The hull is the supporting and surrounding portion of a ship, the outer armored envelope which contains the environment and protects it from external hazards. Supporting the hull are the main structural members; the frames. These strengthen, align, and anchor the plates, which make up the hull, supporting it much as a skeleton supports the muscle and skin of a humanoid. Within the hull of the ship are partitions; bulkheads and decks, which divide the volume of the ship's interior into various compartments. These partitions are anchored to the secondary structural members; stanchions, which in turn are anchored to the frames. Thus, the entire ship is made up of interlocking parts. When a starship is being built, the first operation is the alignment and attachment of the frames. This is the most critical stage of construction, as misalignment or weakness here will have disastrous consequences later.

In overall configuration, starship frames come in two or three basic designs. All Primary Hulls have their frames radiating from a common center, like the spokes of a wheel. Secondary Hulls are aligned transversely as circular cross-sections. Extended Hulls utilize rectangular frames aligned transversely, but attached to an interrupted Primary Hull's radial frames. Each frame is numbered. For Primary Hulls, the bow frame is Frame 1, the first frame to starboard is Frame 2, and so on around the saucer to end at the frame that is to port of the bow frame. For Secondary Hulls, the foremost frame is Frame S1, increasing to stern. For Extended Hulls, like that of a Avenger Class starship which extends aft of the primary hull, that frame connected to the radial frames is the first of the interrupted sequence, increasing to the stern, whereupon the count again takes up with the radial frame. The exterior shell of the spacecraft consists of multiple layers which afford structural and atmospheric integrity for the Exterior/Interior spaceframe, integral waveguides and field conductive members for the structural integrity field (SIF), and pathways for other utilities (including deflector grids), as well as resistance to radiation and thermal energy.

The exterior shell substrate is composed of interlaced micro-foam duranium filaments. These filaments are gamma-welded into a series of contiguous composite segments that are 4.7 cm thick and are typically two meters in width. The substrate segments are electron bonded to three reinforcing layers of 1.2-cm biaxially stressed tritanium fabric, which provide additional torsion strength. In areas immediately adjacent to major structural members, four layers of 2.3-cm fabric are used. The substrate layer is attached to the major structural members by electron-bonded duranium fasteners at 2.5-cm intervals. The substrate segments are not intended to be replaceable, except by phase-transition bonding using a transporter matrix mixing assembly during major Starbase layovers. Thermal insulation and secondary SIF conductivity are provided by two 3.76-cm layers of low-density expanded ceramic-polymer composites. These layers are separated by an 8.7-cm multiaxis tritanium truss framework, which provides additional thermal insulation, and a pass-through floor fixed utility conduits.

Radiation attenuation is provided by a 4.2-cm layer of monocrystal beryllium silicate infused with semiferrus poly-carbonate whiskers. This layer is networked with a series of 2.3 -cm x 0.85-cm molybdenum-jacketed conduits. These conduits, which occur at 130-cm intervals, serve as triphase waveguides for the secondary structural integrity field. Conductive tritanium rods penetrate the waveguides at 10-cm intervals and transfer SIF energy into the ceramic-polymer conductive layer. The outermost hull layer is composed of a 1.6-cm sheet of AGP ablative ceramic fabric chemically bonded onto a substrate of 0.15-cm tritanium foil. This material is formed into segments of approximately 3.7 m2 and is attached to the radiation attenuation layer by a series of duranium fasteners, which allows individual segments to be replaced as necessary. (Micrometeoroid erosion is kept to a minimum by the deflector shield system, but is sufficient to warrant replacement of 30% of leading-edge segments on the average of every 7.2 Standard years.) Individual outer hull segments are machined to a tolerance of <0.5 microns to allow for minimum drag through the interstellar medium. Joints between segments are manufactured to a tolerance of <0.25 microns. Also incorporated into the outermost hull layer is a series of superconducting molybdenum jacketed waveguide conduit's which serves to distribute and disperse the energy of the tactical deflector system. Selected segments of this network also serve as radiators for starship thermal management.

