Other EtM Storage Technology (READ NOTE)

Discussion in 'Approved' started by TrIpTiCuS, Apr 28, 2019.

  1. TrIpTiCuS

    TrIpTiCuS Galactic Enforcer

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    Name:
    EtM storage (Energy to Matter), also known as annihilation storage or, more casually, quantum storage.

    Description:
    Held upright by chain and wire, a mech dominates the central floor of a workshop, currently lacking in any form of armour plating. A worker steps up to one of the legs where two halves of leg armour are only loosely held together with a seam where welding is to occur. He takes his welder and attaches a small capsule to the bottom only to begin welding. A large, durable line of metal appears in the welders path, not just from the metal plating melting together but from additional metal supplied by the welder.

    A shipment of rations has just entered the hold of a small military corvette. Among the standard dry and barely edible emergency rations are a series of what looks to be hard drives. One is inserted into a food printer which quickly gets to work. From the simple looking hard drive the printer draws several plates of fresh, steaming food which the crew responds to with aggressive indifference.


    What these two cases share in common with one another is the presence of a quantum storage device, be that in the form of a simple, one matter type capsule or a more complex storage drive. They often take on the appearance of much more common technological devices and feature a rudimentary classifications system. It goes as follows:

    Batteries. Small and cylindrical, batteries hold a large quantity of one or two types of matter. Standard issue models retail at around 1000 Px.
    Capsules. Similar to batteries though larger, capsules hold more matter than batteries but are still only limited to under 5 separate forms of matter. Standard issue models retail at around 2000 Px.

    Cartridges. Cartridges are small and square and hold a more complex onboard computer allowing the saving of simple 3D printing blueprints.Though they can hold up to 20 different types of matter they are limited in the quantity they can hold. Standard issue models retail at around 2500 Px.
    Drives. Drives are larger than their cartridge counterparts, can hold upwards of 50 unique types of matter and can host much more complex 3D printing blueprints. Though they can hold more matter than cartridges, they are still only on par with batteries for sheer quantity. Standard issue models retail at around 4000 Px.

    Abilities:
    • Lightweight. EtM storage devices are practically weightless, both empty and full. A fully charged device will usually only weigh 3-5% more than the base device, though certain devices will weigh more.
    • Universal. Most storage devices can fit into most tools or equipment requiring these, at most necessitating a conversion chord.
    • Sleep mode. Though they require power when idle, this power consumption is very minimal and can easily be satiated with the use of an atomic battery.
    Conditional Abilities:
    • Storage grids. Though a rare practice due to the unsecure nature of it, several storage drives and capsules can be hooked together into one large storage grid. In theory this could facilitate the use of a central drop off point for cargo which would then be evenly distributed throughout all connected devices, though this is prone to causing volatile reactions in the interconnected devices.
    Limitations:
    • Volatile. If sufficiently damaged the device might start grounding itself, causing matter present in it to discharge and eventually disappear. If excessively damaged all the matter could shoot out in a violent explosion, comparable to an HE grenade.
    • Powerhungry. During input and output procedures the power consumption scales dramatically. Smaller devices can usually be met by an atomic battery whereas larger devices (commonly ones associated with cartridges and drives) need to be hooked up to main power grids.
    • Dangerous power outage. Should the device run out of power, either from lack of protection from an EMP or just not being sufficiently powered all the energised matter within will fail containment and violently rupture.
    • Cost. The technology costs a fair amount.
    • Poor interaction. With the exception of certain batteries, EtM storage devices react poorly to being interconnected into the same grid. Even in the case of said batteries, they often have to be physically disconnected at all times in order to prevent dangerous reactions.
    • Comparatively low capacity. With a comparatively low storage capacity compared to the likes of EN modules, EtM storage devices find only niche use.
    How does it work?:

    The general principle of EtM storage devices can be found in the age old formula E=MC^2. An EtM storage device (or quantum storage device as it shall be called here on out) works by annihilating matter and transporting it to special batteries.

    Let's start at the first step. The annihilation and subsequent transportation of matter. A piece of material such as an ingot of metal, a piece of food or what have you is placed before an annihilator, a reverse 3D printer if you will. In the case of a drive or cartridge, this item is scanned atom by atom and the resulting blueprint is stored in the drive before being annihilated. Annihilation is performed by a rig of tiny, high yield lasers which blast the item, subsequently destroying the matter and transforming it into pure energy. This energy is captured and transported via wires, so called “energised matter conduits”, to storage banks. These storage banks are, in a lot of ways, no different from standard batteries. During this stage great care is put into organising the energy. Energy derived from, say, copper is placed into one bank whereas energy derived from carbon is placed into another. This is to make sure that the device can easily read how much of whatever material is stored on the device.

