I'm going to keep the Midway Class Technology submissions together, as a packet, unless one of them stands out as a real "stand alone", and try and approve them with the design at some point. That way it's all nice and easy, theoretically. Lets do our best to keep comments on these components in this thread... if separate discussions break out about separate components, we can start labeling the threads differently, but they'll all stick together to this parent thread (I think).

Below are the technology entries for the Midway Class ship spec. Lax review rules in effect. Happy reviewing! - Jen

Dynatech Liquiplast Coagulating Material

Developed in 2378 by Orion DynaTech, Liquiplast is a coagulating material that is installed inside a starship's hull layers. Comprising a non-volatile reaction cured vitreous matrix suspended in a film-forming coagulating material, Liquiplast is produced in sheets averaging two centimetres in thickness. This material is always in a gel form until exposed to the vacuum of outer-space. Once exposed to vaccuum the material rapidly solidifies, providing a patch to small hull breaches like micro-fractures. This material provides an alternative means of maintaining atmospheric pressure if emergency forcefields are unavailable. It is ineffective in the case of larger hull breaches.

--------------------

Tetraplast Polyalloy

Developed in 2378 by Orion DynaTech, Tetraplast is a thermoplastic polyalloy that is installed inside a starship's hull layers. Composed of silica fibre-based quartz and an organic polymer which is seeded into reinforced carbon-carbon sheets, Tetraplast sheets average five centimetres in thickness. These sheets melt when exposed to a high energy discharge, such as the energy released during a collision or on contact with weapons fire. The organic polymer absorbs thermodynamic energy which causes the material to expand proportionally to the amount of energy available. Once removed from the energy source the material quickly solidifies, helping to fill breaches and provide structural support when used in conjunction with the ship's SIF.

-----------------------------

Multi-Inlet Bussard Collector

Developed in 2387 by Phardos/Orion for use on the next generation of Starfleet vessels. The multi-inlet bussard collector provides greater scoop capacity over earlier types and allows for the harvesting of more complex particles. The system operates in conjunction with the navigational deflector array to identify useful particles, gases or concentration of interstellar matter (space dust). These materials are selectively ionized by a series of beam emitters which sort through the incoming material, dividing it into burnable fuel (typically hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives), processable fuel (typically helium and other rarefied gases which can be broken down in hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives) and useful particulate matter (called UPM's which consist of space dust and heavier elements not suitable for use in the engines). A series of magnetic field generators separate the three grades of matter and direct them into the appropriate collection inlet (called the collector) where they are further sorted by their levels of purity. The separated gases are pressure-fed to holding tanks or directed to the injectors for immediate use in the ship's engines. Lower grade material is directed through filtering/processing units which remove impurities from gases and feed any material not worth storing into the solid matter tanks. All solid matter (space dust and heavier elements) is directed into the ship's waste processing facilities where it is converted into raw matter for use in shipboard replicators. This effectively increases the endurance of the ship between resupply and refuelling stops.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Multifunction Phased Array Tachyon (MPAT) Sensor System

Developed in 2387 by Orion DynaTech, the Multifunction Phased Array Tachyon (MPAT) sensor array combines both active and passive scanning elements. The MPAT system employs phased tachyon particles, which inherently exist in a faster-than-light state, instead of generating a subspace field. This provides several advantages including a significant energy savings. Standard operating mode generates a tachyonic field which serves as the principal scanning medium, providing real-time acquisition and analysis capabilities. MPAT consumes less energy at the same scanning intensity while producing nearly three times the volume of data. This requires considerably more bandwidth when performing a scan, but the results are correspondingly more detailed. This is due to tachyon condensation and the Casimir effect. MPAT sensors will record the presence of virtual particles and interactions of zero-point energy fields more accurately than standard subspace sensors, making them ideal for the study of quantum level phenomena including micro singularities. These sensory systems are also inherently more stealthy than current subspace models as the tachyonic field will appear to be present in all directions with equal strength.

