Is it possible to make parts into fuel?

[TimePeriod]

If every part was assigned a fuel value proportional to it's mass, disregarding if the part was able to contain fuel or not would it be possible to make the engine burn it until it consumed itself (or creased to function)?

My idea behind it is a kind of biological, vampire engine (Ala Alucard from Hellsing manga) which would consume all manner of parts to fuel the engine.

Edited February 17, 2014 by TimePeriod
Clerfication

[TheFactory]

Riiiiggggghhhhhttttttt...... :/

[TimePeriod]

Riiiiggggghhhhhttttttt...... :/

At least try to make it look like you take it seriously.

[StrandedonEarth]

Sounds like a mass converter, convert mass to energy

[NASAFanboy]

Meanwhile, on the first Kerbal expedition to Duna...

Bill: Bob! Fold back the solar panels! We're aerobraking at 35KM!

Bob: They're missing from the ship computer! I can't find the control sequences to them, it says "MODULE MISSING OR MOVED"

Jeb: Hey guys, hold on tight, we're going in!

Bill: Is it just me, or is our ship getting smaller by the day?

Jeb: Probably just you.

Bill: Hey, wait a minute; where the bloodly deal is our heat shield?

Jeb: I'm firing the engine!

Bill: Wait a minute...

Jeb: What?

Bill: The ship computer claims that we're a three man pod on top of that experimental engine that we found somewhere on the side of the road in the parking lot.

Jeb: ....where's the science equipment? Where's the rover? The landing legs?

Bill: They...they're gone sir! They aren't even showing on the ship cameras!

Jeb: I have no clue what's going on. At least we have our parachutes.

Bob: About that, sir, they're missing too.

Jen: Mother of kod. What's that eating through the pods floor?

Bill: I do-AAHGHGGJSHHHH ITS GOT NE HELP

Bob: AHHHHHH

Jeb: AHHHHHHH

*blood splashes onto camera; shotgun blast is heard followed by depressurization*

Bob: YOU IDIOT JEB; WHY THE SHO-AHHHHH OMG WHY IS YOUR FACE MELTI-AHHHHHH

MISSION CONTACT LOST

MISSION FAILURE

[Levelord]

Sounds like a mass converter, convert mass to energy

Doesn't that make it a matter/antimatter engine? If that's the case, the OP should try the interstellar pack.

[TimePeriod]

Stupid double post :/

Edited February 17, 2014 by TimePeriod

[TimePeriod]

Meanwhile,

*snip*

MISSION CONTACT LOST

MISSION FAILURE

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[Streetwind]

The closest thing we have to a vampiric engine is probably the KE–WAITNONOSTOP–01 Kerbal Unreconstitutionator from the Kethane mod. It can consume Kerbals to produce kethane, which is a universal material that can be converted into all sorts of fuels. So if you ran out of fuel somewhere, you could technically recycle excess crew members into fuel.

It's not exactly what you asked for, but it's the closest thing we have. You would have to write a mod yourself to replicate exactly what you want.

[NASAFanboy]

The closest thing we have to a vampiric engine is probably the KE–WAITNONOSTOP–01 Kerbal Unreconstitutionator from the Kethane mod. It can consume Kerbals to produce kethane, which is a universal material that can be converted into all sorts of fuels. So if you ran out of fuel somewhere, you could technically recycle excess crew members into fuel.

It's not exactly what you asked for, but it's the closest thing we have. You would have to write a mod yourself to replicate exactly what you want.

So much for the OSHA

[Clockwork_werewolf]

Since it is possible using code to destroy a part this should technically be possible. The parts mass could be converted into fuel before being destroyed. The only problem would be designating which part gets "eaten" and making sure it is only the end of a branch not a part used to hold other parts to the ship. That would be the tricky part, I imagine bugs galore.

[TimePeriod]

Since it is possible using code to destroy a part this should technically be possible. The parts mass could be converted into fuel before being destroyed. The only problem would be designating which part gets "eaten" and making sure it is only the end of a branch not a part used to hold other parts to the ship. That would be the tricky part, I imagine bugs galore.

