100megawatt powersource within a humanoid robot.

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Solifugae

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Are there existing or theoretically possible powersources that can generate that much power for at least 6 months of operation? It has to fit into a 30cm cube inside the robots chest.

I'm guessing only nuclear power can generate that much power for that long, but there are no reactors that small. What about that fission decay process that is used in spacecraft? I don't think it generates such a high intensity of power though.

What about known theoretical limits, as opposed to what is currently possible?
 
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Shpaget

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Nothing even near that small and powerful exists.
For example, one of the latest designs of fission reactors designed for space usage is SAFE-400.
Its reactor is 50 cm tall and 30 cm in diameter and weights 1200 kgs. That is just a reactor, without all the thermal exchange, power-generation and control systems.
It produces 100kW of electric energy (that is 100kW, not 100MW).
Looking to built your own Iron Man suite?
Anyway, why do you need so much power?
 
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bushwhacker

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as meteorwayne always say's to take over the workd pinky
 
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Shpaget

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bushwhacker":369ym2x8 said:
as meteorwayne always say's to take over the workd pinky

Well, with 100MW he can power a Nimitz class aircraft carrier, which certainly gets him closer to world domination. :lol:
 
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Solifugae

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Anyway, why do you need so much power?

Because of its weight. It is armored in 5 cm of Tungsten-Steel across the chest, and is over 2 meters tall. Its outer shell and chassis alone would weigh more than a Humvee, so it will need considerable power to move at even human velocities.

It's supposed to be a horrible, horrible multi-ton monster that can run as fast as a tiger.
 
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Shpaget

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Like I said, with 100MW you could power an aircraft carrier.
Why not go with something less immensely humongous, like 2-3MW? That's 3000 horsepower which should be more than enough (that is still waaay impossible to put in a 30x30x30 cm cube).
 
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rubicondsrv

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Solifugae":oxmxad4j said:
Anyway, why do you need so much power?

Because of its weight. It is armored in 5 cm of Tungsten-Steel across the chest, and is over 2 meters tall. Its outer shell and chassis alone would weigh more than a Humvee, so it will need considerable power to move at even human velocities.

It's supposed to be a horrible, horrible multi-ton monster that can run as fast as a tiger.


1MW would be excessive for that, 100 mw is Insane.

A single GE 90-115b produces about 100MW. I can assure you that a 777 is both far heavier and faster than your robot needs to be.

If it only needs to run as fast as a tiger, a rolls-royce C-30/c40 powering hydraulic pumps would be more than sufficient, you don't need much more than 300kw to do what you want. also if you are using tungsten steel alloys as your primary armor, you are far behind the curve in armor system design. Composite armor can provide better protection for less weight, albeit at a substantially greater cost.

simply put 100MW is far more power than most ships and aircraft use, let alone a bipedal robot that is not expected to fly.
 
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Solifugae

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Originally, I wanted it to run at the insane speed of 100m/s (ten times a human) and overtake cars and stuff, but I don't know how much insane amounts of power that would require when you consider how legs work as opposed to wheels. I asked this question in physics about how much more powerful a sprinter would need to be at those speeds. Ignoring air resistance, and the increased weight, it should need more than 100 times the power of a sprinter (producing over a kw) to go ten as fast. When you add in that its a killer robot that has to be super strong and armored, its weight should cause this requirement to rise rapidly, but I don't know to what extent.
 
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Shpaget

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Wind resistance at 360 km/h is substantial, so you can't just ignore it.

Running is extremely inefficient way of moving.
Just give him couple of small retractable/inflatable wheels (in feet and hands) and off he goes with a fraction of power necessary.
It also gives him a vulnerability (he's slow on rough terrain).
Godmodding is never good.
 
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Solifugae

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Wind resistance at 360 km/h is substantial, so you can't just ignore it.

Of course not, which is why the power requirements will be even more insane than I stated. I'm trying to work out (not exactly, but the ballpark) of how much power it needs to be legged. The little wheels are a good idea in practical terms, but don't sound too intimidating.
 
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Shpaget

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Yes, it would require a lot of energy, but not 100 MW.
TGVs draw up to 12 MW and they're a lot bigger than a 2 m tall robot, faster too.
 
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Solifugae

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Is 500kw a plausible number if the robots weight is reduced to something like 350 kilos? I don't know how armored it would be then. It needs to be strong enough to run into walls without damage and essentially be bullet proof to handguns.

I apprehend that trying to generate even that much power means that even with lightweight shell and chassis the powersource will raise the weight enormously from what I just stated, considering "SAFE-400" you cite generates less power and weighs over a tonne. Doesn't seem like it would be currently possible even in theory to have a bipedal robot that powerful/fast. Of course, if you lower the speed by a factor 2, the power requirement will go down squared.

I think being as faster than a person is probably fast enough, but I was interested if this was possible.
 
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Shpaget

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Since it seems that you are writing some SF story, why don't you just give him an "immensely powerful power supply"? No need to say exactly how strong.
 
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Solifugae

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I wanted at least what I call "ballpark realism" which is where the technology fits known limits, even if it doesn't fit current technology. For example, a ballpark realistic spacecraft would be one that can achieve high relativistic speeds with some kind of currently theoretical drive. A craft that exceeds c and breaks light speed and the basic principles of physics is where you've hit the ball out of the park and into fantasy without basis.

I guess the machine can be nuclear powered, cause even this "SAFE-400" reactor you mentioned surely isn't the theoretical limit for reactor miniaturization and power ratio, is it?
 
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nimbus

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A polywell might produce usable power. It's a fairly simple reactor configuration but you'd have to work out the energy conversion scheme. It'd probably have to be direct conversion, not steam.
 
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