ECC -Engineering Command Centre - Lowest Engineering Level

Maxwell: I'm good, so is the wife and kids. I can guess why you came this morning. (Big grin)

Captain: Smiles in return.

Maxwell: We're much better prepared for moving Solaris this time, and it is something to see the engines in motion. Let me show you.

Captain: I would like that.

Maxwell takes her for a tour of the Engines and this is what is seen.


Primary Control room - where they are now:




Secondary control rooms for each of the large engines:






Engine Observation Areas:




Close up of the large engines



Thrusters

Close up of 1 of the tens of thousands of sets of thrusters on the station's hull, these ones are in for maintenance:

Captain: Where is the best place to watch the engines start / warm up?

Maxwell: The main control room, we can look at the specs and look at video if we want. We have also cut the ALL regular engines start up time to about 12 hours instead of 24. In case of emergency we can do it in two hours, but that is really hap-hazard, only in an emergency.The 12 hour start up, we have done that by order of sequencing, and improved maintenance and of course part replacement, we have made sure that there is never any more then one main engine being worked on at one time, and we have a rotating system, where all engines are looked at, if there are issues or not, so we can catch any early issues.

Captain: You have done an amazing job here.


As they walk back to the main control room.

Once back in the control room.


Maxwell: You know we have hundreds of engines on the station, we have the largest station known, as far as I know.


Captain: I know, that is why I am curious.


Maxwell: We start with the outer laying engines, for ease of explanation, think of the station as a long rectangular box. Lengthwise on the left, we would start say every 5th engine on that side, then for balance we would start every 5th one on the length of the right hand side. Then we start every third one, on the left then the right, and we continue until all are started, on the left then the right. We have to do it that way, so we can maintain a balance. Even though we are starting the engines, and only starting them, they still have a minimal thrust to them. Its importance to maintain a balance.

Once those primary engines are started we move to the secondary engines. Now think of the station as a circle again, and each and every circle has a North, South, East and West. So the first engines started were on the East and West Sides. And the secondary engines are on the North and South side. We start them the same way as we did for the East and West in a sequence.

The stations engines are different then a ships engines, which are usually behind the ship. And we do have those as well, and they are the last to be started, and the largest of all the engines, but the other engines have to be started first, they alone can not move the station. Well they could but it would put a strain on the hull, and they would burn out.  Our engines are, for simplicity, hinged into the hull of the station, and each hinge has 360 degree movement, but they do not really extend outside of the station's hull, they are  'embedded. '

We can't start all of the engines as once, not only does it take too much power, but it could rip sections of the station apart, if they are not carefully set to minimum when started. As we start them in the sequence that we do, the already started engines actually provide 'internal' power that we need to start the remaining engines, so there is no massive draw of power from anywhere. And we only need power to actually start the first engine.


Captain : Impressive, I had no idea.

Maxwell: Of course Captain, we have a small balcony over seeing the floor, we use it when we introduce new trainees. Its this way.

Leading the Captain to the door and upstairs.


Captain: Of course, thank you.

Captain: Can you tell me what parts of the room, control what parts of engineering / engines ?

Captain: Thank you. Interesting. What made you decide to working engineering?

Trainee: I have always been interested in the way things work. I have a natural ability with them.