Whitehead torpedo

It has occurred to me that something like the Whitehead torpedo, which used a compressed air reciprocating engine for propulsion, could be constructed without violating the proscriptions.

Now like the sea bombs, it's a weapon system that would both be easier for Charis to develop and more advantageous for potential enemies. So I think it's a good candidate for a piece of military technology to be introduced in the next novel, most likely by Siddarmark.

Salisria wrote:It has occurred to me that something like the Whitehead torpedo, which used a compressed air reciprocating engine for propulsion, could be constructed without violating the proscriptions.

Now like the sea bombs, it's a weapon system that would both be easier for Charis to develop and more advantageous for potential enemies. So I think it's a good candidate for a piece of military technology to be introduced in the next novel, most likely by Siddarmark.

I would think you could also make a torpedo based on hydrogen peroxide and propane in something akin to a diesel engine except backwards. (Propane is admitted by the valve, then hydrogen peroxide is injected.) The energy content is low but since they don't have seekers the maximum range is short anyway.

I don't see a hydrogen peroxide-propane propulsion system as a likely development for four reasons.

First, sufficiently pure hydrogen peroxide for propulsion uses in quantity at an economic price was a mid-20th century development, so it probably won't be available by the time of the next war.

Second, even if be available, it likely would be available only to Charis and Charis is unlikely to deploy torpedoes first.

Third, compressed-air propulsion systems will be safer than anything involving any sort of combustion.

Fourth, a conventional kerosene combustion system (in either heater or wet-heater configuration) will be both sufficiently better in performance than compressed air for any story purposes and not require as much technological exposition to be written as peroxide would require.

Salisria wrote:I don't see a hydrogen peroxide-propane propulsion system as a likely development for four reasons.

First, sufficiently pure hydrogen peroxide for propulsion uses in quantity at an economic price was a mid-20th century development, so it probably won't be available by the time of the next war.

Second, even if be available, it likely would be available only to Charis and Charis is unlikely to deploy torpedoes first.

Third, compressed-air propulsion systems will be safer than anything involving any sort of combustion.

Fourth, a conventional kerosene combustion system (in either heater or wet-heater configuration) will be both sufficiently better in performance than compressed air for any story purposes and not require as much technological exposition to be written as peroxide would require.

Good point about safety, H2O2 that's pure enough to be a useful oxidizer is probably beyond their ability to handle safely. A kerosene burner needs air, though--problematic in a torpedo.

And whether or not they deploy it first I'm sure the inner circle is going to design whatever they can that doesn't provoke a strike from the sky.

Loren Pechtel wrote:A kerosene burner needs air, though--problematic in a torpedo.

And whether or not they deploy it first I'm sure the inner circle is going to design whatever they can that doesn't provoke a strike from the sky.

Kerosene burning torpedoes were the standard used by all sides in both World Wars, and we already have white oil (aka kerosene) mentioned as being in production on Safehold. The major development between the wars was the development of torpedoes by Britain and Japan that used something other than mere compressed air as the oxidizer for the kerosene.
(Britain used oxygen-enriched air in its Mark VII torpedoes while Japan managed the trickier use of pure oxygen in its Long Lance series of torpedoes. Reducing and/or eliminating the nitrogen found in air increases both range and stealthiness for torpedoes but makes torpedoes more dangerous to carry.)

Pure oxygen in a torpedo required meticulous attention to cleanliness, freedom from machine oil in parts,...and 'meticulous' was something that Japanese machinists excelled at.

Salisria wrote:

Loren Pechtel wrote:A kerosene burner needs air, though--problematic in a torpedo.

And whether or not they deploy it first I'm sure the inner circle is going to design whatever they can that doesn't provoke a strike from the sky.

Kerosene burning torpedoes were the standard used by all sides in both World Wars, and we already have white oil (aka kerosene) mentioned as being in production on Safehold. The major development between the wars was the development of torpedoes by Britain and Japan that used something other than mere compressed air as the oxidizer for the kerosene.
(Britain used oxygen-enriched air in its Mark VII torpedoes while Japan managed the trickier use of pure oxygen in its Long Lance series of torpedoes. Reducing and/or eliminating the nitrogen found in air increases both range and stealthiness for torpedoes but makes torpedoes more dangerous to carry.)