Even though the driver coils of the impulse engines create something like magnetoplasmadynamic propulsion, g-force is canceled out by synchronized operation of the inertial dampers, leaving no hull stress or sensation of movement. It's like a sublight version of warp drive but independent of the warp engines. If the impulse controller stops receiving ready signals from the damper controller, it immediately shuts down operation of the driver coils, leaving the ship to coast but still creating not even a jolt.
How much does the Enterprise weigh?
- Thread starter Captain Robert April
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^ That's true, the inertial dampeners would probably reduce your hull stress requirement to almost nothing during normal operations. And even the regular jolts we've seen during combat, ion storms and various types of deep space funkiness, the G-forces don't seem to exceed three or four gravities and rarely sustained for more than a few seconds.
Newtype Alpha,
Modular construction does seem to be the most logical choice. If you look at the engineering hull, it looks like it could be constructed of a series of segments that could be attached one behind the other to produce the overall shape.
There was a drawing showing a pressure-hull diagram of the ship which showed on the primary hull, a series of interlocking ring-segments and the central section where the bridge was mounted.
It would be interesting for the ship to be designed as a series of pre-fabricated sections which were then connected together in a final join.
Modular construction does seem to be the most logical choice. If you look at the engineering hull, it looks like it could be constructed of a series of segments that could be attached one behind the other to produce the overall shape.
There was a drawing showing a pressure-hull diagram of the ship which showed on the primary hull, a series of interlocking ring-segments and the central section where the bridge was mounted.
It would be interesting for the ship to be designed as a series of pre-fabricated sections which were then connected together in a final join.
I thought that TNG impulse engines take seconds to go from a standstill to full impulse. The TOS version cannot be that far off because Geordi said that impulse engine did not change much in a two hundred years(in "Relics")
You can see the framed construction here. But each rectangle would have opposite corners connnected by rather thin, tightly tensioned, carbon nanotube cables (which would be nearly invisible in a photo like this) to prevent rhombic action of that part of the frame and also prevent stress on the hull panels, while giving the overall spaceframe very high rigidity (screencap from TrekCore, VOY: Relativity)
^^Hmm, that screencap would suggest something different than what is normally considered modular construction...
An interesting example of a Connie maneuvering with damaged inertial dampeners on impulse engine only is with the damaged Constellation in "The Doomsday Machine" where just firing them up threw the damage control party around.
An interesting example of a Connie maneuvering with damaged inertial dampeners on impulse engine only is with the damaged Constellation in "The Doomsday Machine" where just firing them up threw the damage control party around.
You can see the framed construction here. But each rectangle would have opposite corners connnected by rather thin, tightly tensioned, carbon nanotube cables (which would be nearly invisible in a photo like this) to prevent rhombic action of that part of the frame and also prevent stress on the hull panels, while giving the overall spaceframe very high rigidity (screencap from TrekCore, VOY: Relativity)
Now, lessee, we've seen NX class ships in drydock, we've seen Galaxy class ships in drydock. Not much difference.
I think it's safe to say how the process of building the Constitution class went.
One would say the same thing of a Typhoon class submarine if you saw it under construction. The fact that the ship is constructed with no less than five distinct pressure hulls is hard to pick out if you only see snapshots of it in dry dock (hence the reason NATO was unaware of this until the Russians mothballed half of them).
Slightly more interesting from the photo is the fact that the hull, while under assembly, appears to be mostly hollow at this stage.
What is kinda weird in the Voyager screenshot is that if there were suppose to be pressure hulls inside, wouldn't they already be there first?
Some pics of a Typhoon under construction show that everything appears to be built around the pressure hulls:
http://amazingdata.com/amazing-phot...class-nuclear-submarine-construction-process/
Of course, there is the possibility that TOS didn't build their ships the same way as TNG and later incarnations did...
blssdwlf,
True, but I'm looking at the intentions of Gene Roddenberry and Matt Jeffries when they designed the TV Series Enterprise. Long before Phase II and TMP were ever made.
They talked a great deal about the desire of a modular construction based on their own experiences with the aircraft that they flew. At least some of the consoles on the bridge appear to be modular, even some of the stations appear to have a modular look about them.
True, but I'm looking at the intentions of Gene Roddenberry and Matt Jeffries when they designed the TV Series Enterprise. Long before Phase II and TMP were ever made.
They talked a great deal about the desire of a modular construction based on their own experiences with the aircraft that they flew. At least some of the consoles on the bridge appear to be modular, even some of the stations appear to have a modular look about them.
@CuttingEdge100 - Perhaps they had intended modular construction - but what part?
Was the ship's structure assembled like the newest George HW Bush carrier or was the ship built with a frame and shell and only the internal parts modular like the bridge, engine room, that could be easily swapped out?
Was the ship's structure assembled like the newest George HW Bush carrier or was the ship built with a frame and shell and only the internal parts modular like the bridge, engine room, that could be easily swapped out?
I always assumed that by modules they meant the nacelles, bridge module and nacelle pylons, as for the saucer section, I assume that primary and secundary hull are pretty well attached to eachother so in an emergency you get rid of either of them by explosive bolts.
Not necessarily. They might find it more efficient to assemble outer hull sections first (upper saucer, lower saucer, etc) and then assemble the inner hull with the mostly complete outer shell to make sure everything fits together properly. In any case, the better question is why they'd be starting with the outer hull in the first place. That's not hard to do with a modular pressure hull, but for an entire monohull this becomes amazingly complicated.
Well, there's at least one reason to think they did: the TMP Enterprise is DESCRIBED as being the same ship from the series with an extensive refit. With a double hull modular design it means they either replaced the entire outer hull shell with a new superstructure, OR they retained most of the outer shell (with a few cosmetic changes) and replaced all the critical internal modules.
See, that's a good question (for Voyager and Enterprise series). They don't appear to be going by any modular construction as we know it today.
Well that's TMP which was much more closer to TOS than TNG. Since we don't know how either one (TOS or TMP version) was built, it could kinda go either way.
I can kinda envision the Enterprise being modularly built like this demo from BAE for the their Type-45 Destroyer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQKrjYwbvgc
but I wonder if that was something done in the 1960's.
