Warp Core and ship power?
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from what I recall the ships are still able to maneuver and use weapons etc when the warp core conveniently decides to go off line at a critical plot point 
I think there are various antimatter reactors, batteries and whatnot that power the ship without the warp core . . .
I think there are various antimatter reactors, batteries and whatnot that power the ship without the warp core . . .
from what I recall the ships are still able to maneuver and use weapons etc when the warp core conveniently decides to go off line at a critical plot point
I think there are various antimatter reactors, batteries and whatnot that power the ship without the warp core . . .
Thank you
So those systems can still be powered with other reactors and batteries when the warp core is offline, but when it is online, do the systems use the warp core?
Just speculation here.
I assume the warp core CAN be used to power most systems directly, as we've seen in TMP where the ship's phasers were hooked up to the core.
Normally the core will only power the warp engines and recharge the batteries that feed anything else (except holodecks
)
I assume the warp core CAN be used to power most systems directly, as we've seen in TMP where the ship's phasers were hooked up to the core.
Normally the core will only power the warp engines and recharge the batteries that feed anything else (except holodecks
)Just speculation here.
I assume the warp core CAN be used to power most systems directly, as we've seen in TMP where the ship's phasers were hooked up to the core.
Normally the core will only power the warp engines and recharge the batteries that feed anything else (except holodecks
I thought they used fusion reactors for most energy, which is delivered around the ship via the EPS conduits
Warp power (matter-antimatter reaction) was just for the warp engines. There seems to be some sort of transformer to convert warp energy into EPS energy. It is often rerouted, like running the the deflector grid directly off the warp drive, in one episode.
Hope that helps?
I thought they used fusion reactors for most energy, which is delivered around the ship via the EPS conduits
There seems to be some sort of transformer to convert warp energy into EPS energy. It is often rerouted, like running the the deflector grid directly off the warp drive, in one episode.
Hope that helps?
Ok, so just to make sure I have it right: Warp energy is not normally used for other functions, but can be if needed (emergency, etc...)?
I don't know. This is just what I like to believe.
I think warp power might supplement other power generation methods.
Look on memory alpha. It explains most things.
I think warp power might supplement other power generation methods.
Look on memory alpha. It explains most things.
They generally tend to make a big deal out of using warp power for anything besides warp drive. It can complement regular weapons and shields power at least, or can be channeled through the warp engines or the main deflector to create strange nonpropulsive effects. But apparently, it always requires at least some modifications for doing so.
In contrast, we don't know of a starship function other than warp drive that would absolutely require warp power. Ships have been seen flying around at impulse, raising shields, firing weapons, performing tractoring and transport and cloaking even when warp drive has been down.
Then again, there's the third aspect to this: we have never heard of a ship or craft that explicitly couldn't cross-connect its various power sources when need be.
So it would seem safe to conclude that everything is possible. Warp power can be used for everything but it need not be used for anything, except (as far as we can tell) warp speed travel. Although one might argue that at least some TOS ships can move faster than light even when their warp drives are crippled - say, Kirk's ship in "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Or was it just a colossal coincidence that the ship happened to be mere lightdays from a Federation lithium cracking station when she broke down? (Or perhaps a preplanned mission aspect? Perhaps Kirk had had a refill there just hours before the beginning of the episode?)
Timo Saloniemi
In contrast, we don't know of a starship function other than warp drive that would absolutely require warp power. Ships have been seen flying around at impulse, raising shields, firing weapons, performing tractoring and transport and cloaking even when warp drive has been down.
Then again, there's the third aspect to this: we have never heard of a ship or craft that explicitly couldn't cross-connect its various power sources when need be.
So it would seem safe to conclude that everything is possible. Warp power can be used for everything but it need not be used for anything, except (as far as we can tell) warp speed travel. Although one might argue that at least some TOS ships can move faster than light even when their warp drives are crippled - say, Kirk's ship in "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Or was it just a colossal coincidence that the ship happened to be mere lightdays from a Federation lithium cracking station when she broke down? (Or perhaps a preplanned mission aspect? Perhaps Kirk had had a refill there just hours before the beginning of the episode?)
Timo Saloniemi
I imagine that if it's possible to route warp power into the normal power grid, than the reverse should be possible too. Though I imagine that you'd be on a short commons in terms of power: no replicators (that's what I imagine those processor slots to be), maybe lowered gravity, and you'd better hope that if you get in a fight, you don't end up having to run away, because you can't power your weapons, your shields, and your warp drive!
...not that you'd be able to run very fast in any case...
...not that you'd be able to run very fast in any case...
I think the warp drive uses far more power than all the other systems put together, and that is why it needed a matter-antimatter reaction, because only that reaction was powerful enough. Fusion reactions work by releasing 'binding energy', which is miniscule in comparison to the mass-energy of the fuel 'burned'.
