Beneath the Grav Plates, located in a utility trench most of the power, fluid and air systems are located. In the diagram the grav plate has been raised and the systems can been seen clearly marked for the student. They will be described from left to right below.
DC Power System: The DC Power System is used to power many components aboard the vessel, especially systems related to propulsion, gravity and weaponry. The system has a positive and a negative lead. Typically there are several fore to aft runs on each deck.
400 Hz System: The 400 Hz Power System is used for many electronic and computer systems. Often at the loads it is itself converted to dc in many different voltages, but some components used the 400 Hz Ac itself. A 400 Hz power tap is shown in the diagram.
Control Network: The Control Network is the computer network that is interfaced to the actual systems which controls the vessel. This includes the control panels located in various compartments and control rooms, as well as Local Control Processors (LCP) which control almost every piece of equipment on the ship, Adaptapanels located throughout the ship, and ship's computers which run software dedicated to running the ship. In most ships there are two geographically isolated fiber network trunks laid from fore to aft. On the NdN and all Leviathans the trunks are laid on the port side of Deck E and the Starboard side of Deck B. The line shown in the diagram is a local fiber line for the Control Network.
Return Vent: The Return Vent cycles air out of the space, usually through a number of cleaning and humidifier systems that will be discussed below. A sphincter valve, whose technology is very much like that used for Iris Valves, is used to isolate the vent whenever there is a bulkhead. The sphincter valve closes if there is too great a pressure differential across the valve. In the diagram a local return vent feeding into the main return vent from the right.
C-Fluid Return: Starships do not use water as the primary fluid for cleaning and waste disposal. Water is too valuable a commodity to be wasted in these uses. Instead a liquid called C-fluid is used in freshers for showering and other cleaning. The C-fluid is recycled in Main Life Support on Deck E. Like the Return Vents there is a valve at every airtight bulkhead which closes automatically in the case of a depressurization accident or excessive flow, such as from a catastrophic leak.
Communication Network: The Communications Network is a computer network dedicated to communications. It does not directly interface with either the Security Network (described below) or the Control Network. The purpose of this isolation is to prevent unauthorized access to either of the other networks through the Communications Network, which often carries traffic originating from off the ship and traffic which is unofficial, such as entertainment, as well as official message traffic. As for the Control Network there are two for-and-aft trunks, in the case of the NdN and her sister ships one runs on the centerline of Deck G and the other on the centerline of Deck B.
Black Water Return: Is the Main Sewage line. It transports waste return from the freshers for recycling. Unlike most commercial vessels Leviathan Class Starships recycle the water from its Black Water System. A transport fluid is also recycled once the entrained water has been extracted.
The ship also has a Gray Water System which is not shown in the diagram. This system receives excess water from the water delivery unit drains and humidity control extraction system (also to be covered later) and sends it to Life Support on Deck E. There is a valve at every airtight bulkhead which closes automatically in the case of a depressurization accident or excessive flow, such as from a catastrophic leak.
Water Line: Provides water to the water delivery units. As for other fluid systems there is a valve at every airtight bulkhead which closes automatically in the case of a depressurization accident or excessive flow, such as from a catastrophic leak.
C-fluid Supply: The C-Fluid system provides clean foam to fresher showers. The entrained dirt, germs and waste are separated out and the fluid reused. There is a valve at every airtight bulkhead which closes automatically in the case of a depressurization accident or excessive flow, such as from a catastrophic leak.
Security Network: Independent computer network used for secure communication, security video pickups, and door override controls. The system is primarily used by security personnel, although the ship's master and executive officer have the necessary access codes to use the system.
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