The Twin Drive System (or Twin Drive) is a next-generation drive system in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 that synchronizes two GN Drives to exponentially increase their GN Particle generation rate. Originally unique to the GN-0000 00 Gundam, the Innovators later stole the data from Celestial Being and reverse-engineered the system to work with two GN Tau Drives.
System Description & Characteristics
The Twin Drive is a 200 year old GN technological concept originally drafted by Aeolia Schenberg himself. The theory is that if two GN Drives performed GN particle generation in sync with each other, a Gundam can reach greater thresholds in particle generation. This technology implements a mathematical formula of - output of a single drive to the power of number of drives synchronized. The application theory was contained within the black boxes of the GN Drives until Aeolia's System Trap within Veda activated and its data was released to Celestial Being engineers to develop.
A similar system was actually thought up by Celestial Being engineers independently much earlier than Aeolia's theory/concept/design was released to them and the concept was originally planned to be tested on the GNY-004 Gundam Plutone.[1] However the extreme difficulty in synchronizing two solar furnaces made such a system close to impossible to create thus the idea was abandoned at that point in time.[1] The theory that Aeolia created was likely superior and more effective and allowed Celestial Being engineers to make the Twin Drive concept into a reality.
The greatest complication with his theory is that no two GN Drives are exactly the same and requires a pair of Drives with a (unspecified) compatibility criteria with each other in order to work. When the GN Drives are paired, both drives must maintain a synchronization rate over 80% to produce a stable 'synergy' which causes the particles to start "squaring". Due to the experimental nature of the system, synchronizing the Drives at high levels become a difficult task to achieve even with Drives that are compatible.
In the face of such stability issues, Celestial Being developed stabilizing equipment such as the GNR-010 0 Raiser to properly regulate the system. The 0 Raiser was created to allow GN-0000 00 Gundam to be able to fully utilize its Twin Drive System. The peripheral additions not only stabilize the system, but enhanced its GN Particle production to 300%+ when utilizing the Trans-Am System and Raiser System.
The Innovators subsequently stole Celestial Being's data (from Anew Returner) on the Twin Drive technology and reverse engineered its own version without peripheral equipment. With the data in hand, they managed to create their own Twin Drive mobile suit.
Because the performance of a Large GN Condenser is comparable to a GN Drive, in theory it can be used as components for the Twin Drive System[2] albeit with a limited operation time and particle count. In 2314, Celestial Being managed to realize this concept and implemented it on the repaired GN-0000RE+GNR-010 00 Raiser GN Condenser Type.[3]
Between AD 2312-2314, Celestial Being received new schematic data from Tieria for an improved Twin Drive System that he obtained while he was sleeping. This new system was created and custom-tuned to compliment Gundam Meister Setsuna F. Seiei, who had become a true Innovator. The new Twin Drive itself was built with a sub-system, the Quantum System, an improved variant of the Trans-Am Burst System. When utilizing the Quantum System, the GN Drives are physically joined (presumably to) increase GN particle generation even further; however, the full details and capabilities of its functions are not fully defined.
Twin Drive Output
In a two Drive configuration with a regular setup, the total amount of particle output is simply double of a single GN Drive because the number of Drives has doubled as well. However, with a 2 Drive machine using a Twin Drive setup, the resulting particle generation is not double of that of a single Drive but instead is squared that of a single Drive's output.[4] This happens because of the synchronization of the 2 GN Drives, which allows the Twin Drive System to achieve such high particle generation rates.[4]
It is unknown how synchronization percentage between the Drives affect the total actual output of the particles. However, a minimum of 80% synchronization between the two drives is needed for the Twin Drive to function and the squaring of particles to initiate.[5]
There is a difference in performance between a Twin Drive System using Original GN Drives and a Twin Drive System using GN Drive Taus. A pseudo-Twin Drive's total production output is not squared of a single GN Drive Tau, but is less than that although the formula was not specified. Because of the lower multiplier and the lower base output, a pseudo-Twin Drive still remains a vastly inferior power source when compared to its genuine counterpart.[6]
System & Sub-System Features
History
Development
The technology was developed personally by Aeolia Schenberg and was placed inside the GN drives' black box, along with Trans Am. When Aeolia was gunned down by Alejandro Corner, Aeolia's system trap unlocked the secrets of the black box. Celestial Being had been trying to develop the technology during their four year absence.
