Ion weapons vs RL Lightning?

[Ultimatum]

So been working on some droid/artificial ideas I have had. The biggest problem I have come across is the fact that because it is all droid based tech it is incredibly weak to Ionic weapons. I've been trying to figure out ways of counterbalance this, to make them in effect safe from most electrical weaponry.

I have very limited knowledge in the realm of electrical warfare, so I do not know if this assumption is true or not. But from my understanding, with ion weapons if a person were to put a strong enough insulator beneath a metallic skin that the electricity from the shot would travel along the skin to the ground rather than moving through the sensitive electronics within.

So is the above correct and if not what would? Are there other ways out there?

 

[Captain Jordan]

Gears and cogs?

 

[Damian Starchaser]

Storm Trooper Armor has a thing. If you read the Stormtrooper proper article after being stunned, EMPed, or Ioned this thing slowly dissipates the effects.

 

[Ultimatum]

[member="Captain Jordan"] I don't think that will help in the long run as droid brains cannot run on simple mechanisms like that.

[member="Damian Starchaser"] While that would work, the effect on a droid would be more permanent, from my understanding it damages the electrical equipment.

 

[Ellie Mors]

But from my understanding, with ion weapons if a person were to put a strong enough insulator beneath a metallic skin that the electricity from the shot would travel along the skin to the ground rather than moving through the sensitive electronics within.

In a very simple explanation, that could potentially work, I guess.

From wookieepedia:

Ion cannons fired particles that seriously interfered with the operation of electronics and computer systems, shorting circuits and often disabling them outright, in much the same manner as an electromagnetic pulse. The actual physical damage would sometimes result in fused joints on machines, due to the heat produced.

Large negative-ion pulses were charged in a turbine generator then channeled into a plasma charge or released as a large pulse towards a target. As a result, ion cannons were the weapon of choice for subduing, rather than destroying, enemy starships, vehicles, shields, or droids.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ion_cannon/Legends

So you could say that a strong enough insulator might protect or provide a degree of protection from ion bolts/blasters, but (as with regular blasters) there are varying degrees of ion cannons ranging from hand-held blasters, powerful rifles, starfighter ion cannons, to capital-grade ion cannons. Obviously the lattermost likely isn't going to be hindered by a practical insulator, but standard hand-held ion blasters will probably be more likely to be protected against by strong insulators on a droid body.

The other issue, beyond electrical overloading, would be the sheer heat caused by the excited plasma, which would probably cause the insulator to eventually melt (just as it causes circuitry to melt and machinery to fuse together) with sustained fire.

 

[Damian Starchaser]

[member="Captain Jordan"] I don't think that will help in the long run as droid brains cannot run on simple mechanisms like that.

[member="Damian Starchaser"] While that would work, the effect on a droid would be more permanent, from my understanding it damages the electrical equipment.

If we are taking primary canon into consideration no. Droids are able to come back after being stunned with ionic energy. Ala the Clone Wars TV series. There is a few instances of droids being stunned and then coming back on later in that and others were they were didn't come back on. I intend to re-watch the series coming up with my little nephew so I'll confirm the crap out of that canon precedence for you.

 

[Ultimatum]

Thanks, [member="Damian Starchaser"] I might use that then, perhaps some advancement of that technology.

[member="Lily Kuhn"] That was what I had theorized, hence the question of ion blaster strength versus lightning. Partly because in the real world as far as I know we do not have an effective insulator from lightning rather we divert it to the ground. Thanks for this, I can work out a solution now.

 

[Ellie Mors]

hence the question of ion blaster strength versus lightning

You're not going to find many weapons remotely comparable to a bolt of real world lightning in terms of energy output. I suggest not comparing or trying to compare an ion blaster to a lightning bolt.

 

[Ultimatum]

Thank you, I had guessed that lightning was fairly powerful, even by star wars standards, but I was unsure. Thanks for the information.

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

 

[Ellie Mors]

was fairly powerful, even by star wars standards, but I was unsure.

While turbolasers and such may outclass the energy output of a single bolt of lightning, handheld weaponry (such as ion blasters, blaster rifles, and disruptors) aren't quite close in comparison.

 

[Ultimatum]

Aye.

Thanks again.

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

 

[Captain Jordan]

[member="Captain Jordan"] I don't think that will help in the long run as droid brains cannot run on simple mechanisms like that.

Why do people take me seriously?

 

[sabrina]

[member="Captain Jordan"] [member="Ultimatum"]

these work on cogs alone, and Doctor Who is always right

 

[Ultimatum]

[member="Captain Jordan"] Pardon me taking it seriously, I find that that is the safest bet. Some people might take offense if I assume their idea is a joke. I did laugh when I saw it though so kudos.

[member="sabrina"] Aye, you can always trust the man traveling through time in a ship that is deceptively large on the inside who changes form rather than die.

 

[Captain Jordan]

[member="sabrina"]

I was thinking of this:

 

[sabrina]

[member="Ultimatum"] yes you can