The modern BattleMech is perhaps the most complex machine ever
produced. Each 'Mech contains thousands of different components, far too many to explain
here. But exploring the systems and the capabilities of BattleMechs is a great way to
start getting to know these marvelous machines.
Every BattleMech contains a "skeleton" made up of several
dozen "bones." Each "bone" is a honeycombed, foamed-aluminum core
wrapped with stressed silicon-carbide monofilament and protected by a rigid,
titanium-steel shell. Each of these artificial "bones" has attachment points for
the myomer "muscles" and servos that drive the BattleMech. This skeletal
construction helps make BattleMechs less vulnerable and easier to repair than vehicles
supported by stressed-skin shells.
Two different systems are used to drive BattleMechs and control their
movements. Small, electrically driven actuators move a 'Mech's light weapons and sensor
arrays. Bundles of polyacetylene fibers called myomers control a 'Mech's limbs and main
weapons. Myomers contract when exposed to electrical current, much like human muscles. And
if a BattleMech's myomers are damaged in battle, technicians can replace the fiber bundles
with new ones or "transplant" myomers from other parts of the 'Mech's skeleton.
Transplanted myomer bundles cannot restore full function to a damaged limb, but they do
provide limited mobility and strength.
Two separate layers of armor provide modern BattleMechs with protection
against energy and projectile weapons. Usually, aligned-crystal steel is used for an outer
layer of armor. The aligned-crystal steel has excellent heat-conducting properties, and so
it provides excellent protection against lasers and particle-beam weapons. An inner layer
of boron nitride impregnated with diamond monofilament stops high-explosive armor-piercing
(HEAP) rounds and fast neutrons. This second layer of armor also prevents any armor
fragments from damaging the BattleMech's internal systems.
BattleMechs usually carry charged-particle-beam weapons or lasers as
their primary armaments, because energy weapons can be powered virtually indefinitely by a
'Mech's onboard fusion reactor and do not require ammunition reloads. In addition to
energy weapons, many BattleMechs carry launching racks for short- or long-range,
non-nuclear missiles. Still other 'Mechs mount rapid-fire autocannons or machine guns for
use against infantry, aircraft and other BattleMechs.
BattleMechs require a large, constant power supply for movement and
combat. The fusion reactor, which produces enormous amounts of electricity from ordinary
water, is the most efficient system for providing this power. And because the fusion
reaction created by a BattleMech's power plant does not release neutrons, the power plant
can operate indefinitely without becoming radioactive.
The fusion plant produces electricity by a process known as
magnetohydrodynamics. In this process, magnetic fields are used to channel plasma from the
fusion reaction into a loop. This plasma is electrically conductive, and so the loop
functions as a powerful generating coil, producing both electricity and waste heat. Every
BattleMech carries radiators called heat sinks to help dissipate this waste heat. Heat
sinks are especially important, because excessively high internal temperatures can disrupt
the magnetic containment fields around a BattleMech's reactor. And if a power plant's
magnetic "jar" is disrupted, an uncontrolled fusion reaction may occur,
releasing neutrons and exposing the BattleMech's internal systems and its crew to damaging
and lethal radiation.
BattleMechs can attain walking or running speeds ranging from 40 to 100
kilometers per hour in open terrain. Dense forests, swamps, and steep slopes will slow a
'Mech, but very few terrain features can stop one. In addition, many 'Mechs can jump over
obstacles by superheating air with their fusion reactors and jetting it out through
so-called jump jets. Jump-capable BattleMechs operating on worlds without atmospheres
often carry small quantities of mercury to use as reaction mass for their jets. And all
BattleMechs can move underwater when crossing rivers or small lakes.
Spaceborne BattleMechs can make assault landings from low orbit.
Special reaction jets housed in their feet allow them to soft-land from altitudes of up to
320 kilometers. During re-entry, breakaway ablative shields protect a BattleMech's
vulnerable sensors and weapons.
Because a BattleMech's systems are pushed to their limits during
combat, 'Mechs engaged in combat generate large amounts of waste heat rapidly. We've
already discussed how excessive internal temperatures can disrupt a fusion reactor's
magnetic containment shields. But excessive heat can also impair or permanently damage a
'Mech's electronics and computer systems, slowing the BattleMech's movement and reducing
the accuracy of its weapons.
Heat sinks are one way of controlling the heat build-up in a 'Mech. But
the heat pouring out of these radiators can produce strong infrared (IR) signatures, which
can make a 'Mech easy to target. To solve this problem, MechWarriors have found other ways
to control heat build-up. Often, MechWarriors will place their machines in shallow lakes
or rivers, if possible. Through the processes of conduction and convection, the running
water helps dissipate the 'Mech's internal heat, allowing a higher rate of activity. On
temperate or cold worlds, the atmosphere itself can help dissipate waste heat in the same
manner. On the other hand, the high outside temperatures of a desert or jungle environment
can exacerbate a BattleMech's heating problems.
Perhaps the most common way MechWarriors control heat-build-up is by
regulating the movement and firing rates of their machines manually or by reprogramming
the machine's movement control computer and its secondary systems. These computers can be
used to limit the 'Mech's rate of activity and the resulting heat build-up. For example,
when a 'Mech is sent to a high-temperature world, its activity-rate setting may be
lowered. The 'Mech will move more slowly and fire less often than it would on a temperate
planet. When a 'Mech is sent to fight in an arctic climate, the setting is raised,
allowing faster movement and a higher rate of fire. Reprogramming is usually carried out
while the BattleMech force is enroute to its assignment aboard DropShips. The process
takes approximately two weeks.
Because BattleMechs are always adjusted for the expected external
temperature of their combat environments, sudden increases in outside temperature can have
a devastating impact on a 'Mech's ability to dissipate waste heat. Tacticians have
developed a whole series of battle tactics to take advantage of this 'Mech characteristic.
For example, commanders regularly set forests on fire while enemy BattleMechs are
advancing through them. The air roaring around the 'Mechs can overload the machine's
cooling systems or drastically reduce their efficiency, thus hampering the machines'
combat capabilities.
Neural Helmets
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