B5 Power Generation

[Ender]

ovewr on B5 tech there is mention of using ZPE to power the ships, and talk of quantum singularities as power sources, etc. Is there anything in all of b5 to back this? From the novels, from the reference books, from the movies, the shows...

Anything?

[Vendetta]

There are vague rumours of the Vorlons and Shadows drawing energy direct from Hyperspace, which is as good an analogy as can be found.

[Vertigo1]

There are vague rumours of the Vorlons and Shadows drawing energy direct from Hyperspace, which is as good an analogy as can be found.

The vorlons use 'hyperspace taps' to power the planet killer's main cannon.

EA uses some sort of fusion drive for their fighters. Not sure what the capital ships use.

[Shinova]

I think EA uses purely fusion. Centauri uses Antimatter. Narn use fusion, and Minbari use quantum singularity.

[Darth Wong]

I think they burn an advanced form of donkey urine which contains unheard-of super-energy.

Interestingly enough, this idea has just as much canon and scientific support as the ZPE idea.

[Neko_Oni]

I think they burn an advanced form of donkey urine which contains unheard-of super-energy.

Interestingly enough, this idea has just as much canon and scientific support as the ZPE idea.

It's like a lot of Sci-fi power sources, just something so they don't have to use fusion or anti-matter.

[paladin]

ovewr on B5 tech there is mention of using ZPE to power the ships, and talk of quantum singularities as power sources, etc. Is there anything in all of b5 to back this? From the novels, from the reference books, from the movies, the shows...

Anything?

http://www.babtech-onthe.net/

babtech on the net is better researched then b5 tech, I think. babtech seems to use the series more as a canon source. b5tech seems to consider anything with b5 as a canon source.

for example: babtech says Minbari ships use fusion reactors as power source. Babtech using quote from series to support this. However, it is not clear whether the fusion is hydrogen fusion or something more exotic.

B5tech says Minbari ships use quantum singularities as power source, but does not have any supporting sources. A quantum singularity, I guess, could be considered a type of fusion in a loose sense of the word. It would be combining matter into a heavier form.

However, I always thought B5 was trying use science that was less exotic then ST not more exotic. So, my opinion is Minbari fusion was hydrogen fusion.

[XaLEv]

I think they burn an advanced form of donkey urine which contains unheard-of super-energy.

Interestingly enough, this idea has just as much canon and scientific support as the ZPE idea.

IIRC, it was stated in the Technomage trilogy that the Technomages use ZPE for their spells. Technomage technology is Shadow technology, so the Shadows can use ZPE.

[Shinova]

What exactly is ZPE?

[Enlightenment]

ovewr on B5 tech there is mention of using ZPE to power the ships, and talk of quantum singularities as power sources, etc.

Most of the stuff on B5tech is made up and has very little basis in either canon or reality.

The ships of the B5 victim races seem to be powered by impossibly small and powerful fusion reactors with mutant heat-seeking rattlesnakes thrown in here and there for good measure. The FOs run on pure magic.

[Warspite]

What exactly is ZPE?

It stands for Zero Point Energy, suposedly energy "harnessed" from the vaccum, and consequently a "very powerfull" and "limitless" source of energy.

I don't buy that shit. To me is just another brain bug, everybody wants a powerfull power source, better than AM and fusion, and since it didn't have the problems associated with black holes (so they think), everybody jumped on that bandwagon. B5 was the first place where I hear it, then Star Trek, I guess a few others are already on it too. Funny thing, we never hear this on the TV series, the fan's are the only ones wanking it off.

It's all crap.

[His Divine Shadow]

I think EA uses purely fusion. Centauri uses Antimatter. Narn use fusion, and Minbari use quantum singularity.

No, Minbari use Nuclear Fusion too.

[His Divine Shadow]

What exactly is ZPE?

It stands for Zero Point Energy, suposedly energy "harnessed" from the vaccum, and consequently a "very powerfull" and "limitless" source of energy.

I don't buy that shit. To me is just another brain bug, everybody wants a powerfull power source, better than AM and fusion, and since it didn't have the problems associated with black holes (so they think), everybody jumped on that bandwagon. B5 was the first place where I hear it, then Star Trek, I guess a few others are already on it too. Funny thing, we never hear this on the TV series, the fan's are the only ones wanking it off.

It's all crap.

I can hear the *fap fap fap* sounds all the way over here.
Also, I got atleast two posts pending in your forum, whats taking so long?

[Warspite]

What exactly is ZPE?

It stands for Zero Point Energy, suposedly energy "harnessed" from the vaccum, and consequently a "very powerfull" and "limitless" source of energy.

I don't buy that shit. To me is just another brain bug, everybody wants a powerfull power source, better than AM and fusion, and since it didn't have the problems associated with black holes (so they think), everybody jumped on that bandwagon. B5 was the first place where I hear it, then Star Trek, I guess a few others are already on it too. Funny thing, we never hear this on the TV series, the fan's are the only ones wanking it off.