    When the matter has been stored on the device it can safely be disconnected and transported. The device weighs no more than it did before and can easily be connected to other tools or machines that require quantum storage devices. These can even interface with certain hammerspace modules and hammerspace module requiring machines for purposes of matter transportation. The amount of matter each device can carry is usually measured in cubic metres of iron and go as follows*.

    Batteries. 0.5-1 m^3 of iron.
    Capsules. 1-2 m^3 of iron.

    Cartridge. 0.15-0.25 m^3 of iron.
    Drive. 0.25-0.75 m^3 of iron.
    *These values are estimates based on conventional devices for handheld or otherwise small scale purposes. Larger devices for use on industrial or military vehicles often carry more but are as a result far bigger and more expensive.

    Finally comes the reconstruction phase. Energy drawn from the onboard storage banks is focused into a tight, powerful beam similar to the one which once destroyed the matter initially. It should be noted that, during the process it requires a little over twice as much energy as the matter is technically worth in order to be transformed back into matter. This is the primary reason why input and withdrawal are such energy demanding processes. Regardless, energy in the form of photons is smashed together into the correct quantity of protons, electrons and subsequently neutrons. These are reassembled into their constituent materials by an advanced, highly intricate 3D printer and eventually you yield the same, or sometimes a different, item that you inserted into the quantum storage device initially.

    Quantum storage devices are very attractive for quick and lightweight field use (such as portable water tanks), as simplistic reconstruction and annihilation devices to be used with batteries and capsules can be very compact and space efficient along with the nigh weightless nature of stored matter. More complex rigs of scanners and 3D printers to facilitate the use of drives and cartridges are slightly less space efficient however and require a more dedicated space for use. However it is important that unused batteries, capsules, cartridges and drives are physically disconnected from their tools and grids when not used due to their volatile nature. Most devices have a built in way of disconnecting their energised matter conduits with the rest of the device when not in use but for many hand held tools, disconnecting and setting the device aside is recommended.

    Referenced Technologies:
    None

    Attainability:
    Open

    Tags:
    Industrial

    Categories:
    Other/Components

    Note:
    This is a rewrite of my previous EtM storage application. I felt the old app was outdated, poorly written, confusingly worded and vague in its descriptions. I thus felt it was in great need of a complete rework. The upsides, downsides and general feel and function of the two apps is more or less the same however this one features greater detail into just how the device functions, just what it requires to run and has a slightly more defined purpose. This was made to make it feel like a suitable sidegrade to the likes of EN modules and standard shipping containers or storage boxes as the device which sacrifices a bit of storage space, propensity to not blow up and extra cost in favour of being easy to move and transport.
     
    Last edited: May 6, 2019
    PrivateNomad likes this.
  2. Markus Aleksandr

    Markus Aleksandr The Liberated Bronze Donator

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    Hey, sorry about the wait.

    Two questions:

    How, exactly, is this intended to 'interface' with Hammerspace tech?

    Is there no actual weight difference between an 'empty' and 'full' device? Or is it negligible as with conventional batteries?
     
  3. TrIpTiCuS

    TrIpTiCuS Galactic Enforcer

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    No problem!

    1. It would probably interface via a construction/printing device as part of the transferral process.

    2. Weight difference is nonexistent. Think an uncharged phone vs a fully charged phone.

    Hope this helps!
     
  4. Markus Aleksandr

    Markus Aleksandr The Liberated Bronze Donator

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    Alright, I'm fine with 1

    As far 2 goes, though, I'd have to respectfully disagree. While it's, in the application of a phone, completely negligible, there is a difference in weight between an uncharged and fully charged device... We just can't effectively measure it most of the time using today's scales. When we start getting into comparatively giant figures like what's involved in this process, however, you'd start noticing at least some difference... Some would argue a 1:1 difference, but considering the drawbacks this device has, I'm willing to concede it to be negligible but still noticeable.
     
  5. TrIpTiCuS

    TrIpTiCuS Galactic Enforcer

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    Yes that is what I mean, there would be a difference, but for most day to day purposes such as in a handheld device it's negligible at best (a welder packing on an extra gram of weight when fully charged). It'd be most noticeable during mass transit cargo capsules where it might pack on an extra half a tonne but on a freighter a capsule weighing maybe only two and a half tonnes and carrying what in normal matter would weigh several times more it'd still be way lighter than say an EN device.
     
  6. Markus Aleksandr

    Markus Aleksandr The Liberated Bronze Donator

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    For sure. So long as that's made clear, I'm fine giving it its Pass

    Not my intention to come off as a stickler for a detail most people won't notice account for anyway, but something something devils, something something details. You understand.
     
  7. TrIpTiCuS

    TrIpTiCuS Galactic Enforcer

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    Weightless ability has been updated to incorporate this change.