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Impulse Engines
Impulse engines are the main form of propulsion at sub light speeds aboard a Starship; Impulse engines are used for travel within a solar system or areas of space where warp drive can not function. The engine is a basic fusion system with vectored exhaust, not unlike a solid propellant rocket. The standard speed for impulse power is .25c, on larger ships such as Galaxy class ships the secondary engines on the saucer section can be combined with the main engines to produce speeds up to .75c, although this is avoided if possible due to relativistic concerns and engine efficiency.
The impulse engine is made up of four main parts. The impulse reaction chamber, a six meter diameter sphere, where deuterium shush is feed in and a fusion reaction takes place. Multiple spheres, four on a Galaxy class, are liked together to increase power. The plasma created by the fusion process is then feed into the second stage of the impulse engine, the accelerator/generator. During space flight mode the plasma is accelerated by the second stage and passed onto the third stage, the driver coil. The A/G can also use part of the impulse engines power to supply ships systems by feeding the plasma into the ships EPS lines. The engines are able to drive the ship and provide power simultaneously if needed. The third stage is driver coil, it lowers the mass of the ship to allow the ship to pass more easily through space and time. The final stage of the impulse engine is the vectored exhaust director. This stage directs the flow of the impulse engine exhaust to allow free movement of the ship on any axis. The complete assembly can be duplicated many times throughout the ship. On Galaxy class ships there are four impulse engines on the star drive section, and two secondary groups of two engines in the saucer section.
Travelling at high impulse speed, greater then .25c, has a price. Since it is sub light speed, general relativity applies. As impulse speed increases, time slows down aboard the ship, time passes faster in the rest of the universe. This is becomes very inconvenient when carrying out missions. High impulse speed should be avoided when ever possible in favour of warp drive which doesn't follow general relativity.
Last edited by Adge - May 2004
Impulse engines are the main form of propulsion at sub light speeds aboard a Starship; Impulse engines are used for travel within a solar system or areas of space where warp drive can not function. The engine is a basic fusion system with vectored exhaust, not unlike a solid propellant rocket. The standard speed for impulse power is .25c, on larger ships such as Galaxy class ships the secondary engines on the saucer section can be combined with the main engines to produce speeds up to .75c, although this is avoided if possible due to relativistic concerns and engine efficiency.
The impulse engine is made up of four main parts. The impulse reaction chamber, a six meter diameter sphere, where deuterium shush is feed in and a fusion reaction takes place. Multiple spheres, four on a Galaxy class, are liked together to increase power. The plasma created by the fusion process is then feed into the second stage of the impulse engine, the accelerator/generator. During space flight mode the plasma is accelerated by the second stage and passed onto the third stage, the driver coil. The A/G can also use part of the impulse engines power to supply ships systems by feeding the plasma into the ships EPS lines. The engines are able to drive the ship and provide power simultaneously if needed. The third stage is driver coil, it lowers the mass of the ship to allow the ship to pass more easily through space and time. The final stage of the impulse engine is the vectored exhaust director. This stage directs the flow of the impulse engine exhaust to allow free movement of the ship on any axis. The complete assembly can be duplicated many times throughout the ship. On Galaxy class ships there are four impulse engines on the star drive section, and two secondary groups of two engines in the saucer section.
Travelling at high impulse speed, greater then .25c, has a price. Since it is sub light speed, general relativity applies. As impulse speed increases, time slows down aboard the ship, time passes faster in the rest of the universe. This is becomes very inconvenient when carrying out missions. High impulse speed should be avoided when ever possible in favour of warp drive which doesn't follow general relativity.
Last edited by Adge - May 2004