Interstellar Extended for Dummies

[FreeThinker]

2 minutes ago, sdrevik said:

Reactor and generator are connected directly.  The docking connector is between the generator and the fuel tank.  The arrangement is (front to back):
Front docking--RGU--Reactor--Generator---dock--dock--LH2 tank---LH2 tank---DT Vista

Not a huge deal, I ditched it and replaced it with a new fusion front end, just a bug, it seemed.

Wait a second, aren't you using a Rector placeholder? they are simply mockups and don't contain any reactor functionality, it would give a good explanation what is happening here as the part does not have any right click menu

[sdrevik]

2 hours ago, FreeThinker said:

Wait a second, aren't you using a Rector placeholder? they are simply mockups and don't contain any reactor functionality, it would give a good explanation what is happening here as the part does not have any right click menu

It was a real reactor that worked before the upgrade.

[sdrevik]

I made a tutorial video to pass on my understanding from playing with KIE over the last two months, I think it should be helpful for folks just starting out with Interstellar, since so many of the old tutorials seem to be obsolete with the changes.   I hope to add a few more on beamed power (which I have running) and antimatter (once I get it figured out).

 

 

[Nansuchao]

1 hour ago, sdrevik said:

I made a tutorial video to pass on my understanding from playing with KIE over the last two months, I think it should be helpful for folks just starting out with Interstellar, since so many of the old tutorials seem to be obsolete with the changes.   I hope to add a few more on beamed power (which I have running) and antimatter (once I get it figured out).

 

 

Thank you very much for your effort, I really appreciate.

A couple of suggestions: in the editor, it's better to use the KSPI tab to choose the parts, so you'll not see the upgrade placeholders, and you can use the Thermal Helper to put on your ship the right amount of radiators. While you can attach more than one generator to a reactor, usually it's not needed. The Molten Salt has a built-in generator, so just for powering a ship you don't need any other generator.

The Tokamak reactor is better suited for charged particle generator, a Thermal generator is more or less dead weight there. If you want to power an electric engine, the weight of the generator usually overcome the amount of power it can produce.

In flight mode, there'is another UI from Interstellar that show you how much power is produced and required from your ship, is the lighting button you had in the editor, but works only in flight.

 

Soon I'll add to the guide the other missing engines and the reactors for a better explanation. However, if you make more videos, with the right infos, I can add them to the OP.

 

Edited July 25, 2016 by Nansuchao

[sdrevik]

On 7/25/2016 at 0:56 PM, Nansuchao said:

Thank you very much for your effort, I really appreciate.

A couple of suggestions: in the editor, it's better to use the KSPI tab to choose the parts, so you'll not see the upgrade placeholders, and you can use the Thermal Helper to put on your ship the right amount of radiators. While you can attach more than one generator to a reactor, usually it's not needed. The Molten Salt has a built-in generator, so just for powering a ship you don't need any other generator.

The Tokamak reactor is better suited for charged particle generator, a Thermal generator is more or less dead weight there. If you want to power an electric engine, the weight of the generator usually overcome the amount of power it can produce.

In flight mode, there'is another UI from Interstellar that show you how much power is produced and required from your ship, is the lighting button you had in the editor, but works only in flight.

 

Soon I'll add to the guide the other missing engines and the reactors for a better explanation. However, if you make more videos, with the right infos, I can add them to the OP.

 

Thanks, I'm just working on a "demystifying reactors" addendum that repeats some of the items you mention here.   Yep, just figured out the salt reactor had a generator, I wondered what all those generator references were on that component...     Thanks!

[sdrevik]

Update:  In a flurry of KSP obesssion, I have posted 7 videos trying to put down what I've learned in KSP Interstellar for others to use as a starting point:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm-vgoVjgUTW-WVJULZHORw

#1 - Introduction to reactors and such

#2- Using beamed power

#3 - Using antimatter and warp drive

#4- Further demystifying reactors

#5- Testing other engines I had not used in 1-4

#6- Using IE components to try to tackle Moho

#7- Experimenting with balloons and nuclear ramjets to take off from Eve.

 

OK, I need to return to the real world for a bit...

