Overall DesignCANDU ReactorThe vehicle is powered by Uranium; Uranium 235 has approximately 3 million times the energy as the chemical reaction of coal, or 1.5 million as gasoline. While U-238 will produce the same energy with fission, it is not a self sustaining reaction; in a typical reactor, this results in a lot of wasted U-235; however, in a CANDU heavy water reactor, this allows for a near complete burning of the entire Uranium fuel, with a nearly 100% conversion; additionally, the thermal efficiency is approximately 40%, which is slightly higher than a traditional reactor. The use of heavy water as a moderator also allows for an adjustable neutron release rate, allowing more or less energy to be released; additionally, a spherical graphite neutron reflect with overlapping plates helps to reflect neutrons, allowing for a moderated neutron reflection and increased speed; this level is far below what is necessary for criticality, however.
The vehicle itself possess two fuel bundles, and each fuel bundle is similar to the
CANFLEX fuel bundle about 50cm wide and 10 cm in diameter. They consist of sintered (UO2) pellets in zirconium alloy tubes, welded to zirconium alloy end plates. Each bundle is roughly 20 kg, and a typical core loading is on the order of 4500-6500 bundles, depending on the design. Modern types typically have 37 identical fuel pins radially arranged about the long axis of the bundle, but in the past several different configurations and numbers of pins have been used. The CANFLEX bundle has 43 fuel elements, with two element sizes. It is also about 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter, 0.5 m (20 in) long and weighs about 20 kg (44 lb) and replaces the 37-pin standard bundle. It has been designed specifically to increase fuel performance by utilizing two different pin diameters. Current CANDU designs do not need enriched uranium to achieve criticality (due to their more efficient heavy water moderator), however, some newer concepts call for low enrichment to help reduce the size of the reactors. This produces approximately 2 GWh, when at it's maximum output levels. The fuel bundles are saturated and submerged in the heavy water, where it absorbs and produces neutrons.
Despite it's intended use a much lower, unenriched (and therefore safer) uranium fuel source, it is slightly enriched to 1.2% U-235, largely to reduce the over-all size of the required reactor. The core itself is covered in thick layers of lead, several inches thick, and utilizes layers of steel to increase the strength of the core. Due to it's inherently low operating temperatures, the pressures of the system is much lower, as well, and it's somewhat greater size helps to compensate for this. The reactor is over-all very small, and capable of being contained within the vehicle.
The reactor is designed for safety; the largely unenriched fuel allows for low power outputs and reactivity, which makes it safe in the event of the a leak; the lower power output means it does not reach criticality, or get close, and in the event of criticality would occur much slower, allowing the system to be shut down; since the reactor does not achieve criticality in light water, it is also inherently safe to cool down with water. The type of fuel also helps prevent proliferation, as the unenriched fuel cannot be used to produce nuclear weapons and does not require further enrichment to be useful as fuel. This inherently safety makes it more usable on the battlefield; however, the heavy water is still dangerous, and should be avoid, although long term exposure and deuterium absorption is required for the device to deliver significant danger to the environment or people, on the order of 25% of the body mass or more absorbed.
RangeDue to the high energy density of the fuel used, an incredible range can be expected from the fuel source. Despite the somewhat lower efficiency of the mech, and various means of mechanical transportation, the high energy allows for the power levels required for sustained operation. The fuel bundle can produce approximately 2 Gwh, which equates to a maximum output of approximately 750 horsepower. Doubling this can produce 1500 horsepower, although more is required for transportation.
The
sterling engine design allows for approximately the same thermal efficiency conversion as a standard nuclear reactor steam turbine design or 30-40%. The over-all design is smaller, but operates on fundamentally the same principles; since the rate of reaction is controllable, the maximum power output can be lower or higher, allowing variable outputs from the fuel; thus, the fuel is not always "burning", or burning at it's maximum output level, allowing it to be adjustable. Thus, the rate of reaction can be increased or decreased, and the fuel is only releasing energy as it requires.