Instead of destroying the parts one by one at random or using an algorithm, why not just make the parts vanish (fade, maybe with some texture mcguffin) ?

(Thus keeping the structural integrity until all parts had been converted into energy or fuel)

Bugs galore would be when you tried to dock with something...

Edited February 17, 2014 by TimePeriod

[Clockwork_werewolf]

It would look strange and what stops you from only using a few of the parts, say the main hull so that you have engines and pod just floating in space but attached. I haven't tried making any parts "fade" so I have no idea how you would do that. Parts at the end of a branch might be easier to do. Just get the node connected to a part and use iteration to find a part only connected to the one before. In the fade scenario you would still need to pick the parts being faded no matter what you do. That or fade all other parts which could include a second engine of the same type resulting in no ship at all. Also you would need to make sure you didn't "fade" the tank with the fuel being added... I think. I'm not sure why you suggest fading them.

[TimePeriod]

It would look strange and what stops you from only using a few of the parts, say the main hull so that you have engines and pod just floating in space but attached. I haven't tried making any parts "fade" so I have no idea how you would do that. Parts at the end of a branch might be easier to do. Just get the node connected to a part and use iteration to find a part only connected to the one before. In the fade scenario you would still need to pick the parts being faded no matter what you do. That or fade all other parts which could include a second engine of the same type resulting in no ship at all. Also you would need to make sure you didn't "fade" the tank with the fuel being added... I think. I'm not sure why you suggest fading them.

If you fade the parts you would't have to deal with the whole scenario of the craft breaking apart due stress while active. Thou your idea of simply "follow the bread crumbs" seems the better option.

In the fade scenario, you would always start with the engine and then go both back and forward (I am assuming that the engine is the root cause of such sorcery) until all parts are connected into the fuel system. From there each part used up for fuel would fade out (reversing the process from the front of the craft and backwards, vice versa).

What I am trying to say is that each part would represent a set amount of fuel. The engine would feed off each part without removing it until all parts had been used up. As a part's imaginary fuel-container is used up it will fade out (change texture into invisible) until no more parts could be found or the engine was disconnected from the craft.

Edited February 17, 2014 by TimePeriod

[Kerbart]

The joy of an unplanned rapid disassembly after launch. Forget to spot the vampire engine laying around on the Kerbal shore, accellerate time for a Jool mission, return... and notice that Kerbin went missing. There is, where Kerbin's supposed to be, one vampiric engine saying *burb*.

[TimePeriod]

The joy of an unplanned rapid disassembly after launch. Forget to spot the vampire engine laying around on the Kerbal shore, accellerate time for a Jool mission, return... and notice that Kerbin went missing. There is, where Kerbin's supposed to be, one vampiric engine saying *burb*.

The ISP.

The Thrust.

So much!

[Clockwork_werewolf]

The ISP.

The Thrust.

So much!

LOL!

Anyway I think my point is either

A If all parts fade at the same time why have the engine at all, as nothing will ever survive or all the ship will be a bit faded.

B If the root part fades first, control and Kerbals will be lost first.

C If the faded parts are not in order then parts will seem to be connected despite a visible gap.

D Randomly selecting a part might be best in this scenario as it would create the most hilarious results.

E It might be best to "find" an end node that does not have crew in it then work back until you hit a branch. Find the next end node until you run out of end nodes. The craft will now just be a rod of command though stuff in a line to the engine. Also hilarious because this best fits the story scenario.

[TimePeriod]

LOL!

Anyway I think my point is either

*snip*

A - That's the point of the engine, you have to feed it. You could potentially feed it anything which would make fuel more homogeneous, albeit dangerous to the crew. The engine has a supernatural (OooooOOooOO) theme so it wouldn't have to make sense.

B - Is it possible to assign the engine as a probe body?

C - No idea here. Perhaps the algorithm you so kindly explained above? Follow the connection parts until no more connections can be found and then start from there?

D - Hilarious!

E - Major bummer will be that in the end, when no more parts are left to burn, you couldn't use the craft (Supernatural again, its vampire themed)