 Purred: Tue May 6, '08 4:42pm PST | |
 | |  | | On Federation starships, the warp core usually consists of a matter/antimatter reaction assembly (M/ARA) utilizing deuterium and antideuterium reacting in a crystal matrix which produces a maximum output of 4,000 teradynes per second. Lithium crystals were used until sometime between 2265 and 2266 when they were replaced with dilithium crystals.
22nd century warp cores were designed as oblong cylinders connected by pylon conduits directly into the warp nacelles. In the 23rd century, the main warp reaction occurred in a dilithium crystal converter assembly which consisted of two flattened rounded nodules situated directly in front of the impulse engines. By 2270, most Federation warp cores were redesigned to consist of a large warp core unit in the secondary hull with matter and anti-matter channeling into the core through vertical conduits then the energy directed to the nacelles through a horizontal conduit leading out from the rear of the core.
As a safety precaution, the core can be physically ejected from the ship should an event such as the catastrophic failure of the containment of the matter-antimatter reaction occur and the crew decides it cannot be corrected.
The antimatter containment, also protected by magnetic fields, funnels the antimatter through the antimatter engine to injector coils, which precisely compresses and streams the antimatter into the form which enters the dilithium articulation frame. Deuterium, stored in the ship or attracted by the Bussard collectors, is funneled in a stream from the opposite deuterium injector. The molecules enter the lattice matrix of the crystallized dilithium, reacting within it and releasing a tuned energy stream in the form of electro-plasma, a highly energetic form of plasma. The electro-plasma is carried by magnetic plasma conduits throughout the power transfer system. In the Federation power transfer grid, this is the electro-plasma distribution network, comprising of EPS conduits and EPS taps. The most energized stream created is the warp plasma, which exits in twin power transfer conduits connected to the warp nacelles.
During the 23rd century, dilithium crystals were also used in Klingon warp reactions to generate energy at sufficient levels to enable warp flight. A difference noticed in the 24th century was that Klingon engines use a tritium intermix (tritium/antitritium) rather than a deuterium intermix.
On Romulan starships, a different approach is used; an artificial quantum singularity in the warp core is used to harness the energy necessary to power warp flight.
In 2369, Quark and Barbo sold defective warp cores to the Tarahongians.
Warp cores on starships leave resonance traces, allowing for the ability to track vessels.
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Image:VoyagerWarpCore.jpg |  |  | |  |
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