SPIDER - Potential for Impulse Drive

[Pauln6]

I stumbled across this experiment being set up in Padua, Italy, which apparently resembles a distillery (vindication for ST09?) where streams of deuterium and tritium are smashed together in super hot plasma to fuse and form helium atoms plus high energy neutrons that can run turbines.

These seem like ingredients that any starship might have, so I wondered if a higher tech version could form the basis for an Impulse engine?

 

[StarCruiser]

You probably don't want anything that would induce rotation by accident (torque effects from the turbine). Either you would need to set them up in counter-rotating pairs or...?

Depending on any form of mechanical conversion of one form of energy to another has several issues - reliability - efficiency etc...

 

[Pauln6]

You probably don't want anything that would induce rotation by accident (torque effects from the turbine). Either you would need to set them up in counter-rotating pairs or...?

Depending on any form of mechanical conversion of one form of energy to another has several issues - reliability - efficiency etc...

Yeah, rotating turbines sounds too mechanical for a starship but I think this is the intention of the experiment to show power output. I wonder what alternative uses those high powered neutrons could be put to in the 23rd century. Presumably anything that a conventional fusion reactor could be put to? How do Impulse engines generate power anyway?

 

[StarCruiser]

Conversion of waste heat? Maybe...?

This is part of the reason you want to keep the tech vague in SciFi. Don't go into too much detail since you may well violate known scientific laws and theories...

 

[Pauln6]

Conversion of waste heat? Maybe...?

This is part of the reason you want to keep the tech vague in SciFi. Don't go into too much detail since you may well violate known scientific laws and theories...

I prefer Star Trek tech to be based on engineering principles with a twist rather than, say, a spore drive dipping through the mycelial network or hyperdrive powered by a plahingi-ha-ha. It distinguishes Trek from its inferiors.

Until the writers forget. Then we get to rant for months on these forums.

Most current tech revolves around steam or water powering turbines but that low level output would never be enough to power a ship to one half the speed of light in seconds. I just like the idea of Impulse using neutrons to generate energy for reasons obvious to any Whovians...