(Yes, the rendering is lame, but I lack tools and talent. If you can make nice pictures, please get in touch. Thanks.)

Enterprise Plasma Distribution System

Like ships of the 21^st century on Earth, the Enterprise requires vast amounts of power. For example, aircraft carriers have extensive systems to distribute high temperature steam, electrical power (in differing voltages), and signals throughout the ship. However the Enterprise uses thousands or millions of times more energy than those ancient ships.

To handle power demands for the warp engines, impulse engines, phasers, shields, replicators, and other uses, high energy plasma (an ionized gas) is distributed and converted where needed. To generate electricity, the plasma passes through magnetic coils in Plasma Magneto-Hydro-Dynamic Generators or PMGs. This diagram shows the major features of the Plasma Generation and Distribution System.

By far the most powerful source of plasma is the matter/anti-matter generator. It generates energy by annihilating matter and anti-matter in a dilithium crystal reaction chamber at the core of the generator. Two carefully aligned taps lead directly to the warp drive engines (in the nacelles) because of their enormous power requirement. (Figure 1 shows just one branching tap to the right instead of the actual two separate taps.) Since the matter/anti-matter generator is tied so closely to the warp drives, the generator is often, but inaccurately, refered to as the "warp core."

A third tap (to the left in the figure) distributes plasma throughout the ship. This flow is the Energized Plasma Stream carried by EPS conduits. Since the saucer and drive sections can separate (note the separation cutoff seal), the saucer section can generate plasma from nuclear fusion in tokamak reactors. This also supplements the EPS in times of high demand. In one emergency when the M/A-M generator failed, engineers channeled plasma from the saucer section down to the drive section then to the warp coils to sustain warp drive.

EPS Diagram

This diagram shows major EPS taps for electrical power generation in the drive and saucer sections, science lab, impulse engines, and saucer phaser arrays.

			Dilithium Crystal Reaction Chamber
					Warp Coil PMGs Port & Starboard

			Drive Section PMGs Port & Starboard

DRIVE SECTION
Saucer Separation Cutoff Seal

	Plasma Science Lab Tap
			Saucer Section PMGs Port & Starboard

			Impulse Engines Port & Starboard
					Dorsal Phaser PMG
					Ventral Phaser PMG

Plasma waves begin at both ends of a phaser PMG and charge phaser banks as they go. This is occasionally visible as "sparks" which sweep the phaser array until they meet and discharge.

Matter/Anti-Matter Reactor Details

Here is a detailed diagram of the dilithium crystal reaction chamber, matter and anti-matter flow injectors, warp field coils, etc.