[Nansuchao]

12 minutes ago, sdrevik said:

Update:  In a flurry of KSP obesssion, I have posted 7 videos trying to put down what I've learned in KSP Interstellar for others to use as a starting point:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm-vgoVjgUTW-WVJULZHORw

#1 - Introduction to reactors and such

#2- Using beamed power

#3 - Using antimatter and warp drive

#4- Further demystifying reactors

#5- Testing other engines I had not used in 1-4

#6- Using IE components to try to tackle Moho

#7- Experimenting with balloons and nuclear ramjets to take off from Eve.

 

OK, I need to return to the real world for a bit...

Thank you, great job! I'll watch them as soon as I have time

[Fairin]

i find i exclusively use microwaved power on everything but bases (which use a simple molten salt) and motherships (traveling to other places), in response to your video(s)

#1 i pretty much exclusively use the plasma thruster using argon and upscaled to 1.875m put out around 1600kn of thrust.

i made a thing for personal use for plasma thrusters using max power of a single sphere reciever (5000mw) at standard size  and engines at 1.25m

fuelname : Thrust (vac) power effencicy, ISP(Vac) weight per 1000 units (gases burn fast and hold alot)
xenon         T508, E69% ISP1383.7, w0.1t
lqco2          T339, E82, ISP2465, W1.1733t  
lqnitrogen :     T257 E78 ISP3090.3 w0.824
lqfuel:         T248, E50% ISP 2053 w5t
oxidizer      T227 E50% ISP2242.6 w5t
lqoxygen     T181, E50, ISP2803, w1,1410
lqcarbonmonoxi  T150, E54, ISP3670, w0.790
water        T136.4 E50 ISP3737.3 w1t
lqammonia     T129.9 E50, ISP3924, w0.702
lqmethane:    T128.4 E50% ISP3969.4, w0.425
mono         T122 E54% ISP4485 w4t
HO(HTP)     T122, E54, ISP4485, w1.431
hydrazine    T119, E54, ISP4619 w1.004
lqhydrogen     T71, E79, ISP11213, w0.07085

lithium     T135, E86, ISP6469 w.06
NeonGAS     T142, E70, ISP5012 w.009
KryptonGAS     T231, E60, 2646 w.0037
ArgonGAS     T311, E76, 2491 w.0017 ([email protected]!!)
Alumina,     T303, E40, ISP135 w12t
Ore,         T363, E40, ISP 1121 w18t

Edited August 11, 2016 by Fairin
clairification of max power., 8/10/16 out of date

[sdrevik]

Thanks!  Very handy to have these numbers.   Microwaved power takes a bit of commitment to put enough of a constellation in place to have good coverage, but once it's in place, you can get some places and do some things you can't otherwise.   Good idea on the argon gas.  Can you post a photo of some of your vessels?

 

[Fairin]

6 hours ago, sdrevik said:

Thanks!  Very handy to have these numbers.   Microwaved power takes a bit of commitment to put enough of a constellation in place to have good coverage, but once it's in place, you can get some places and do some things you can't otherwise.   Good idea on the argon gas.  Can you post a photo of some of your vessels?

 

with the latest update all my vessels, my network, and all the numbers above have changed sadly. gives me something to work on however.

after much testing before this patch i use liquid nitrogen on kerbin to launch everything now, since you can atmosphere scoop up liquid nitrogen and refuel while lifting off

you can use other atmo's in other planets, i.e. co2 on duna and eve.

 

i use the plasma thruster because of the quantum mode to get around and do minor changes. my first tests for the attlia thruster are rediclious (16000kn!) it broke my ssto apart lol

here is my minmus facility, using pathfinder for housing / georesearch and basic fuel creation, USI everything else. they got supplies and habitation for 100+years lest not forget the launchpad i tacked on painfully later (them stakes don't dock. was getting annoying), anything larger than a small shuttle needs to be built in orbit for "reasons".