The enormity of energy produced in the warpcore meant that a small amount could be tapped for powering other systems via the EPS conduits. Even when the warp core was offline, or ejected, I believe that back-up generators were in place, likely to be fusion reactors, that may have run permanently anyway. This allows the warp core to provide additional power where necessary without having to boot up the back-up reactors.
I doubt that the fusion reactors would ever have been powerful enough to run the warp drive. Considering how sensitive and unstable warp fields were (eg, Daedalus incident) it isn't a technology you could just jury rig.
The enormity of energy produced in the warpcore meant that a small amount could be tapped for powering other systems via the EPS conduits. Even when the warp core was offline, or ejected, I believe that back-up generators were in place, likely to be fusion reactors, that may have run permanently anyway. This allows the warp core to provide additional power where necessary without having to boot up the back-up reactors.
I doubt that the fusion reactors would ever have been powerful enough to run the warp drive. Considering how sensitive and unstable warp fields were (eg, Daedalus incident) it isn't a technology you could just jury rig.
Though most of this thread pertains to newer Star Trek, the Classic Series episode 'Elaan of Troyius' makes it pretty clear that at least the weapons require the matter/antimatter reactor. That episode seems to imply that the shields are also weaker on impulse power.
Also 'The Changeling' shows Scotty boosting power to shields at the expense of warp speed to stave off Nomad's attacks.
Also 'The Changeling' shows Scotty boosting power to shields at the expense of warp speed to stave off Nomad's attacks.
Then again, if you use a lot of fusion fuel, you get the same result as with using a little bit of antimatter. And the former might be easier to do in bulk than the latter.
IIRC, per unit mass, deuterium-deuterium fusion gives about one-thousandth the energy of deuterium-antideuterium annihilation. So just use a thousand times more fuel and you get the same power.
Timo Saloniemi
^Although true, something has to carry that energy.
With matter-antimatter annihilation, the energy is carried as high energy photons. And it is a photon flux of such intensity that it would not only strip electrons from atoms, but prevent electrons from being recaptured by nuclear cores. If nothing else, this would create an electronic plasma of whatever it hit. Is there also the possibly of a cold plasma since these are not thermal photons? That may be important.
With deuterium fusion, the energy is carried as thermal energy by the helium-4 product, plus neutrinos and a whole spectrum of photon energies.
There isn't just energy to consider; there is also entropy. The high energy photons of the matter-antimatter annihilation may be more appropriate for the warp coils than the thermal energy of the helium exhaust.
With matter-antimatter annihilation, the energy is carried as high energy photons. And it is a photon flux of such intensity that it would not only strip electrons from atoms, but prevent electrons from being recaptured by nuclear cores. If nothing else, this would create an electronic plasma of whatever it hit. Is there also the possibly of a cold plasma since these are not thermal photons? That may be important.
With deuterium fusion, the energy is carried as thermal energy by the helium-4 product, plus neutrinos and a whole spectrum of photon energies.
There isn't just energy to consider; there is also entropy. The high energy photons of the matter-antimatter annihilation may be more appropriate for the warp coils than the thermal energy of the helium exhaust.
It always seemed to me that the warp core's output was certainly available for other systems, as needed... but not by any means necessary under most conditions. During an extended period of relative inactivity, say sublight flight or maintaining orbit around a planet, you don't have a lot of major drains on power. Just life support, maybe navigational deflectors on low-ish power, whatever's needed for comms, sensors, computers, etc. The output of the impulse engines would probably more than suffice for this kind of stuff, and you could keep the warp core idling just in case.
During combat situations or other unusual circumstances, though, having the power of the warp core to draw upon would be a definite boon. As an old Star Fleet Battles player, I can think of lots of stuff that would be nice to have warp power available for... shields, weapons, tractor beams, whatever. The output of the impulse drive would scarcely begin to cover those kinds of peak demands. While the lion's share of warp power would be going to actual propulsion, you'd still want to have that resource available to power other systems as well.
(I realize that doesn't have much direct bearing on what we see in the show, but it's a point of view, and one that was based on pretty detailed research of TOS/TAS.)
I seem to recall that the TNG Tech Manual was pretty clear on the fact that all these different power sources fed into the EPS grid, and thus at least potentially supplied power to any and all shipboard systems.
During combat situations or other unusual circumstances, though, having the power of the warp core to draw upon would be a definite boon. As an old Star Fleet Battles player, I can think of lots of stuff that would be nice to have warp power available for... shields, weapons, tractor beams, whatever. The output of the impulse drive would scarcely begin to cover those kinds of peak demands. While the lion's share of warp power would be going to actual propulsion, you'd still want to have that resource available to power other systems as well.
(I realize that doesn't have much direct bearing on what we see in the show, but it's a point of view, and one that was based on pretty detailed research of TOS/TAS.)
I seem to recall that the TNG Tech Manual was pretty clear on the fact that all these different power sources fed into the EPS grid, and thus at least potentially supplied power to any and all shipboard systems.
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