minbari powerplants

[paladin]

Does anyone know whether Minbari Sharlin War Cruiser used an advanced fusion reactor or some type of quantum singularity reactor?

I think it was stated in an esipode that the Minbari used fusion like everyone else.

[HRogge]

Like Wong said "Fusion" is not always nuclear fusion...

but a quantum singularity reactor would be really nice...

[Master of Ossus]

Does anyone know whether Minbari Sharlin War Cruiser used an advanced fusion reactor or some type of quantum singularity reactor?

I think it was stated in an esipode that the Minbari used fusion like everyone else.

Lennier modifies Garibaldi's motorcycle with some kind of glowing crystal thing (which looks disturbingly like the ST dilithium). That is the powerplant that Minbari use. It is neither a fusion reactor nor some kind of quantum singularity reactor. I can't remember if Lennier described it, though, during the episode.

[Nephilim]

I think Lennier described them as being based on Magneto-Gravitic Principles. Don't quote me on that though, i do know the episode where he says it. Its when he first introduces the Whitestar to Sheridan and he comments on why there's gravity on Minbari ships. Delenn replies... something along the lines that i put above (but it doesn't refer to the reactor system itself, but what it uses to make gravity onboard ship)

[Darth Wong]

Beryllium sphere

[Mr Bean]

Dillithium Enhanced Rubber-Bands is my guess

[SPOOFE]

Hamster on a wheel.

[Patrick Degan]

Beryllium sphere

Ha ha —good one! No doubt when Minbari explore a new planet, they test the atmosphere by having one of the crew go out the airlock and sniff around. If he reports back "seems OK to me", the rest know its safe.

Seriously, my own guess is that the Minbari utilise matter/antimatter as the power source for their starships. The process for deriving energy from dual matter annihilation could also be described as "fusion" in technical terms. I don't believe the Minbari are advanced enough to engineer black holes, and seem to have engineering which surpasses what's possible with hydrogen fusion.

[Defiant]

My guess is that the Minbari use fusion (as stated in the series), but their process is probably more efficient and powerful.

BTW, it seems the idea for a 'quantum singularity' theory (which has no basis in the series) is popular on the B5 Tech pages (www.b5tech.com). While this site is very well designed, I find the figures to be a little more than 'slightly' outrageous. Unfortunately, the only sites that I have seen that give more accurate B5 tech figures was Brian Young's site (which is now off the air), and the EarthGov.com site (www.earthgov.com), which has been down for a few months now.

[paladin]

My guess is that the Minbari use fusion (as stated in the series), but their process is probably more efficient and powerful.

BTW, it seems the idea for a 'quantum singularity' theory (which has no basis in the series) is popular on the B5 Tech pages (www.b5tech.com). While this site is very well designed, I find the figures to be a little more than 'slightly' outrageous. Unfortunately, the only sites that I have seen that give more accurate B5 tech figures was Brian Young's site (which is now off the air), and the EarthGov.com site (www.earthgov.com), which has been down for a few months now.

Thanks for conforming about the Minbari powerplant. I didn't have much trust for on the info on www.b5tech.com. Mainly, because it states B5 mass as 9 billion tons. The series established B5 mass as 2.5 million tons.

[Enlightenment]

Thanks for conforming about the Minbari powerplant. I didn't have much trust for on the info on www.b5tech.com. Mainly, because it states B5 mass as 9 billion tons. The series established B5 mass as 2.5 million tons.

Canon or not, the 2.5 million ton mass figure for B5 is ridiculous given the station's size and internal layout. Nine billion tons is a much more realistic estimate.

[Darth Wong]

Canon or not, the 2.5 million ton mass figure for B5 is ridiculous given the station's size and internal layout. Nine billion tons is a much more realistic estimate.

Speaking of B5's size, is it really five miles long? It's theoretically possible to scale the entire station from the opening credits and their view of the docking area window in the front of the station.

As for the mass, it would be rather difficult to imagine the rotational inertia of a 9 billion ton station being significantly affected by the tiny explosion in "The Gathering". It seems to me that they must be using some feather-light structural material, or the size of the station is overstated (either that, or the show is just written poorly )

[Patrick Degan]

I've often heard that the "two point five million tons of spinning metal" figure for the Babylon 5 station refers to the mass of the bare structure, not its full load displacement which would include machinery, internal facilities, plantlife and soil, internal water and fuel storage, and of course atmosphere.