 

it is the third attempt at a compact relatively lagless base that contains everything nessary to make anything i want, it does not show all the resources it has on the right sadly (if theres a mod for that i'd like to know!) this base produces everything. except carbon di/monoxide, so no methane either, or any of the gases really, new Avataria 3 (the 4th version) will cut down on the wasted space (krypton / neon ect)

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

here is my Fusion power plant. it is very VERY BIG' 10m MCF's DD makes tritium DT burns the tritium very stable, very nom, and now needs replacement transmitter >< i used liquid oxygen to put it into orbit because making deterium gives excess oxygen ! whee!, the station creates excess H4 which is turned into liquid helium for resupplying any shuttle i might make to refuel, or in the future use helium to get around since i literately make it in space.

Spoiler

 

Edited August 11, 2016 by Fairin

[MagpulMasada]

Hello everyone. Recently i began playing KSP again, and for the first time i designed a plane that is both stylish and actually flies. Problem is, using the Molten Salt reactor with a thermal turbojet, the later always overheat VERY quickly, even with more air intakes, even with more Insterstellar radiator and stock radial radiator, i also tried smaller/bigger reactor and turbojet combos, and it still does not work. Am I missing something ? 

Here's the craft file, should be only stock and Interstellar parts : https://www.dropbox.com/s/0uyh23h0yae5i3x/Glowing Creçerel I.craft?dl=0

[Nansuchao]

2 hours ago, MagpulMasada said:

Hello everyone. Recently i began playing KSP again, and for the first time i designed a plane that is both stylish and actually flies. Problem is, using the Molten Salt reactor with a thermal turbojet, the later always overheat VERY quickly, even with more air intakes, even with more Insterstellar radiator and stock radial radiator, i also tried smaller/bigger reactor and turbojet combos, and it still does not work. Am I missing something ? 

Here's the craft file, should be only stock and Interstellar parts : https://www.dropbox.com/s/0uyh23h0yae5i3x/Glowing Creçerel I.craft?dl=0

Hello, I still have to try your ship, but in the last few version, to operate the Thermal TurboJet some pre-coolers are needed, to prevent the overheating. Later I'll try your ship, but from what you said, that is probably your issue.

[MagpulMasada]

Thing is i've tried the precooler, but it's doesn't fit my design, as those are meant to be used on nacels.

[Nansuchao]

1 hour ago, MagpulMasada said:

Thing is i've tried the precooler, but it's doesn't fit my design, as those are meant to be used on nacels.

With KSP-Interstellar, you need to add some of them. They're tweaked bu Interstellar (precoolers and nacelles) to act as preecoler. If you don't use them, the TTJ will overheat easily.

[MagpulMasada]

Just tried with precooler, doesn't do anything. Something else i noticed is that when the engine is running and i limit the thrust (thermal jet engine window), the temperature litterally skyrocket in the +2750k (max temp of the engine). Could it be a bug ?

Edited November 19, 2016 by MagpulMasada
exageration

[Nansuchao]

22 minutes ago, MagpulMasada said:

Just tried with precooler, doesn't do anything. Something else i noticed is that when the engine is running and i limit the thrust (thermal jet engine window), the temperature litterally skyrocket in the +2750k (max temp of the engine). Could it be a bug ?

Yes, it could be. I suggest to try to replicate the issue in a barebone install, without other mods. If you can replicate the issue, upload your output.log to a site like Dropbox or Pastebin and report the issue and the reproduction steps on the KSPI main thread.

[MagpulMasada]

Problem solved. In case someone has a similar problem : remember to activate your radiators, those aren't passive.

[twright439042]

I'm having real trouble keeping the Tokamak Fusion Engine thrusting. I can keep it lit with lithium prop, but not enough for plasma. I have a ton of capacitors on this particular vehicle and have tried molten salt and other thermal generators for power source. What am I missing, besides years of nuclear physics?

[Nansuchao]

3 hours ago, twright439042 said:

I'm having real trouble keeping the Tokamak Fusion Engine thrusting. I can keep it lit with lithium prop, but not enough for plasma. I have a ton of capacitors on this particular vehicle and have tried molten salt and other thermal generators for power source. What am I missing, besides years of nuclear physics?

You can check in the Interstellar UI if you have enough energy to maintain the fusion reaction of the Engine. I suggest to try with a more powerful reactor. If you still have trouble, please upload a screenshot of your ship.

[juanml82]

So, uh, how do you go about using microwave power?