It's all crap.

I can hear the *fap fap fap* sounds all the way over here.
Also, I got atleast two posts pending in your forum, whats taking so long?

What are you talking about????

[Ender]

I think EA uses purely fusion. Centauri uses Antimatter. Narn use fusion, and Minbari use quantum singularity.

Way to dogmatically recite back B5 tech without giving any credit whatsoever. Did you even read the fucking post at the top?

[Darth Wong]

Obviously not. I still say they use enhanced donkey urine

[Connor MacLeod]

Ender: No need to be hard on Shinova, unless you intend to yell at me too (I used to believe those figures as much as he did.)

Regarding the power sources available to the Younger races: For the most part, nuclear fusion. EA, Narns, probably the Centauri.

If you get into B5 Wars and accept that as a source, there is some measure of belief that antimatter may be used as a supplementary source (probably more limited in supply and quantity for most younger races - due to expense of generating it and such.) given the use of Antimatter as energy weapons in B5 Wars. A couple of the advanced races (Minbari for example) may have the ability to generate antimatter onboard, but thats the "most" advanced it gets.

To my knowledge, no canon or official mention of "quantum singularity" reactors exists in the Minbari technology tree. At least one race is known to use singualrities as a power source, but they are a league world and developed it under specific and unusual circumstances. B5 tech seems to use the QS notion as a "guesstimate" as to how the antimatter is produced, but thats pure speculation (as are the power figures for the QS reactor, for the most part)

First Ones? No idea specifically. Some sources infer that the Technomages, shadow servants of a sort, can draw on ZPE to power their abilities. This infers that other shadow tech may be capable of something similar.

Other sources indicate that Vorlon tech can "siphon" off energy from nearby sources or the surrounding areas (eg, thirdspace) and that hyperspace possesses energy sources that the First Ones can tap (A crude justification for the "hyperspace tap" I suppose.) Most sources (including some indirect canon ref's from the show) suggest that Vorlon ships do not use "reactors" per se, but generate and store energy capacitor-style by an unknown method (the "self generating" method was implied at least for weapons systems in the season 1 canon as one of the "benefits" of organic tech, IIRC)

A few of the "higher" beings such as the Triad of course, are mentioned to be able to directly tape raw energy from virtually any source they can find in proximity, albeit for only an indefinite period of time.

Then again there is JMS, who has stated that B5 ships apparently run on fairy dust, so the "donkey urine" notion may have merit

[Connor MacLeod]

Obviously not. I still say they use enhanced donkey urine

So basically B5 powers its universe on the irrational beliefs of the Fiver Fanatics

[Ender]

Ender: No need to be hard on Shinova, unless you intend to yell at me too (I used to believe those figures as much as he did.)

My beef is not that he believed that, in fact this thread is in response to the fact that I just learned exactly how little support for him there is. I always figured there was something in the books, there is not even that.

My beef is, like I said, that he recited it without giving credit, and that he responded without even looking at what the question was

[Darth Wong]

Obviously not. I still say they use enhanced donkey urine

So basically B5 powers its universe on the irrational beliefs of the Fiver Fanatics

Well, they need a highly dense fuel source, don't they?

[XaLEv]

Well, they need a highly dense fuel source, don't they?

Mass density and energy density. Out of all the fanatics in the world, Fivers easily produce some of the highest amounts of energy when set off.

[His Divine Shadow]

What are you talking about????

You keep forgetting that you happen to own a forum at Voyforums???

[Connor MacLeod]

Ender: No need to be hard on Shinova, unless you intend to yell at me too (I used to believe those figures as much as he did.)

My beef is not that he believed that, in fact this thread is in response to the fact that I just learned exactly how little support for him there is. I always figured there was something in the books, there is not even that.

My beef is, like I said, that he recited it without giving credit, and that he responded without even looking at what the question was

Well then don't be so hard on him because I used to be like him too. I was fortunate to have the guidance of someone like Brian in evolving my analytical capabilities.

[Connor MacLeod]

Obviously not. I still say they use enhanced donkey urine

So basically B5 powers its universe on the irrational beliefs of the Fiver Fanatics

Well, they need a highly dense fuel source, don't they?

Ah. Matter/antimatter annihilation with their skulls then?

Does that mean the wall of ignorance some of them (IE Adarx) use also constitutes the primary method of B5 defense?

[Warspite]

What are you talking about????

You keep forgetting that you happen to own a forum at Voyforums???[/quote

I'm not using this username anywhere else on the whole Internet. It's exclusive of Stardestroyer.Net. You're mistaking me with somebody else.
I don't won any forum, anywhere. The other Warspite, with whom you've been "clashing" with, is someone else.