It could also be that the figure lingered from an earlier version of the Babylon 5 draft notes, when a considerably smaller station was envisioned. Sort of like the line about the Enterprise having only 205 crew according to Capt. Pike in "The Cage".

[Enlightenment]

It seems to me that they must be using some feather-light structural material, or the size of the station is overstated (either that, or the show is just written poorly )

I tend to lean towards the latter option. B5 was absolutely aweful with regard to accuracy in every field from military operations and politics to science and engineering.

Using the 2.5 million ton figure and station dimensions of 1.6km diameter x 8000m, I get a BOTE density estimate of 156grams/m^3. Anyone have a figure handy on the density of air at STP?

[AdmiralKanos]

It seems to me that they must be using some feather-light structural material, or the size of the station is overstated (either that, or the show is just written poorly )

I tend to lean towards the latter option. B5 was absolutely aweful with regard to accuracy in every field from military operations and politics to science and engineering.

Shhhh! Don't say that where fanatical B5ers might hear you! You might bring the B5 Jihad(TM) down upon us!

Using the 2.5 million ton figure and station dimensions of 1.6km diameter x 8000m, I get a BOTE density estimate of 156grams/m^3. Anyone have a figure handy on the density of air at STP?

About 1 kg/m^3 IIRC. But that has no bearing on the mass of metal in the station, which is what Sinclair was describing. It would mean, however, that the mass of air in the station exceeds the mass of metal, so that it's basically a giant balloon of air. This would imply feather-light construction materials (although it would have interesting ramifications for materials strength, since the structure would have to withstand air pressure and centrifugal forces on internally stored personnel and equipment).

Mind you, the alternative (assuming that the station's mass is billions of tons) is pretty hard to reconcile with that little explosion in "The Gathering" throwing the station off-axis. If we chalk it up to bad writing that's a perfectly reasonable explanation, but then we are forced to question whether the series is too stupidly written to warrant rational analysis.

[paladin]

B5 was absolutely aweful with regard to accuracy in every field from military operations and politics to science and engineering.

I didn't think B5 was as bad as ST with the subjects you listed.

[Enlightenment]

About 1 kg/m^3 IIRC. But that has no bearing on the mass of metal in the station, which is what Sinclair was describing. It would mean, however, that the mass of air in the station exceeds the mass of metal, so that it's basically a giant balloon of air. This would imply feather-light construction materials (although it would have interesting ramifications for materials strength, since the structure would have to withstand air pressure and centrifugal forces on internally stored personnel and equipment).

I have my doubts on featherlight construction as on at least one occasion a door was liberated from its mountings and it fell to the deck with the kind of thud one would expect for a door made of traditional materials.

An alternative answer that comes to mind is that Sinclair pulled a Delenn: told the truth, but told a lie by implication. 2.5 million tons of spinning metal is quite reasonable if the majority of the high-mass elements (power plants etc) were in the fixed section and the majority of the rotating section was made out of plastics, ceramics, composite materials, psychic pixie dust, or something else other than metal. While this sounds a lot like the rationalisations used by rabid Trekkies, it is at least moderatly plausible.

Mind you, the alternative (assuming that the station's mass is billions of tons) is pretty hard to reconcile with that little explosion in "The Gathering" throwing the station off-axis.

I don't have the math to calculate this but I have a gut feeling that a blast large enough to overcome both the inertia and gyroscopic forces of even a 2.5mton station would be more than sufficient to open op the hull like a can opener. The station would just break up rather than get knocked off axis by a sufficiently large blast.

If we chalk it up to bad writing that's a perfectly reasonable explanation, but then we are forced to question whether the series is too stupidly written to warrant rational analysis.

There are quite a few bits in B5 that are so badly written that they cannot be subjected to rational analysis. The Gathering incident is probably one of them.

[Master of Ossus]

Note that B5 was written by a person with little technical or military experience. B5 should be forgiven for these minor faults, as it was such a great series in every other way. This lack of understanding of militaries is much like JRR Tolkien, whose battles never appeared to make any sense, tactically (with the possible exception of the battle for Minas Tirith). Note the Battle of Five Armies, if you don't believe me.