SERIES CODE:

BERT6112.AC.REQ.SK9

FILE:

Redesign of Armour Protection

PROJECT:

Knight Sabers

DESIGN:

Armour Plating, Outer Level

DESIGN INITIATOR:

Ichinohei Hitomi

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

SkyKnight is a highly specialized combat/aerial hardsuit with
enhanced strength capabilities due to micro-polymer, monomer styled
actuation systems.  

The use of sheathed glass fibre for actuation is highly recommended. 
It has both better strength and survivability for the same weight.

ex: a 1 inch diameter bundle has a theoretical peak load limit of
     180,000 metric tonnes.

ex: The fibres are immune to laser or projecticle based weaponry

The original purpose of the armour is as a
modular weapons base that can use a variety of offensive/defensive
attachments to augment the onboard high-energy particle lasers. 
Initial design specifications indicate a neural chipped CPU based
upon the DISC (Directed Instruction Set Code).  

A dual-phase re-engramming light-photon computer is recommended. With 
no heat buildup, immunity to emp weaponry, low power cunsumption and
unlimited storage space in a package about 1/4 inch squared, this is 
the current best in computing power.

ex: surface area of cpu is 1000 ms, packed into a small cube. This 
     allows for exceptionall computing power

ex: cpu is capable of dynamically re-writing it firmware for best 
     performance of current task.

ex: ram is static, lending greatly to it speed and ability to survive 
     power fluctuations

ex: cpu is capable of 'learning' how to perform better, over time, 
     the cpu will be able to 'predict' the suits future moves, and 
     prepare accordingly, as well as performing any current task with 
     more efficiency and accuracy

Partial control of
onboard systems would have to be based upon brain wave
interpretations of general impulses towards weaponry/flight
capabilities.

 
Neural pre reading is accomplished via a sensor net woven into the 
softsuit, the cpu will learn the thought patterns of the user, 
building a rapport. The cpu will be able to tell with absolute 
precision if the user has security clearance to use the suit.

PROBLEM:

Ceramel Armour:

Ceramel is a tough, highly resilient, heat resistant material made
of cubble ceramics combined with titanium-tungsten steel alloy. 
Theoretically, this structure can withstand impacts up to
approximately .5 tonnes per square centimetre.  Due to the ceramics
however, this type of armour coating will degrade over time due to
vibrational stress as did the tiles on the early space shuttles.

Early tile failure on nasa type space shuttle was caused by hot 
plasma oxidization, not vibrational stress.

A coating was later added which solved this problem.

Theoretical Lifetime:

Mission descriptions would indicate a practical lifetime of five
missions before having to be replaced unless struck with a
high-density projectile that is able to concentrate the impact
energy to a point of less that 9 centimetres square.  Such a
projectile will cause fracturing due to vibrational stress placed
upon that area.  The whole plate will become unstable and virtually
useless with further fracturing occurring with a projectile of .303
or higher.

SOLUTION:

A composite sandwich material would be the best way to reduce the
stresses that would be evident in this type of battle scenario. 
Being made of separate plates, the armour will be able to spread the
stresses throughout the entire unit with less chance of fracturing. 
There are limits on how well this armour would operate in a real
life environment due to manufacturing variations.

Additional: The armour should be scored along it's surface, 
containing any fragmentation to a smaller area. Also, the aluminum 
substrate should be 'drilled' to further prevent fractures from 
spreading.


Additional: The use of a warm superconducting wire 'web'  in the 
armor can be used as a defense against IR weaponry and detection.

Additional: Linking a surface coating of phosphourus ceramic to the 
superconducting 'web' can reduce laser damage by 99%, reconverting 
the light energy back to electrical energy. This also 'cloaks' the 
suit against radar or laser targeting.

Additional: Passing 'pulses' of energy through the superconducting 
'web' should reduce energy-to-matter weapon effectiveness by 
approximately 50 percent. This includes poth particle and plasma 
based weaponry. This also acts as a damper against high frequency vibration.

I do not have the materials knowledge to recommend further changes.

Layer One:

[snipped- no comment]

END OF SIMULATION REPORT

Weapons project: SNLGP (Static Non-linear Gravity Projector)

        Capable of forming pockets of extreme high gravity, there is 
no known defense against this type of weaponry. Essentially a 
blackhole generator, it does not suffer from the creation, and 
subsequent release, of an event horizon. 

Theory: The universe consists of a 'laticework' of 'energy', forming 
small 'pockets'. These 'pockets' are the size of the smallest 
particle of matter, and have two states, they can either contain a 
particle or not. When 'full' the 'latticework' stretches slightly 
inward, pulling on the latticework around it. Many full 'pockets' 
close together will create a noticable effect. Basically, this is the 
theaory of gravity. (Derived from the not so remarkable fact that 
gravity is faster than light). By artificially generating this 
'tugging' effect on the 'latticwork' of the universe, gravity can be 
generated. A non-linear generator creates this effect by tugging of 
'strings' that converge at the target point.

(NOTE: a linear gravity generator is a form of jump drive, and 
operates by forming an event horizen with no corresponding gravity,
by tugging on non-convergent 'strings'.)

Weapons Project: Growler (Postive-Positive wave-plasma projector)

      A dual stream positive positive wave plasma generator works by 
spinning off a plasma stream from a hot plasma torus, imposing a low 
frequency sinusoidal waveform onto it, and projecting the two 
convergent streams in the direction of the target. It is termed a 
growler due to the noise the target makes before being holed and/or 
destroyed.

WARNING: The range of growler is limited by the muzzle diameter of 
the weapon, a stream of fire exceeding it's maximum range will 
'backlash' and destroy the weapon.

Weapons Project: Distortion Cannon (magnetic torus launcher)

ABANDONDED: power consumption extremely high, range too limited. 
Deamed not field practical.


Power Project: Hot Plasma Torus

      The hot plasma torus is not a power supply in and of itself, 
but rather a buffer between a power supply, and the suit systems. 
Essentially a battery/capacitor, it can take extreme loads, like the 
firing of a growler, without passing these onto the power generator  
system itself. As energy is fed into the system, it forms a plasma 
stream, contained within the torus. 

     Note: An oxygen-oxygen-H2O plasma stream is recommended, as O2 
can be spiralled off and provided for life support benefits. Under 
ideal conditions a fully carged torus could provide up to 109hours of 
breathable atmosphere, though practical field use is only about 36-48 
hours.

    Note: Plasma can also be spiralled off for use in a mercury-fusion 
thruster system. Essentially, mercury is heated explosivly, and 
forced out of a vent, propelling the suit forward. A reserve of 
iodine can provide afterburner capabilities. (Water can also be used, 
but with less spectacular results)

Note: Also a heat-sink, it can be used to compensate for and sort of 
abberant heat condition.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew Stodden <eos@ghost.cc.cmu.edu>
"But mostly, you learn to close your eyes and tell youself,
'This just isn't happening.'"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------