I decided I'd start with a generator on the ground (can be done, right?), so I've made an MK3 rover with a pebble reactor, a gyrotron attached directly to it and, a few parts apart, that big "microwave transducer" which had something in the description about transmitting microwave power.

So I turn on the pebble reactor from the control window and... nothing happens? It's very slowly consuming fuel but, isn't it supposed to be generating megajoules? As for that huge microwave transducer, is it supposed to beam (to nowhere because I didn't set up a relay network yet) power from the reactor (if the reactor is producing power, that is) or is it just a large solar panel which transmits microwave power?

And what is the Thermal Electric Generator? Does it turn waste heat into electricity? Or is it something else?

[Nansuchao]

2 minutes ago, juanml82 said:

So, uh, how do you go about using microwave power?

I decided I'd start with a generator on the ground (can be done, right?), so I've made an MK3 rover with a pebble reactor, a gyrotron attached directly to it and, a few parts apart, that big "microwave transducer" which had something in the description about transmitting microwave power.

So I turn on the pebble reactor from the control window and... nothing happens? It's very slowly consuming fuel but, isn't it supposed to be generating megajoules? As for that huge microwave transducer, is it supposed to beam (to nowhere because I didn't set up a relay network yet) power from the reactor (if the reactor is producing power, that is) or is it just a large solar panel which transmits microwave power?

And what is the Thermal Electric Generator? Does it turn waste heat into electricity? Or is it something else?

I'm waiting to add the Microwave parts in the guide cause it is growing up and gaining realism in this period. Once is finished I will add it. For now, in order to beam power, you need a gyrotron and a transmitter on your ship.

To have power from a reactor, you need a Thermal electric generator (that converts thermal power to Megajoule) or a Charged Particle Generator (that converts Charged Particles to Megajoule). If you go without generator, a reactor is good just to obtain thrust from a thermal engine, but no energy.

[juanml82]

1 hour ago, Nansuchao said:

I'm waiting to add the Microwave parts in the guide cause it is growing up and gaining realism in this period. Once is finished I will add it. For now, in order to beam power, you need a gyrotron and a transmitter on your ship.

To have power from a reactor, you need a Thermal electric generator (that converts thermal power to Megajoule) or a Charged Particle Generator (that converts Charged Particles to Megajoule). If you go without generator, a reactor is good just to obtain thrust from a thermal engine, but no energy.

Like this? The Thermal electric generator still says "current power 0", though

Edited November 30, 2016 by juanml82

[Nansuchao]

8 hours ago, juanml82 said:

-snip-

There is something wrong here, definitely. The max power of the generator is too low and there's not apparent reason for your reactor not to work, except that the ship needs some more radiators.

Do you have Near Future installed? If yes, there is a patch in KSPI that tweak the Interstellar reactors to work at the lower energy ratio of NF.

Try to replicate this ship in a barebone install with just KSPI and see if you have the same issue.

[juanml82]

14 hours ago, Nansuchao said:

There is something wrong here, definitely. The max power of the generator is too low and there's not apparent reason for your reactor not to work, except that the ship needs some more radiators.

Do you have Near Future installed? If yes, there is a patch in KSPI that tweak the Interstellar reactors to work at the lower energy ratio of NF.

Try to replicate this ship in a barebone install with just KSPI and see if you have the same issue.

Yes, I have Near Future. I've tried in a barebone install and it works fine. So, KSPI and NFT conflict with each other?

I've removed the extensions of the NFTEnginesFix.cfg and NFTradiators.cfg patches in the KSPI install folder, but it didn't resolve the issue (then again, I forgot to delete module manager's cache).

Is this a common issue or should I ask in the KSPI main thread?

[Nansuchao]

47 minutes ago, juanml82 said:

Yes, I have Near Future. I've tried in a barebone install and it works fine. So, KSPI and NFT conflict with each other?

I've removed the extensions of the NFTEnginesFix.cfg and NFTradiators.cfg patches in the KSPI install folder, but it didn't resolve the issue (then again, I forgot to delete module manager's cache).

Is this a common issue or should I ask in the KSPI main thread?

They do not conflict, FreeThinker made those patches to make them compatible. But, if it works in another install, maybe is worth reporting the issue in the main thread.