Impulse drive: Difference between revisions
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==Technical== | |||
* Short for "internally metered pulse drive" (Invasion Novel: ''First Strike'') | * Short for "internally metered pulse drive" (Invasion Novel: ''First Strike'') | ||
* Main [[Federation]] sublight drive system | * Main [[Federation]] sublight drive system | ||
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** Maximum impulse velocity limited to 0.25c by policy, to prevent severe relativistic effects from bringing vessels too significantly out of sync with rest-frame activities (''TNG Tech Manual'') | ** Maximum impulse velocity limited to 0.25c by policy, to prevent severe relativistic effects from bringing vessels too significantly out of sync with rest-frame activities (''TNG Tech Manual'') | ||
*** Up to 0.75c in emergency situations (''TNG Tech Manual'') | *** Up to 0.75c in emergency situations (''TNG Tech Manual'') | ||
* Impulse operation produces ion exhaust (NF Novel: ''House of Cards'') | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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* 2018: Invented by [[Earth]], quickly displacing other engine technologies | * 2018: Invented by [[Earth]], quickly displacing other engine technologies | ||
* Late-21st century: First redesigns to incorporate subspace features, increasing potential delta-V | * Late-21st century: First redesigns to incorporate subspace features, increasing potential delta-V | ||
==Components== | |||
* Impulse rod (NF Novel: ''Into the Void'') | |||
** ''Unclear what this might be'' | |||
[[Category:Propulsion]] | [[Category:Propulsion]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:46, 8 June 2019
Technical
- Short for "internally metered pulse drive" (Invasion Novel: First Strike)
- Main Federation sublight drive system
- Description guided by both TNG technical manual and general description in Final Frontier, in order to best fit qualities on-screen inconsistent with straightforward Newtonian drive
- Based on deuterium-fed laser pulse fusion reactor generating high energy electroplasma compatible with internal EPS power systems
- Early systems occasionally also based on tritium fusion (TNG Novel: A Time to Sow)
- First generations of impulse fusion reactors produced neutron radiation as a byproduct, requiring extensive radiation shielding (TNG Novel: A Time to Sow)
- Combination of Newtonian and non-Newtonian propulsion (DS9 Novel: Gamma: Original Sin)
- Fusion reaction captured by artificial gravitational field, subspace field effects to hypercompress released energy, generating spatial distortions to linearly propel vessel either forward or in reverse
- Velocity aided and vectored by expulsion of reactants under effect of a subspace field driver coils, increasing reactant mass and reducing vessel mass to increase effectiveness of Newtonian propulsion (TNG Tech Manual)
- As of 2270s, impulse operation also incorporates low-level warp field to reduce vessel inertial mass (TOS Novel: Ex Machina; TNG Tech Manual)
- Soon after implementation, led to impulse velocities sometimes being referred to as fractional warp velocities, though this practice was soon dropped (Star Trek: The Motion Picture; TOS Novel: Ex Machina)
- Maximum impulse velocity limited to 0.25c by policy, to prevent severe relativistic effects from bringing vessels too significantly out of sync with rest-frame activities (TNG Tech Manual)
- Up to 0.75c in emergency situations (TNG Tech Manual)
- Impulse operation produces ion exhaust (NF Novel: House of Cards)
History
- 2018: Invented by Earth, quickly displacing other engine technologies
- Late-21st century: First redesigns to incorporate subspace features, increasing potential delta-V
Components
- Impulse rod (NF Novel: Into the Void)
- Unclear what this might be