Engineering

Ships Engineering (Æ-Z)

A basic dictionary of terms specific to related items found in, or used for, ship Engineering operations, and maintenance.

• Æther Field Coil
  The Æther field coil is the apparatus used to create a phenolic or sub æther field that can interact with super heated deuterium steam.
  
  The elements of an æther field coil start with the spirally coiled trexar conduit through which energized phlogestin would flow. The outside of the conduit is wrapped in alternating magnetic and gravametric conductive coils. When all the coils are energized at their respective levels the barriers between the æther and ætheric medium is intangibly suspended allowing semi- tangibility between matter and the ætheric medium. This effect is called a phenolic effect due to the presence of phenolic energy whithin the field area.
  
  Æther field coils are rated by efficency and transition factor. The best working field coils on experimental vessels have achieved Trans factors of 8.5.
  
  Æther field coils are also used in an æthership's control planes, keel and deceleration systems to either cut through the æther in a controlled manner or to push against the æther to reduce speed.
  
   

• Æther Propeller
  The first form of Æther Propulsion used in the late 1800s. Early æthernauts used this system of æther propulsion to venture to Mars and Venus.
  
  The drive works on the principle of charging a mechanical screw type propeller with phenolic energy allowing the propeller to push against the ætheric medium.
   

   

• Æther Propulsion

  Any of various methods of propelling a vessel in the æther. The method preferred by Royal Æther Fleet Command is Steam Pulse.
  
  Other methods include:

  The old style Æther Propeller, the Wedge Drive which replaced æther propellers, Three Light Drive as used by the Vulkans and Endurians, Torc Drives as used by the Ferenshi, Hyper-Phenogolic Drives as used by the Klinkons, and Ionic Propulsion as employed by various ætherfauna such as the Æther Whale.
  
   

• Ætherdrive
  The Ætherdrive is the heart of the ships power and propulsion systems. The core produces heat that energizes the steam for the ships steampulse propulsion. It also produces the power needed to create the sub-ætheric field that allows warp drive as well as providing power to all systems on the ship.
  
  The engines that run the ship are not much different from the archaic steam engines except in their scope of potential power. Dilythium coal is fed into a furnace which produces vast amounts of heat. The heat is used to energize the phlogisten in the boiler. Phlogestin can be used in many ways. It can flow through turbines to power generators for production of electricity, It can be concentrated in a pulse engine to super heat deuterium to a hyper plasma state which propels the ship (steam pulse), or it can circulate through trexar coils which is one of the elements in creating a phenolic or sub-ætheric field which allows the steam thrust to push against the ætheric medium andpropel the ship to interplanetary speeds. The actual physical interface with the ætheric medium is call ætheric transition. An increase in the strength of the phenolic field makes the æther more tangible to the steam plasma and creates a more efficient thrust. The level of efficiency is referred to as transition factor and is commonly calls Trans.

  
  The æther propellor was eventually replaced with wedge drives which were faster and more efficient. Even today you can still find ships using this slow yet reliable method of æther propulsion.
  
   
• Ætherine Injector
  Ætherine injectors are the directional ports through which special ætherines are injected into the ships core to react with dilythium coal to produce an excinerative reaction. The injectors are controlled by the firemen whos job it is to control the temperature of the furnace. An even distribution of heat is the goal and injectors can project ætherines that can accelerate or retard the reaction.
  
   

• Core Furnace

   

  The furnace is a chamber where dilythium coal is burned in an excinerative reaction. All but one wall of the furnace is highly insulated and shielded from heat. Dilythium coal is fed into the furnace through fuel ports with insulated locks similar to an air lock. In the furnace the dilythium coal is exposed to an ætherine gas called retrogen, which creates the excinerative reaction as the gas breaks down the coal and releases its energy.

  
  
  Controlling this reaction is the job of the ship's firemen. These enginesmen monitor the temperatures in the coal basin with thermal imagers. They have to distribute the fuel evenly with coal bed manipulators to avoid hot spots. The firemen also control the flow of retrogen through the ætherine injectors.

  
  The heat in the furnace is directed to the barrier or convection plate between the furnace and the energizer. This plate is called the hyper-collindar. The hyper-collindar is a shielded barrier that can contain the excinerative reaction on one side while transducting all heat through itself and allowing it to flow into the phlogisten-invigourating medium.

  
  The Energizer is a chamber filled with phlogisten invigourating fluid. This medium is able to transfer energy to the phlogisten charging conduits that run the length of the energizer. As depleted or discharged phlogisten feeds into the coils it absorbs energy from the medium and is invigourated with power. When the phlogisten exits it is referred to as charged phlogisten. Pumps are responsible for controlling the flow. Phlogisten conduits wind their way through the ship. Charged phlogisten conduits are highly insulated and encased in shielding. The return conduits are only lightly protected.

  
  The exhaust from the furnace is bled out of the chamber using nanobolic flow valves and is directed up the stacks. Just above the energizer the exhaust is forced through a venturi, which draws cyneogene vapor from the phlogisten invigourating fluid. When these two mingle they not only accelerate the ætheric decay they produce an electrogenic field, which is used to rejuvenate the veridigen system, which will be described later.
  
