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Starsuperion Lieutenant JG
Joined: 06 Sep 2009 Posts: 80
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 10:21 pm Post subject: Ion Drive engines in the SFU |
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So where do Ion engines come into play in this universe?
I remember the episode with Spock's Brain, that there was a ship that used Ion drive as their main propulsion, and I remember Scotty mentioning that Ion drives were more advanced then the warp drives..
so are there any races in the Alpha or Omega Octant that use Ion drives?[/quote] _________________ Live Long, Prosper, and Party! |
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djdood Commodore
Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 3413 Location: Seattle, WA
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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Nope.
I don't play Omega or Mellenganics, so I don't know them, but in the Alpha Octant, everybody pretty uniformly uses dilithium-regulated matter/anti-matter-powered warp drives, with fusion-powered impulse engines as sublight auxiliaries (also usable for s-l-o-w "non-tactical" warp, as in the Early Years and the Romulans until the Smarba treaty with the Klingons). _________________
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Kang Fleet Captain
Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Posts: 1976 Location: Devon, UK
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 6:49 am Post subject: |
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And to follow on from 'dood's comment, the Impulse engines are ion engines, albeit of a far more advanced design from those we have nowadays.
Remember you can't always take things that Trek characters say as Gospel, because they are dictated by the writers - who make it up as they go along. _________________
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Steve Cole Site Admin
Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3832
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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Impulse engines ARE ion engines.
Trying to base engineering on character dialogue will drive you mad. _________________ The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander
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Hod K'el Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 21 Aug 2008 Posts: 301 Location: Lafayette LA
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:36 pm Post subject: Ion / Impulse |
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The reason why Impulse engines are ion engines is because of the way ion engines work.
You have an anion which is an electron ion pulse, which is a negative charge. You also have a cation which is a positive ion pulse, which is a positive charge. The ion engine pulses positive then immediately negative to push against its first pulse. It repeats this process in very rapid impulse changes to force itself against the last charge that it maid to lift itself off the ground, similar to magnets pushing against one another.
Thus you have impulses of the ion engine, which is why an impulse engine IS an ion engine. _________________ HoD K'el
IMV Black Dagger
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