plays into it. What wouldn't I give to be able to retro-write that crappy cartoon out of history ... :(

[mojo]

Also, the Star Wars Encyclopedia mentions that starships have oil reserves, and that the Ganathans have steam-powered starships.

please be joking. that hurts my head. BAD.

[mojo]

Plus they had an old sofa in there too...

Oh wait, that's in Family Guy's parody, "Blue Harvest"... Damn that was funny... :)

HAHA!
god, the bit where it was hanging out the door when they took off KILLED me.

[Praeothmin]

Plus they had an old sofa in there too...

Oh wait, that's in Family Guy's parody, "Blue Harvest"... Damn that was funny... :)

HAHA!
god, the bit where it was hanging out the door when they took off KILLED me.

Even my GF liked it, and she's not into family guy much, but she liked all the SW spoofs (even though I had to explain who the characters were and what they did in the show)...

I hope they finally do what Seth McFarlane talked about, and do a ST: TWoK spoof as well... :)

[Khas]

Yeah, Blue Harvest was funny. I have it's sequels "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side", and "It's A Trap!" on DVD.

[Jedi Master Spock]

Also, the Star Wars Encyclopedia mentions that starships have oil reserves, and that the Ganathans have steam-powered starships.

please be joking. that hurts my head. BAD.

Steam does have some limiting factors (at very high temperatures it atomizes and you have free oxygen and hydrogen reacting with whatever you're holding it in), but modern RL nuclear plants are OK to use steam.

Or in other words, there's a limit on the power density, but it's a limit that's consistent with the use of nuclear power.

true but his own canon tree invalidates allot of the SWEU stuff not to mention theres a few instances of GL saying things like "i consider it a cool but different universe" or something...Picard and DS likely have the exact quote

Sure, but suppose we're working from the perspective of the Star Wars EU. In a dual-canon perspective, we still have that option, and for some VS topics (e.g., Thrawn vs whoever) we require EU; in that case, we're dealing with the hierarchy again. Even if the EU isn't "true Star Wars," it's worth examining how the conflicts within the EU are supposed to pan out.

I still say that the important thing is understanding that if the EU establishes that there are ships that don't use hypermatter, and instead just use nuclear power, or something within the limits of steam power, or antimatter power, and those ships can fight on even terms, the ICS numbers for how energetic hypermatter reactors are fall apart.

[Mr. Oragahn]

That is an interesting point there, Kor. If SW tech was so damn superior, then why can't they take a bit of effort to have their garbage recycled in some manner. Hell, even the old Trek NX-class starships could recycle some things, rather than dump it overboard.
-Mike

Indeed. Seeing star destroyers defecate in space and Han let his ship drift through those proverbial feces was kinda gross.

As for the steam, it's not very good at channeling power at all. It's good for mechanical work, which in space is going to be very limited when you have nothing worthwhile to push against, and would still provide stupidly low feats. Plus in terms of nuclear power relying on steam, we'd be looking at what? Gigawatts for large ships? The loss of energy would be abysmal, and the best use of steam in weapons would be to build pressure for primitive mass drivers.
It's not like water isn't used on board ships, really, since even the Millennium Falcon has all sorts of steamy systems going through it, but they're for auxiliary bits.
Thankfully, SW has shown that mundane technology is well above that, if only for the podracers casually breaking the sound barrier.

[Mike DiCenso]

Actually, it is possible to have a "steam powered" spacecraft. Read here.
-Mike