Hyperion Impulse Drive

The Hyperion Impulse Drive was an impulse drive manifold developed and produced by Frontier Aerospace for their Revolution-class, Sentry-class, and Phoenix-class starships. The design was optimized for the aforementioned classes.

Design
The Hyperion Impulse Drive operates via accelerated ion propulsion, much like Starfleet impulse drives.

Impulse Reactors
Hyperion impulse reactors are fueled by nitrogen-14, which is found in abundance in the atmospheres of most Minshara-class planets.

Unlike a typical reactor, the primary function of an impulse reactor is to produce ions; as a secondary function, the energy released by the formation of ions is collected and used to power the actual propulsion matrix (and create a perpetual power source for the reactor itself, if necessary).

Impulse reactors operate by inducing beta decay via high-energy radiation. The subsequent reaction produces high-energy electrons and positive oxygen-15 ions. The half-life of oxygen-15 is a mere 122.24 seconds, though; a single neutron may be injected into each oxygen ion, producing stable positive oxygen-16 ions. This procedure is only carried out under conditions where storage of the ions is necessary. During normal operation, a two minute half-life is sufficient.

The electrons emitted during the reaction are captured and either used to form a self-sustaining energy loop for the reactor or charge the vessel's power reserves.

Ion Channels
After their production and augmentation, the positive oxygen ions are shunted into the propulsion tubes ("channels"). Polarized magnetic fields accelerate the ions outward to generate propulsion. Hyperion ion channels contain secondary and tertiary acceleration fields, making them superior to standard Starfleet designs. As a result, the Hyperion impulse manifolds are considerably larger than their standard Starfleet counterparts.

Although the channels generate a similar amount of thrust, less fuel is required for Hyperion channels.

Development
The Hyperion Impulse Drive was developed by Frontier Aerospace in the late 2240s and early 2250s under the guise of Project Hyperion, which would later become the official designation for the manifold.