6 HARDWARE SYSTEMS
6.1 NAVIGATIONAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS
6.5 ANCILLIARY COMPUTER TRUNKS
6.6.4 Critical Life Support (CLS)
The ship's power systems are perhaps the most intricate and dangerous part of the TARDIS, for power failure during flight can lead to many difficulties. Although rated at a low 200 kW, the ship features a power bank which stores electrical energy, and the power octagon, which absorbs and feeds the ship with artron energy. When in full operation the ship uses both electrical and artron fed machinery. The power systems can be heard throughout the ship as a soft hum, and are also responsble for the slight vibration of the outer-hull.
The TARDIS's power systems can be split into three categories: those that collect energy, those that store and convert energy, and those that distribute energy.
The majority of the ship's power comes from raw artron energy. This is used directly after processing by some of the ship's systems, noteably the power drive. During flight a small amount of artron energy is converted into electrical energy, and stored in the power bank. Whilst landed it is common for nearly all of the artron energy to be converted into electrical current, and stored for use during the next flight.
Just one of the many great contributions Rassilon made to Gallifrey's time-travel program was the invention and subsequent construction of a remote powering systems (RPS). The ship's RPS consists of an artron attractor, an energy absorber, and an artron dispenser. The last two are integrated and are sealed within the power octagon. The artron attractor is located under the console's central column.
The RPS works as follows. The artron attractor draws raw artron energy from the Eye of Harmony situated back on Gallifrey. The energy will be drawn into the artron attractor no matter where and when the TARDIS is. The artron attractor is trully a five dimensional power system. The artron attractor acts as little more than a magnent, creating an attraction force, and its energy is chanelled direct into the energy absorber. Here the artron energy is absorbed the Zyton 7 crystals which line the absorber. From this bank a steady flow of artron energy is drawn by the artron dispenser. The artron subsystem is self-powering, using five percent of the artron energy to power the energy absorber.
The ship also has a non-RPS energy source: natural light. The ship's outer-hull is light sensitive, and a proportion of the energy from light rays hitting the surface will be turned into electrical energy, which trickle charges the ship's power banks.
The artron dispenser filters out low-energy artron packets, which are converted into heat and light. A small number of low energy artron packets will seep out of the artron dispenser. This is intentional, and creates a atmosphere which accentuates the affects of the ship's empathic communication with the pilot. Most of the artron energy, however, leaves the power octagon via two artron channels. One channel feeds the ship's artron power grid, whilst the other leads directly to the ship's energy convertor.
The energy convertor converts its share of the artron energy into electrical current. The unit is very effecient, and produces a direct current which is fed straight into the main power bank. Once this bank is at full capacity the auxiliary power bank will be charged instead. Once both banks are at full capacity the ship will change power mode. The ship's power banks store electrical charge, produced by the solar cells and of course the energy convertor. The power banks are technically similar to capacitors or large batteries. The main power bank is often called the power bank for short, whilst the auxiliary power bank is for emergencies only, and has a smaller power rating.
A steady current is drawn from the power bank by the energy distributor, which splits up the electrical current into various parallel circuits to power the ship's assortment of machinery, computers and circuitry.
The ship operates in a large number of different power modes. Many are invoked automatically, pilots have little choice in the matter.
Zero power mode involves running neither the artron systems nor the energy distributor. As a result the ship will appear to be dead. However, the power rod powers the dimensional stabiliser, defense mechanism and defensive sheild mechanism via its own specially shielded circuit. Zero power mode is not a power mode of choice or desire. The TARDIS is barely functioning, and the power rod has a finite life-time. If the power rod should become seriously low on energy the defense mechanism and defensive shield mechanism will both be switched off, leaving the ship totally dead, with only the interior dimension staying. Once the power rod has been exhausted, the interior dimension will become unstable, and will shortly collapse.
Please note that ZPM provides no life support. This means no lights, no food, no water, no air, no heat, no gravity, and lastly, no door. The door, however, can be powered via an external magnetic field, or an internally directed artron field.
Emegency power mode provides the bare essentials necessary to protect the ship and sustain life. The energy distributor slowly drains the power bank to power the defense mechanism, defensive shield mechanism, and run critical life support (CLS). CLS is a cut-down environment mode, which allows the ship's occupants to survive, although not necessarily in comfort. No artron systems are powered in this mode, and therefore the door is not powered. As before, the door power systems will work in the presence of an exterior magnetic field, or from an internally directed artron field.
Minimal power mode features full life support, but does not run the power drive, the NAGCS or any of the computer banks. However, the fault locator does still operate. None of the class III circuits operate. The artron power systems run on standby: a trickle of artron energy keeps the door operable as long as the artron interference in the area is low. The power octagon will visibly emit a dull light, evidence of the lower than usual empathic field being generated. All controls and indicators on the console relating to artron, computer or flight systems will be inoperative.
Auxiliary Power Mode (APM)
Reduced Power Mode (RPM) Normal Power Mode (NPM) Full Power Mode (FPM) Total Systems Failure (TSF)6.9.2 Circuit & Component Listing