I am no theoretical physicist, and have no scientific degree(s). I am, however, an extremely informed layperson with a penchant for considering the feasibility of turning 'indistinguishable from magic' to 'practical technology', or at least providing some not too impossible proof of concept ideas.
I, too, ever since learning about the negative energies (even at quantum scales, they DO exist) which result as a direct effect of the Casimir effect, which involves placing two non-charged, parallel metal plates extremely close to one another - around a nanometer apart (my laypersons approximation), as I'm not looking up any of the resulting negative vacuum energies,which have the effect of restricting naturally occurring 'virtual particles' from popping into existence between the metal plates, as there is no room (as I understand it) for virtual particles to 'fit' between the two parallel plates.
Thus, a practical negative vacuum energy space where negative energy in fact CAN be created and DOES exist, offering zero contradictions to Einsteins' field equations... implies a practical source of negative energy which MUST result as a measurable phenomenon between the parallel metal plates, although at subatomic scales, which may introduce unforeseen (to me, anyway) problems.
HOWEVER!
Since negative energy is allowed within the boundaries of General Relativity, then it stands to reason that a so-called 'Casimir Capacitor' should be possible for storing the generated negative energy between the metal plates, along with a non-negligible energy source to serve as a practical fuel, required for the generation and maintaining of countless 'Casimir Capacitors', each capable of storing a miniscule amount of negative energy...
But it's when these 'Casimir Capacitors' are networked with finely tuned, possibly yet-to-be-developed quantum processors based on stable Einstein/Bose condensates, providing the stable wave form function necessary for the extremely and necessarily accurate computations of a lattice of atoms possessing what amounts to a single waveform to lead to practical quantum computers - which could possible be entangled with other Einstein/Bose condensates -
Why, Septillions of these stable quantum processors allowing the storage of negative energy as a series of connected 'Casimir Capacitors' which will eventually discharge this negative energy in an organized manner designed to take advantage of the two flattened torus shapes, which reduce the required practical fuel involved to create, in effect, a network of simply uncountable numbers of networked 'Casimir Capacitors'.
When discharging their stored negative energy in a controlled manner and, due to the sheer number of capacitors releasing this negative energy in a timed, simultaneous pattern so that the desired warping of space generated by the 'Casimir Capacitors' contained in the flattened torus shapes surrounding the actual 'ship', with each capacitor working in a harmony of complex gravitational matrices, in effect, this could produce the warping of spacetime required for propeling the ship inside of this warp bubble - either at sub-light velocities, or possibly even beyond FTL speeds.
Of course, approximating the interior space of the twin torus assembly, the total volume combined comes out to something on the order of 43 nontillion volumetric nanometers. So, with the size of a 'Casimir Capacitor' occupying approximately a little more than the cubed volume of a nanometer,the number of 'Casimir Capacitors' installed inside the volumes of the torus structures should equal, say, about 30 nontillion capacitors, considering other essential hardware.
Yes, an ubiquitous, indefinitely stable Einstein/Bose condensate must be present and woven perfectly into the structure of the 'Casimir Capacitors' formed from the structure of the ultra-dense double warp field generating torus structures which store the negative energy until it is needed to be released, forming the required warp bubble.
Many non-existing technologies will obviously need to be invented from scratch, including a level of computing power several orders of magnitude greater than what we have now - plus expertise in nano-manufacturing the ultra-precision parts at scales where quantum weirdness, such as compulsive quantum decoherence, must be accounted for with no margin for error.
So, there you go. A laymans' vision for a practical warp drive that doesn't break any known laws of physics. Assuming negative energy can be stored at the level of several nontillion individual volumetric nano-components, each with their own unique, separate and dedicated jobs to perform.
-Ash Davis