MAIN SKELETAL STRUCTURE

The primary spaceframe of the Gabriel class starship is fabricated from an interlocking series of tritanium/duranium macrofilament truss frames. These members average 1.27 m2 in cross section, and are located an average of every 25 meters across the ship's exterior. Larger numbers of these trusses are located integral to the forward saucer section and the aft impulse engine sections, the warp nacelle pylons, the hangar pod hardpoints, and along the centerlines of both fore and aft hull structures. Smaller trusses, averaging 0.53 m2 in cross section, are located every five meters on average, and also provide internal supports within the deck and core structure of the spacecraft interior. This basic mechanical framework provides physical integrity to the vehicle while at rest. A parallel series of aluminum crystalfoam stringers are phase-transition bonded to the primary trusses, providing low-frequency vibration attenuation across the main truss structure, as well as support for certain utility conduits. Also attached to these stringers are various conformal devices built into the hull structure, including elements of the deflector shield grid, as well as subspace radio antennas, which are incorporated into the exterior skin of the spacecraft.

SECONDARY FRAMEWORK

Mounted to the primary spaceframe is a secondary framework of microextruded terminium trusses to which the inner hull structure is directly attached. The secondary framework is mounted by means of 3.2 cm diameter x 5.1 cm long semirigid polyduranide support rods, permitting a limited amount of mechanical isolation from the primary spaceframe for purposes of strain relief, plus sound and vibration isolation. Secondary spaceframe segments are also separated from each other (although mechanically attached) to permit replacement of inner hull segments and associated utilities infrastructure during major Starbase layover.

Structural integrity during powered flight is provided by a series of force fields that reinforce the physical framework. This structural integrity field energy (SIF) is distributed through a network of molybdenum-jacketed waveguides, which in turn distribute SIF energy into ceramic-polymer conductive elements throughout the spaceframe. Without the structural integrity field, the vehicle would be unable to withstand accelerations greater than 7.4 m/sec2 without significant deformation, or greater than 19.5 m/sec2 without unrecoverable structural damage (in other words, the spacecraft would sag under its own weight in Earth's gravity without the reinforcement of the SIF).

The exterior hull substrate is joined to the primary load bearing trusses by means of 4.8-cm diameter electron bonded duranium pins at 1.25-meter intervals. These pins are slip-fitted into an insulating AGP ceramic fabric jacket that provides thermal insulation between the spaceframe and the exterior hull. The pins jacketing, and hull segments are gamma-welded together.

Interior Designators

As stated, the interior volume of a starship is divided by bulkheads and decks into compartments. These partitions between are all reinforced, so that in the event of a hull breech, venting a compartment to vacuum, neighboring compartments will not lose their integrity. Decks are designated alphabetically, from upper to lower. On a Class I-B starship, the Bridge is A-Deck, that below it B-Deck, and so on down to the lowermost deck. In the event of more that 26 decks, that following Z-Deck is designated AA-Deck, followed by BB-Deck, etc. Likewise, each compartment within a ship has its own Compartment Designation Symbol (CDS). This symbol is marked on a label plate secured to the door, hatch, or bulkhead of the compartment. The present system of designating decks and compartments applies to all vessels built or refitted after Stardate 7400.00. The CDS consists of four portions: the Deck Letter; the Frame Number; the Stanchion Number; and a Usage Letter, showing the listed use of that particular compartment. Where a compartment extends through two or more decks (such as the MK-IX's Rec-Deck and the Cargo Deck), the lower Deck Letter is used. The Frame Number refers to the frame nearest to the forward bulkhead of the compartment. The Stanchion Number indicates how far the compartment is from the center or centerline of the hull; odd numbers for port, and even numbers for starboard in a Secondary or Extended Hull.

Bibliography

Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual by Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda
Starfleet Dynamics by David Schmidt
Jackill's Star Fleet Reference Manuals Vols 1, 2 and 3 by Eric Kristiansen
The Star Trek Encyclopedia by Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda
Star Trek The Next Generation Officer's Manual by FASA Corporation

Author - Lt. Wayne N Snyder
Date - 07 - 28 - 98