Galaxy Class Capability

[m52nickerson]

If the controls to the containment field were locked up or just not avalible, and the cooling system went down you would be screwed. Total shutting down the contaiment field is not an option. The only way to stop the reaction would be to manipulate the containment field and stop the flow of anti-matter.

[Captain Seafort]

The problem with the core can be solved by injecting antimatter at a rate just sufficient to sustain the reaction at a given rate, so it reacts as soon as it enters the chamber and there wouldn't be stuff sitting around unreacted, waiting to destroy the ship. That would reduce the problem to the AM pods alone. They could be dealt with by a failsafe ejection system, based on electromagnets holding them in against a force (springs or atmospheric overpressure seem the best options). If the containment fields start to fail, either have the elctromagnets rigged in series such that they fail before the containment does, or simply pull the plug on them - the pods get ejected into space, and the ship doesn't blow up.

[Mikey]

Therein lies the problem. There is no passive failsafe; the only way to prevent a catastrophe is reliant on active systems which are just as likely to be inoperative as the core is likely to be damaged.

[Captain Seafort]

That is a passive measure - if the power fails, the electromagets go before the pods do, and the overpressure/springs throw the pods clear. The principle is that under most circumstances the natural tendency of the pods is to leave the ship rapidly, on the same principle as the suspended control rods of a nuclear reactor. The whole point of a failsafe is in the name - it fails to a safe state.

[Mikey]

No, no, I posted at nearly the same time as you. That was a response to m52 about the current state of affairs on the GCS, not about your proposed solution.

[m52nickerson]

The problem with the core can be solved by injecting antimatter at a rate just sufficient to sustain the reaction at a given rate, so it reacts as soon as it enters the chamber and there wouldn't be stuff sitting around unreacted, waiting to destroy the ship. That would reduce the problem to the AM pods alone. They could be dealt with by a failsafe ejection system, based on electromagnets holding them in against a force (springs or atmospheric overpressure seem the best options). If the containment fields start to fail, either have the elctromagnets rigged in series such that they fail before the containment does, or simply pull the plug on them - the pods get ejected into space, and the ship doesn't blow up.

I don't see that much extra AM being in the core, but if you look at the design the AM and Matter stream both travel a ways before reaching the reaction chamber. If that distance, and the length of the streams, could be reduced that would help.

As for the AM pods the only issue I see with your suggestion is you would still need a way to shut off the flow of AM from the pods to the core injectors before injection. The only way I see to do it would be to change the containment field, or had and emergency field come on. Plus you would need to ensure each pod had its own field generator and power source, if the pods lost containment as soon as ejected that would not go so well.

[Captain Seafort]

I don't see that much extra AM being in the core, but if you look at the design the AM and Matter stream both travel a ways before reaching the reaction chamber. If that distance, and the length of the streams, could be reduced that would help.

It's probably the constriction segments that are the problem - any sort of damage to them has generally been traeted as a Bad Thing_TM, to the extent that targeting them with a phaser seems to be the most expediant method of destroying the ship ("Projections").

As for the AM pods the only issue I see with your suggestion is you would still need a way to shut off the flow of AM from the pods to the core injectors before injection. The only way I see to do it would be to change the containment field, or had and emergency field come on.

Or make sure they're ejected from the ship faster than they can inject antimatter.

Plus you would need to ensure each pod had its own field generator and power source, if the pods lost containment as soon as ejected that would not go so well.

Of course.

[m52nickerson]

It's probably the constriction segments that are the problem - any sort of damage to them has generally been traeted as a Bad Thing_TM, to the extent that targeting them with a phaser seems to be the most expediant method of destroying the ship ("Projections").

Agreed.

Or make sure they're ejected from the ship faster than they can inject antimatter.

That would have to be damn fast and calculated to the highest injection rate for that core. Plus you would have to have the same speed in opening the hull to eject the pods, or eject the whole damn section. Just a bit slower and......