-----------------------------------

Anti-Proton Pulse Scanner (APPS)

Design work on the Anti-Proton Pulse Scanner (APPS) began in 2268, following the successful capture of a Romulan cloaking device. The technology to generate anti-protons already existed but the implementation of a detection system was too difficult for the equipment of the day. It was decided that tachyon particles were the easiest way to detect a cloaked ship, since the equipment was already present aboard most Starfleet vessels. This was first successfully demonstrated 2368, during the Klingon Civil War. Results were generally regarded as successful, though the system's primary weaknesses were also painfully demonstrated. During 2371 the Dominion employed an anti-proton beam which defeated the Romulan and Klingon cloaking devices with ease. Captured Dominion technology identified the principle failing of the original project and the APPS was rapidly developed. The APPS provides short range penetration of cloaking devices through the emission of a cohesive pulse of anti-protons. This pulse is limited to a forty-five degree forward cone and has a maximum effective range of 100,000 km. It is known that both the Klingon and Romulan Empires are developing new countermeasures and it is uncertain how long this device will remain effective against their ships. Pulses can be fired once every thirty seconds as it takes that long for the device to build up the required charge of anti-protons. The device was first successfully field tested in 2387 and rapidly went into production. It is considered ready for widespread Starfleet service.

-------------------------

Regulus Torpedo Casing

The Regulus torpedo casing is based around Starfleet's standard elongated elliptical shape. The new shell is constructed of high density tritanium and duranium foam which is gamma expanded into a mold. The completed casings are then coated in an anti-radiation polymer of monocrystal beryllium silicate and a low observability parametallic sheath. Both of these measures help to reduce the weapons sensor profile. Every effort has been made to increase the weapon's stealth capabilities by minimizing the number of penetrations through the casing and specially treating those that have been made. The Regulus measures 2.1 metres long by 0.76 metres wide by 0.45 metres wide. The complete weapon has a dry weight of 186.7 kilograms. Penetrations are cut by phaser cutters which allow access for warhead reactant loading, hardwired ODN connections and sustainer engine exhaust grills. The standard internal components include matter and antimatter storage tanks, a combiner tank and all required magnetic suspension equipment. Propulsion is provided by a matter/antimatter multimode sustainer engine which consumes reactants from the warhead storage tanks. Target acquisition sensors, guidance systems and detonation control circuitry is provided by an internal computer system which is based around the improved bio-neural circuitry with bio-molecular data storage. This increases response time and allows the weapon to more intelligently select targets and avoid being spoofed by decoys. The Regulus entered Starfleet service in 2387.

---------------------------------------------------

Class VII Photon Warhead for Mark V Torpedoes

Developed in 2387 for use in the new Regulus torpedo casing, the Class-VII photon warhead utilizes the standard matter/antimatter reaction. Variable amounts of matter and antimatter are separated into their individual particles. Each particle is matched with its own antiparticle pair and held in suspension by powerful magnetic fields. The maximum payload of antimatter in the Class-VII is 2.5 kilograms, though the total annihilation surface is several orders of magnitude greater than an equivalent frozen slug. The combiner tank is pressurized with fluoronetic vapour which increases the speed at which the annihilation reaction occurs, increasing energy yield. Maximum yield is 25 isotons, though this decreases as the torpedo travels due to the matter/antimatter supply being utilized to fuel the torpedoes warp sustainer engine.

----------------------------------------------------

Class II Quantum Warhead for Mark VI Torpedoes

Developed in 2387 for use in the new Regulus torpedo casing the Class-II quantum warhead employs the standard photon torpedo warhead combined with a zero-point energy field initiator. This device generates an eleven dimensional space-time membrane which is twisted into a superstring fragment. The resulting reaction creates large numbers of particles and releases a correspondingly large amount of energy in the form of an exothermic reaction. The Class-II warhead uses an improved fold device which generates more standardized and predictable reactions in the 55 isoton range, whereas earlier devices were highly variable. The expected yield decreases as the torpedo travels, due to the matter/antimatter supply being utilized to fuel the torpedoes warp sustainer engine.

--------------------------------------------------------

Firefly Multiple Independent Weapons System (MIWS)

First tested in 2378, the Firefly MIWS torpedo is a modified Mark-VI torpedo with the warhead and guidance systems removed. In their place a ripple-fire micro-torpedo launching system is installed, firing a burst of twenty micro-torpedoes in under five seconds. Each micro-torpedo is guided by the launching ship's targeting computer after release, allowing them to engage multiple targets or hit multiple shields on a single target at the same time. Micro-torpedoes are not as effective as normal torpedoes, but can be used to temporarily blind or confuse an enemy if detonated close enough. The Firefly torpedo can be launched up to ranges of 125,000 kilometres and be programmed to release the micro torpedoes at any point in it's flight-path. The Mark-II micro torpedoes have an additional range of 75,000 kilometres after being released, allowing a Firefly to be fired at a target up to 200,000 kilometres from the launching ship.