GN Drive Compatibility Tests
During the four-year period after their defeat by the newly created Federation, Celestial Being conducted matching test combination's with the four GN Drives at their disposal, Setsuna having disappeared with Exia and its GN Drive. Tieria was the one at the 00 Gundam's controls during this period. However, no permutation of Drives could achieve synchronization, thus the Twin Drive System remained conceptual. When Setsuna and Exia's GN Drive were recovered, the final test was concluded, and it was shown that Exia's and 0 Gundam's GN drives were able to generate the highest synchronization rate out of all their previous tests. However, the test was only able to reach 70% synchronization and was unable to reach the stable threshold. Tieria suggested using Trans-Am to force the system to start, but the idea was considered too dangerous since a system overload would result in the destruction of both GN Drives.
Launching 00 Gundam
The Twin Drive System's first activation was eventually facilitated by the use of 00's Trans-Am, despite fears that doing so was a risky gambit and could destroy both drives in doing so. In its combat debut it proved to be a formidable machine, even being able to block particle beams merely through its GN particle output. However, even with the Drives synchronized the system is highly unstable and can not work at a capacity over 80%. Furthermore, subsequent uses of the Trans-Am System are shown to throw the unstable system out of balance, overloading 00 Gundam's systems and causing the synchronization ratio to drop below the minimum threshold.
00 Raiser
The support craft 0 Raiser was specifically developed with specialized equipment intended to stabilize the Twin Drive System, so that when the two units are docked together, the resulting machine, 00-Raiser, can utilize the full capabilities of its Twin Drive System, exponentially increasing its output and combat capability. Conversely, should the 0 Raiser disconnects or have its system damaged while docked, 00 Gundam will no longer be capable of fighting at its full power or in some cases be inoperable.[7] The 00 Raiser's incredibly high output of Trans-Amed GN Particles in Trans Am Mode is likely factor of Setsuna's Innovation - by the time he confronts Ribbons Almark, Setsuna had already transcended being simply human and become a True Innovator.
Original Twin Drive vs. Pseudo Twin Drive
Ribbons Almark, through Anew Returner, stole the Twin Drive's data from Celestial Being and used it to power his Reborns Gundam, which achieves combat performance equal to that of 00-Raiser despite using synchronized Tau Drives instead of true GN Drives. However, it has been stated that the Pseudo-Twin Drive is inferior to original Twin Drive just by using GN Drive Taus in the first place with Reborns equaling 00 Raiser in performance due to superior mobile suit technology.[8] Also, the exponential formula with a Twin Drive using Pseudo Drives is also less than square,[6] further contributing to the inferiority mathematically in terms of particle production performance.
Other weaknesses are probably those associated with Tau Drives in general such as the limited operational time[9] and the inability to operate after Trans-Am[10][11][12] but any other specific weaknesses is not known at this time, if any.
00 Qan[T]
Setsuna's newest Gundam, the GNT-0000 00 Qan[T], possesses two newly created GN Drives specifically made for its Twin Drive System. These solar furnaces are located inside its torso and underneath the shield, near the left shoulder respectively and was developed by a team led by Linda Vashti at Jupiter. As a result of the new Twin Drive System, 00 Qan[T] doesn't need additional particle stabilizer equipment like 0 Raiser. The Quantum System is also the successor to 00 Raiser's Trans-Am Burst System, which allows Setsuna to expand his Quantum Brainwaves. It creates a massive quantum field that extends an Innovator's consciousness to communicate with sentient minds for advanced communications.
Picture Gallery
Articles & References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mobile Suit Gundam 00P File No. 4 "Gundam Plutone"
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam 00V Senki Mission 10 "Inspection"
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Awakening of the Trailblazer
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 PG 00 Raiser manual,Page 3 GN Drive section;translation source
- ↑ Gundam 00 Season Episode 2 Twin Drive;mentioned by Ian Vashti
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gundam 00 2nd Mechanics, partial translation by calubin_175
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 20 "Anew Returns"
- ↑ Reborns 00.net web profile;translation by mike_s_6;Japanese web page:[1];last accessed on 29th January 2010
- ↑ HG Gundam Throne Drei manual
- ↑ DX Mechanics March 09 issue
- ↑ HG Hilling Care's Garazzo manual
- ↑ HG Trans-Am Susanowo manual
External links
| Anno Domini Technology | |
|---|---|
| Celestial Being Gundam | GN Drive | Haro | Karel | Optical Camouflage | Quantum System | Raiser System | Trans-Am Burst System | Trial System | |
| United Nations Forces / Earth Sphere Federation / A-Laws / Innovators GN Drive Tau | GN Stealth Field | Memento Mori | Orbital Elevator | |
| Shared Bit Control System | Core Block System | GN Condenser | GN Field | GN Particles | Innovade | Innovator | Quantum Brainwave Control System | Quantum Teleportation | Trans-Am System | Twin Drive System | Veda | Weapons | |