Warp Engines

The WPS is comprised of three major components: the matter/antimatter reaction assembly (M/ARA), power transfer conduits, and the warp engine nacelles.  The best part about this setup is that not only does it power the warp engines, but it also powers all primary systems.  Talk about efficiency.

Doesn't look too complicated does it?  Wait until you hear the explanation.  Even the names of the materials used are mind-boggling.

The matter/antimatter reaction assembly is made up of 4 secondary systems: reactant injectors, magnetic constriction segments (MCS), matter/antimatter reaction chamber (M/ARC), and the power transfer conduits.
     There are 2 sets of reactant injectors.  One is the matter reactant injector (MRI).  The other is the antimatter reactant injector (ARI).  The MRI takes in very cold deuterium from the primary deuterium tankage (PDT) and then heats it up to a gas.  The MRI is constructed of dispersion-strengthened woznium carbmolybdenide.  Whoa! Never heard of that before! Can you repeat that? That's dispersion-strengthened woznium carbmolybdenide.  Oh well, got me, that's one for the chemistry book.  In dealing with antimatter many precautions must be taken because if some were to mix with normal matter outside of the chamber, there would be an explosion that would make the atomic bomb look like a sparkler.  The MRI and ARI are basically the same except that the ARI uses antihydrogen and dealt with in smaller amounts.  Also, the ARI uses magnetic fuel paths to control the antihydrogen.

     The reactant injectors are pretty big, no?  They each take up a deck by themselves.  Connected to the two hooks in the middle are the MCS.  The two injectors are slightly different as you can see.

The Magnetic Constriction Segments (MCS) have the most important job.  Their job is to keep the M/ARC at the perfect conditions for optimum power output and to avoid a core breach .  A segment is made of tension frame members, a toroidal pressure vessel wall, and magnetic constrictor coils.  The pressure vessels are made of alternating layers of vapor-deposited carbonitic ferracite and transparent aluminum borosilicate. Uh-oh, I see more of those big words.  I think it’s time for that chemistry book again, but don’t put it away because I'm not done yet.  The  pressure vessels do like they say, they control the pressure of the M/ARC.  The magnetic constrictor coils are made of cobalt-lanthanide-boronite with 36 other elements to keep from spilling.  The coils propel the matter and antimatter into the chamber so that they collide right in the middle of the chamber.  The frame members are the first things that help keep the reactants together.  They are bonded together to form one complete structure.  The frame members also have conduits for structural integrity fields.  The outermost layer of the MCS is transparent and allows the crewmembers to insure that everything is running smoothly.  To the right is a picture of a MCS.
     Then there's the matter/antimatter reaction chamber (M/ARC). This part is made up two bell-shaped wells. The center band of this assembly holds the structure for the dilithium crystal articulation frame (DCAF). The most important part of the M/ARC is… you guessed it, dilithium! This legendary substance is the only thing known to 24th century science that will NOT react with antihydrogen.
     The final part of the engine system is the power transfer conduits (PTC). These components do exactly what they sound like they would do. The PTC is very much like the constrictor segments, in that they use magnetic field to control a plasma stream and force it towards the nacelles.

      It's huge.  This is the entire M/AMA in one picture.  Look how many decks it takes up.  That's 12 decks worth of equipment.  Now we must finish the process.  Now it's time for warp power.  Click this link: Warp Field Nacelles