Low solar orbit Solar Farm

[Ice30]

So I wanted to see how much power I could generate for the interstellar microwave transmitters by sending a large solar farm into a low solar orbit. I ended up using infernal robotics to create an array that is launched in a packed up configuration and then deploys using servos. At roughly 780 parts and 1000 tonnes at the launch pad with ~25,000 delta v (using the ionic thrusters from the near future mod) it's a complete dog to fly right from the launch pad until low solar orbit (which takes about 18 hours real time (at 4x phys time warp) to burn. But the result is beautiful, with a whopping ~380MW 1GW of power ready to transmit.

The pictures are a little out of date to my current design as it was my second iteration that had a plasma engine, which i ended up changing back to the original ion engine which i am flying now, so just ignore the plasma engine.

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Mods used are:

• Dynamic Farings
  
• Docking struts
  
• Infernal robotics
  
• FAR
  
• Near future mod
  
• I may have used a component or two from B9 aerospace - not sure
  
• Interstellar mod
  

Let me know if anyone wants the craft file. I wasn't sure if anyone would want it as you would have to be a bit of a masochist to want to do an 18 hour real time burn (I've done 2 myself so far and am working on a third ), plus it lags like hell.

Edited May 7, 2014 by Ice30

[The Error]

Wow.

THAT is a solar array.

[nli2work]

Impressive! Becareful when you switch to it in the future though, IR parts sometimes go crazy and shake the entire craft to millions of pieces. Also, if you add enough batteries, so the total EC is 10~15k, you'll transmit much more power, 1GW plus. It really depends on how many gigantors you pack into it. I have a few around the sun at 250km, 60+ gigantors each IIRC, enough batteries for 15k total EC. ~1.5 GW beamed from each. About half dozen redesigns and kraken sacrafices. But they are good for maintenance free MW power

[Ice30]

Thanks. Thats odd you are getting 1gw as I have about 20k electric charge. I am using the solar panels from the near future mod in addition to the stock ones. Perhaps they dont work correctly? I will test this out and also try to get closer to the sun as currently they are about 950km

[nli2work]

my 1st designs were pushing about the same as yours, 300~400 MW. Then I saw Manley's video where he edited the EC capacity of the Transmitters to get higher output. check this one here http://youtu.be/YtelByoyDQg?t=10m

I don't think the panels from the mod would cause any issues. Still generates same resource in game. Just want to have enough EC to match the total output of the panels.

Edited May 5, 2014 by nli2work

[iDan122]

Woah that is amazing! Time to make this stock

Btw *looks cool doesn't it

[Ice30]

my 1st designs were pushing about the same as yours, 300~400 MW. Then I saw Manley's video where he edited the EC capacity of the Transmitters to get higher output. check this one here http://youtu.be/YtelByoyDQg?t=10m

I don't think the panels from the mod would cause any issues. Still generates same resource in game. Just want to have enough EC to match the total output of the panels.

Oh ok thanks. But im not sure what 'hack' im supposed to do? Can you explain please?

Woah that is amazing! Time to make this stock

Btw *looks cool doesn't it

Hehe thanks. Don't think you could without the IF mod. I know it should be 'doesn't' btw lol was just using slang

Edited May 5, 2014 by Ice30

[nli2work]

He edited the quicksave file so the Transmitter has more EC. the part carries 1k EC default.

[undercoveryankee]

You can probably calculate the EC required to transmit full power. All of the power draws are handled in the FixedUpdate event, which, per some discussion on the Interstellar thread, is called every 0.02 s. Because you might not know whether the panels or the transmitter get the event first in each frame, having 2 frames worth of capacity is probably safer than 1.

So here's the design process:

1. Figure out your panels' output at your target orbit. Interstellar's VAB Thermal Helper display will help. Keep in mind the conversion factor, 1 EC/s = 1 KW.
   
2. Multiply that wattage by 2 frames, or 0.04 s. E.g. 1 GW (1,000,000 EC/s) * 0.04 s = 40,000 EC.
   
3. Anything over half that will probably work. The full two-frame amount will help to prevent surprises on vessel load.
   

If you need to add EC capacity to ships already in flight, modding the transmitter part is a graceful solution. If you're still in the VAB and would like to be able to share .craft files with people using unmodified Interstellar, you might prefer to install enough batteries to reach the capacity you calculated.

[nli2work]

Here was one of mine that rattled itself apart in transit.

[Ice30]

Ok thanks, I actually have 29k ec in batteries already, but i will try fiddling with the ec of the transmitter later today.

Here was one of mine that rattled itself apart in transit.

http://i.imgur.com/y21OTQU.jpg

Oh wow bad luck. I'm abating the wobble by having the whole arrangement tied together with struts until i'm ready to deploy (they come off when i separate the engines), then i'm using docking struts after it's deployed, which are basically like struts except you connect them while playing.

[Ice30]

Okay im really confused now. I worked out my energy flow from my solar panels at the orbit i am on to be 485284 yet after making that change to the EC of the transmitter im still only getting ~700MW? Is this right?

[nli2work]

you have to edit the quicksave instead of part config. config file doesn't affect parts that are already launched and in flight.

[Optiso]

First of all that looks awesome, second, there is a mod which allows you to timewarp electrical engines that would probably work in this case. Would probably cut your burn to like 6 seconds...

[Ice30]

you have to edit the quicksave instead of part config. config file doesn't affect parts that are already launched and in flight.

Thanks that did the trick i'm getting about 1gw now, i could definatley get more if I got closer to the sun (currently at 900km).

First of all that looks awesome, second, there is a mod which allows you to timewarp electrical engines that would probably work in this case. Would probably cut your burn to like 6 seconds...

Cheers man I will check that out!

I'm making another solar farm now that is going to be a lot better than this one (and bigger). I will post it here once im finished!

[NQMT]

Have you seen the movie 'Sunshine'?

You know what to do.