Ships emissions

[Cooper99]

I have read the discussion about the new energy generating System (which i find a VERY good idea!).

As we talk about emissions (mostly heat in this case) of ships/systems
would it be possible to relate the detection range/chance for a lock on a ship to its mass AND actual emissions, to open some more tactical possibilities?

The mass of a ship is fix, but this signature can be reduced by radar jamming for a set percentage.

The basic value for emissions are the basic heat generation.

Any usage of emission generating systems would add to that:

Making an active scan would increase your own detection abilities for a given time very much, but it would be also a shining beacon for all other ships around. No chance to hide. If there is somebody who wants to take some shots at you, this is the time...

The more thrust you use and the bigger the engines used, the better the other ships are able to get a lock on you. This would make "running silent" an option.

The more weapons are firing and the bigger they are... same as for thrust.

Peaks in "visibility" caused this way should stay for a given time, until they fall back on the basic level of the ship. In my opinion, the basic chance to get a lock on a ship should never drop to zero. It should always be possible to hit a ship, but it could be easier or harder to hit. No matter, if for a player or a Bobby AI.

Another point: How about showing the points of heat generation on a ship as diamonds?

 

[JaxElite]

While the concept itself is nice, i would not base it upon heat for the very simple reason, that if there is a 1000°C hot knife in space, my sensors won't notice it unless it actually dissipates radiation, since space cannot transfer heat

 

[Cooper99]

Hi Jax,
first, i came over with heat, because the new planned energy generating System in starmade is build around heat, if i understand that right.
Second, if you are right with "space cannot transfer heat", how can the sun warm up our asses over here on earth, if not per infrared radiation / heat?
This planet would be a really cold place, i think...

 

[JaxElite]

Hi Jax,
first, i came over with heat, because the new planned energy generating System in starmade is build around heat, if i understand that right.
Second, if you are right with "space cannot transfer heat", how can the sun warm up our asses over here on earth, if not per infrared radiation / heat?
This planet would be a really cold place, i think...

now if we enlose our suns in a shell of metal, it would be quite cold down here. not exactly O°K but really damn cold. Same goes for a hot reactor inside a ships hull. sadly in the proposed system only reactors generate eat around them, so, while in reality we could trace the radiation from the engines this does not apply in the proposed system. I proposed a few changes (page 24ish to the system in the new thread, which would make your idea entirely possible

 

[Groovrider]

While the concept itself is nice, i would not base it upon heat for the very simple reason, that if there is a 1000°C hot knife in space, my sensors won't notice it unless it actually dissipates radiation, since space cannot transfer heat

Your hot knife would still lose heat due to radiating it away in the form of IR wavelength energy. Otherwise what would be the point of insulating a spacesuit?

 

[Edymnion]

I like the idea, and it was brought up in the main thread.

Reactors would give new weak points to target, which would imply the ability to lock onto structures generating heat.

 

[NeonSturm]

If a ship does not radiate heat but has a hot reactor in it, it will ultimately warm up until it radiates heat.

Jamming/Cloaking might redirect that heat to angles from which you are not being watched.

 

[JaxElite]

Your hot knife would still lose heat due to radiating it away in the form of IR wavelength energy. Otherwise what would be the point of insulating a spacesuit?

yes it radiates heat, but pretty slowly, the insulation of a spacesuit is mostly made to keep radiation out on Shorter missions, not heat in, the process is slow, there is a reason larger objects in space have HUGE radiators

 

[Groovrider]

yes it radiates heat, but pretty slowly, the insulation of a spacesuit is mostly made to keep radiation out on Shorter missions, not heat in, the process is slow, there is a reason larger objects in space have HUGE radiators

Ironically those huge radiators you mention wouldn't really work if they had to rely on convection, conduction and nothing else.

 

[Nickizzy]

yes it radiates heat, but pretty slowly, the insulation of a spacesuit is mostly made to keep radiation out on Shorter missions, not heat in, the process is slow, there is a reason larger objects in space have HUGE radiators

HUGE radiators

radiators

What do radiators do? They RADIATE heat. Radiation. Ever heard of IR. cameras?

 

[JaxElite]

I get the feeling you guys don't get what i am trying to say. I do not disagree, that heat can be radiated into space via IR. Most surfaces used in spacetravel radiate heat very poorly, for example the ISS has almost 50 square metres of radiator panels, optimized for radiating heat, compared to the rest of the surface radiating very little. Point is, the engine is the only source of radiation you can barely conceal, giving that the slight IR radiated by basic hull will most lightly get lost in background noise.
Going back to the Point of the thread, the reactor itself would radiate VERY Little via the hull, unless there are parts specifically designed to do that.