   

• Dilythium Coal
  Dilythium coal is a naturaly occuring mineral consisting of elemental compounds compiled in a intricate crystaline structure. The mineral appears black peppered with glittering specks throughout. The generation of the cystaline structure requires the absorbtion of energy over exceedingly long periods of time. Dilythium therefore contains an exceptionally high potentail energy. This energy is released within the dilythium furnace of an ætherdrive by breaking down the crystals bonds by exposing the mineral to mixes of ætherines. The excinertive reaction converts all matter to energy and produces an energy field to allow additional energy to be drawn through from the sub-æther leaving only the raw ætherine residuum and ætheric distilate as by-products.
  
   

• Electrical Network
  Main engineering boasts the largest electrical dynamos on the ship but each deck and section of the ship should incorporate multiple electrical generation devices. Electricity is used to power personal devices or small compact systems. Many control systems may have an electrical backup to the mechanical main system. Use of electricity is relatively simple to use when compared to the other power systems but when applied to larger jobs it becomes unmanageable, dangerous and inefficient.

  Many electrical devices are actually powered with veridigen power packs as veridigen can store a much greater power potential than any electrical storage battery. The ships electrical network is designed in such a way as to be able to route power around any damaged system or area of damage. Therefore most emergency and damage control devices are designed to work on electrical power.
  
   

• Full Steam
  Full steam is the condition when the steam pulse engines are operating at 100% capacity. Without the use of the æther drive a ship travelling at full steam is moving at a relatively slow speed but when the steampulse engines can push against a semi tangable ætheric medium the ships speed is vastly increased.
  
   

• Furnace
  The furnace is the part of the engines core where the dilythium coal is combined with ætherines to produce the excinerative reation that powers the ship. All but one of the surfaces of the furnace insulate and reflect the energy released from the dilythium toward the hyper collindar where the heat is allowed to flow into the boiler to energize a phlogisten medium. The furnace is under constant watch by the ships firemen and Stokers.
  
   

• Hyper Collendar
  The hyper collendar is the barrier between the furnace and the boiler within the core. The hyper collendar trnasfers heat from the furnace to the phlogisten boiler while keeping each separate. The heat conductivity of the hyper collendar has to be kept uniform for peak efficiency. Allowing heat to concentrate in one area can cause a crack or micro breach to appear which will result in eventual core explosion.
  
   

• Phlogisten Amplifiers
  Phlogisten amplifiers are used to concentrate phlogistic energy in storage mediums. The amplifier is basically a contra-rotating helix of coaxial phlogisten coils matrixed into a conductance block. The effect of the phlogisten intermix allows a transfer of energy in excess of the actual phlogisten potential. Put simply a phlogisten storage device can be charged to a level far exceeding the energy available in the phlogisten conduit. Phlogisten storage comprises most æthership back-up and emergency power means. The other uses for phlogisten amplifiers are to charge phlogisten torpedœs; powering the ships ancillary craft and powering the torpedo launch tubes.
  
   

• Secondary Transducers
  As a power redundancy phlogisten can be used to produce subordinate energy sources. Phlogisten rechargers can reinvigourate discharged veridigen quite easily but not too efficiently. The process has been compared to filling a shot glass with a fire hose. The only time the strategy makes sense is when the main veridigen recharging system is off line. Phlogisten is also used to produce electricity through phlogisten powered generators and dynamos that are located in various areas of the ship.
  
   

• Trexar Coils & Dynode Emitter
  The trexar coils and dynode emitters are the heart of modern sub-æther drive systems. The trexar coil dynamos are phlogisten-powered generators that produce power for the coils. The dynode emitters produce a pulse of ferradons that when emitted down the vortex of the field created by the trexar coil, generates a sub-ætheric field effect. By synchronizing the output frequency of the emitters between the port and starboard trexar coils located in the nacelles, the sub-ætheric field can be displaced or stretched between the nacelles, which is just aft of the steam pulse thrusters. The field can be further configured to efficiently receive the thruster's output.
  
   

• Veridigen Systems
  Veridigen is a lower power cousin to phlogisten and is employed in many systems throughout an æthership. The nature of veridigen is that it acts like a natural transducer. This versatility allows it to power electrical devices, pneumatic or hydraulic devices and even act as a radiant emitter producing heat and or light. Discharged veridigen is cycled back to main engineering and into the stacks. Inside the stacks the veridigen gas is directed into ever smaller conduits of pure magnalloy. These capillaries form a channel through which the main furnace exhaust is intermixed with cyneogene and produces an electrogenic effect. The effect itself dœs not recharge the veridigen but acts as a transfer means to convey power from the decaying ætherines to the veridigen. After being charged the veridigen is drawn into larger conduits and distributed throughout the ship. Veridigen unlike phlogisten dœs not need to be insulated, as it is relatively innocuous to humans except for its overpowering smell of ozone.
  
  Most of the ships lighting is powered by veridigen bulbs or globes. Veridigen light, similar to lime light, tends toward the green spectrum, hence the name. Other veridigen-powered ship's systems include the ships gravity plating and inertial dampeners. Inertia can be nullified by creating a paraformic discharge field within the ship. This field is created by grounding a veridigen decompression matrix through a trexine mesh. This apparatus isolates the mater within the mesh from any inertial forces that may normally act on the mater inside. The gravity plating creates a simulated gravity effect through para-proxy counter repulsive means. Other veridigen systems on board include the all analysis and computational systems, atmospheric reclaimators, hydro purifiers, the pneumatic tube systems as well as powered hatches and doors, etc.

  Veridigen is also used in personal systems such as weapons, æther suits, hand torches, communication devices, etc.  Veridigen power blocks are designed into portable systems much like electrical batteries in day of old.