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Any Reasons to use the Toroidal Tank?


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1 hour ago, NordicToast said:

Is there any particular reason to use the toroidal tank? I've been trying to find one but I can't think of anything (other than for aesthetic purposes)

Compactness. The node in the center of the toroidal tank is deeper and allows small engines like the spark and ant to nest up in there with less extension on the underside. Also, multiple round 8 tanks overlap in stacks that take up less vertical space than normal tanks. This makes small satellites and probes fit into smaller fairings and bays.

Edited by HvP
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It's not super high on my list of tanks to use, either-- I don't use it frequently.  But I do occasionally have a use for it.  A few cases where it comes in handy:

  1. Its short, squat shape can be handy when building small landers-- helps to have a low CoM without making a tall/skinny lander.
  2. Its short, squat shape helps build stages that fit into tight space, such as under a fairing atop a 1.25m stage below it.
  3. It's a convenient intermediate step in size between the Oscar and the 0.5 ton LFO tank.

Plus it just kinda looks cool.  :)

 

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The only time I really use them, other than cosmetics, is in this little gem, the Doodlebug. You can see it under the seats.

UQrOz4a.jpg

It runs off of thrusters and mono, but I also have a toroidal stuffed into it to fuel a small power cell. Even the limited amount of fuel it has can keep a Doodlebug powered for hours if necessary.

Edited by Just Jim
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1 hour ago, Snark said:

It's a convenient intermediate step in size between the Oscar and the 0.5 ton LFO tank.

Plus it just kinda looks cool.  :)

 

While 1 and 2 may be reasons for someone else, that is the reason for me  

 

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I also use them for aesthetic reasons but also for fuel density on smaller craft. 

With guilt-free clipping of an Oscar-B tank into the doughnut hole of a ROUND-8 you can get 45 units of LF+O into about half the space of a FL-T100 tank...

UpIZnul.png?1

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On 6/10/2017 at 1:45 AM, Foxster said:

I also use them for aesthetic reasons but also for fuel density on smaller craft. 

With guilt-free clipping of an Oscar-B tank into the doughnut hole of a ROUND-8 you can get 45 units of LF+O into about half the space of a FL-T100 tank...

UpIZnul.png?1

^^^ I'm with Foxster here.  I use a stack of 2, 3, or 4 Round-8s clipped over an Oscar all the time.  That allows a fuel density not found in other parts, which opens up a lot of creative and cosmetic possibilities when designs made around plain old vanilla parts start getting old.

ATvtI9U.jpg

This densified lander is ugly perhaps, but can handle any world Duna or smaller, and packs in a single Mk3 bay with tons of room to spare

OmLP9VV.jpg

This 5-ton toy SSTO would be double the length without Round-8s

Edited by fourfa
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On 6/9/2017 at 8:06 PM, bewing said:

Most of the parts in KSP are adjusted so that they are exactly scaled against each other. So, except for price, it's almost always just a matter of aesthetics.

I'd add part count and rigidity as additional concerns. Pic related:

v9TeaaS.png

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1 hour ago, fourfa said:

^^^ I'm with Foxster here.  I use a stack of 2, 3, or 4 Round-8s clipped over an Oscar all the time.  That allows a fuel density not found in other parts, which opens up a lot of creative and cosmetic possibilities when designs made around plain old vanilla parts start getting old.

ATvtI9U.jpg

This densified lander is ugly perhaps, but can handle any world Duna or smaller, and packs in a single Mk3 bay with tons of room to spare

OmLP9VV.jpg

This 5-ton toy SSTO would be double the length without Round-8s

And that's because the have way too much fuel in the round 8.  When you look at the volume, it should have much lesd

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