The mech itself has relatively low efficiency; despite
using large lithium ion capacitors to store the power of the reactor, and designs to help reuse the falling action of the mech to power these capacitors to increase sustained capabilities (such as with regenerative breaking, which the mech essentially breaks every step in order to remain balanced), and utilizes over energy saving measures, it is still substantially less efficient than a standard tracked vehicle; other measures, such as coasting downhill do not provide benefits, although it experiences less issues moving up hill.
A typical combustion engine has a mechanical efficiency of approximately 20%, with the car's mechanical efficiency being only approximately 80% or so. In comparison, electric cars typically have 80% efficiency or more. However, it is not uncommon for diesel engines to be twice as efficient or more, if the proper stroke is utilized.
A typical M1 abrams utilizes approximately 500 gallons of fuel, and has a range of approximately 500 miles. Although the engine itself is more efficient than that in the M1 abrams, and the electric engines are more efficient, and the vehicle is much lighter weight, and the vehicle is designed for much lower speeds, the massive inefficiencies of the mode of transportation itself reduces the vehicles efficiency, making it comparable to the M1 abrams (notorious for it's low efficiency). While the fuel is approximately 1.5 million times more than powerful, substantially less is used; 500 gallons of fuel is approximately 3250 pounds, 1500 kilograms, while only 1 is utilized in the M1 abrams; this theoretically allows the vehicle, with a single kilogram of uranium fuel, to have approximately 1000 times the range of a standard M1 Abrams, or approximately 500,000 miles. However, the vehicle generally only travels 50,000 miles before fuel replacement.
ArmorThe armor is made of high hardness steel, similiar to AR500 steel. This steel is significantly stronger than mild or weaker steel, which increases it's strength substantially; despite being steel, this also increases it's weight to strength ratio somewhat. This armor is approximately 2.25 inches or 60mm thick, which comparatively a 40mm armor piercing grenade will pierce 50mm of
rolled homogenous steel, of which this is significantly stronger. This armor alone contributes to approximately 8.5 tons of the vehicle's weight.
The vehicle utilizes the
Advaced Modular Armor Protection stuff, which is a successor to the
MEXAS. The armor is similar in strength to the MRAP, with the MEXAS, and should theoretically be stronger at the same weight or lighter weight with the Advanced Modular Armor Protection armor.
The armor is similar to the M117, in that it is sloped on both sides; while it does not support a V-hull, designed to deflect blast and fragmentation away from the vehicle, it's height above the ground allows it to absorb the blast significantly better, as the blast is deflected outwards, as with an ordinary attack. In addition to this, the armor uses the "
FRAG-KIT 6" and caged "
Slat" armor in order to better help protect from RPG rounds/
As a result of the design, shape, and material, it should provide substantial protection against RPG's, light arms, heavy arms, and mines. As a last resort, high explosive reactive armor, similiar to that in the
Bradley, is utilized to help deflect the armor piercing explosive rounds. However, the reactive armor is beneath the non-reactive armor, rarely being set off unless the preliminary armor is breached, making the armor more resistant to tandem warheads and being detonated by less severe threats, also protecting the soldiers from potential splash fragmentation of the resulting explosive.
ArmamentThe vehicle can utilize a wide variety of remote operated weapons, ranging from light machine guns, to .50 caliber machines, to heavier machine guns, 25mm and 30mm canons, automatic grenade launchers, and many more types of weapons. However, the majority of these fail to effectively combat large 30 tonne or more vehicles, which are within the vehicles class.
While missile systems exist on the vehicle, either Javelin or AGM-114 hellfire missiles, these systems are designed for tactical use, and not capable of sustaining repeated combat, making them unsuitable for long term strategic goals. Thus more powerful weapons are required as primary armaments to make the mech a significant competitor on the battlefield.
This largely requires 30mm x 173mm or 40mm bofors rounds, in order to effectively penetrate the armor of the majority of light armored vehicles. 30mm x 173mm rounds are capable of piercing everything up to Bradley tanks, assuming they do not have high explosive reactive armor (which can typically defeat 1 round, but not several). Additionally, the heavier minigun variants, ranging into the thousands of pounds, are not
Electronics
