[0.17] Electrical Energy Plugin | v1.5 (Oct 12)

[WoodenBiplane]

Does this work in .17?

[Nibb31]

Why don't you try instead of asking the same question in every thread ?

Unless there is further notice, most mods don't seem to be broken by the update.

[Subcidal]

You should make a module that allows us to make parts drain energy, It would add a lot, And shouldn't be too hard no?

Also, This doesn't at all work with Zoxygen anymore right? I haven't really been keeping up with it since they forced EPS on it, Seemed like such a headache when this great mod is already out.

Basically I need something to use my power on =P, Other than that good stuff, Keep it coming.

PS It would be nice if you set up a nice animated solar panel / energy / ion engine pack or something along those lines (Make sure its okay with the modelers of course), At the moment getting all the solar panels i like working is the biggest pain when I'm setting my mods up.

[phoenix_ca]

+1 for making a module that just straight-up drains energy at a certain rate.

[Kreuzung]

I know that it's been suggested so often, it's on my list but I got distracted with the animation part module. I'm about to release 1.5 and manipulationg the part based on what a part module does is part of my future plans so I hope it can be done in 1.6, sorry for letting you wait that long.

[phoenix_ca]

Meh. I haven't been here that long. Still, it'd be nice to see. As soon as you do, I'll be rather excited. I plan to tweak some existing mods so that they have a constant drain on EEP batteries. Things like antennae, microwave dishes, yadda yadda.

Though, is there any particular reason you're working on animations? Something you think you can do better than PowerTech?

Edited September 25, 2012 by phoenix_ca

[Kreuzung]

No, PowerTech is great, but I'm going in another direction with mine, have you seen the new screenshots posted in the KOSMOS VA thread? The engines have extending nozzles and so on... that's all made with the animation module.

I'm currently checking the source for remaining issues and trying to remember the changelog, hopefully I can release soon, wanted to do it yesterday but then I had this "Oh f--- something is terribly wrong somewhere" feeling all day.

[Kreuzung]

Some words on balancing.

Innsewerants wrote a cool new sun detection code that doesn't just tell if the sun is visible or not, but gives me the solar power in w/m² instead, which is then multiplied by the panel size in m² and the efficiency (typically 5-20% from what I've heard, so 20% is default now). The current panel output in undefined units is replaced with the output in kW from that, so the unit for the engine consumption has to be kW too. I'll make the engine consume more energy to keep up with the higher output of the new solar panels, but I'd like to know what you guys think about making them use fuel too like normal ion engines, so I added a little poll to this thread.

BTW, the battery capacity whould be in kilowattseconds then, right? Should maybe change the GUI to autmatically convert that to kWh...

[CrashnBurn]

Kreuzung, I'd love to see a way to use fuel. Currently I use your mod to make generators that burn fuel to create the energy for the ion engines, which simulates using ion engine fuel. But if I have RTGs or solar panels the engines work even if the generator runs out of fuel, so an option to use a small amount of fuel in the ion engine would be nice.

Also I'd love to be able to edit a part.cfg to make a part use a small amount of energy per second. Even if you couldn't stop the part from working when energy runs out, it would still simulate energy drain and stop other parts (like the ion engines) from having unlimited power. Not perfect, but still a realism improvement from what happens now.

[Kreuzung]

MODULE
{
name = ModuleKrGenericConsumption
energyconsumption = [value]
}

That one wasn't made by me, I honestly never tried to use it.

BTW, this wass just on the IRC:

[22:09] <ddavis> I voted for infinite

[22:09] <Kalpa> I vote for neon.

[22:09] <Barie> i voted for idiots

Edited September 28, 2012 by Kreuzung

[alexanderpas]

BTW, the battery capacity whould be in kilowattseconds then, right? Should maybe change the GUI to automatically convert that to kWh...

Actually, I would suggest going directly to Joules

[CrashnBurn]

I vote for ANY fuel and a VASIMR type drive than can vary Isp to gain more thrust at the expense of using more fuel.

[phoenix_ca]

If they use their own fuel type, that'll be even more of a headache for parts modders, as it'd require new fuel tanks. And that, in turn, means more parts. I don't know about you guys, but my parts menus are very cluttered already, with many pages in each category. Until we get some more organization for KSP on that front...best maybe to avoid extra parts.

When I say use fuel though, I really mean just sipping the stuff. Ion engines have freakishly high efficiency. However, that's something up to cfg tinkering, I would think.

I voted that they should use fuel. I also love the idea of a VASIMR engine (I suggested such a thing recently as a potential addon).

[CrashnBurn]

If they use their own fuel type, that'll be even more of a headache for parts modders, as it'd require new fuel tanks. And that, in turn, means more parts. I don't know about you guys, but my parts menus are very cluttered already, with many pages in each category. Until we get some more organization for KSP on that front...best maybe to avoid extra parts.

When I say use fuel though, I really mean just sipping the stuff. Ion engines have freakishly high efficiency. However, that's something up to cfg tinkering, I would think.

I voted that they should use fuel. I also love the idea of a VASIMR engine (I suggested such a thing recently as a potential addon).

+1 for everything said in this post.

[Angarl]

I believe that Ion Engines should be infinite only using battery power however I believe that the batteries should have durability so that over time the amount of charge that they receive from solar panels or nuclear reactors (DSM pack) should slowly drop so that you are encouraged to take more batteries or more panels for longer journeys.

Edit: Not sure how difficult this would be to program however I have noticed that depending on how much sunlight solar panels receive their efficiency may lower, so I'm wondering if something similar could be done with the batteries.

Edited September 30, 2012 by Angarl

[Kreuzung]

I could do that, but for gameplay reasons I'd rather have a fuel tank that can run empty as it's much simpler than slowly dying batteries.

I wonder if it whould be OK for the majority that voted for infinite if it had fuel but could be refueled by other spacecraft and/or fuel mining.

[Festivefire]

none of the options in your poll are what i would suggest. could you make it so the ion engines can use either rcs or normal fuel, not one or the other, either by context menu or by specifying in the config file?

[Kreuzung]

I could implement all these possibilities (it will at least always be possible to have them infinite), but I also have to balance the engines and I honestly whouldn't like it if VB is totally different than MMI, DCCPW or DSM, there'd be no point in that.

[ZeldaCorporation]

i put everything in the right spot and the parts dont show up!

i am using:

0.17(stock)

mechjeb

novapunch

is it compatible with 0.17?

[ZeldaCorporation]

i also have electrical energy...thats it

[kyle.mk.howard]

I can't seem to get my ion engines to work properly. Could someone show an example of the code for an ion engine? I checked the part making FAQ and it didn't help me much. Thanks!

[Corax]

efficiency (typically 5-20% from what I've heard, so 20% is default now)

I'm not trying to criticise your design decisions, and also I'm no expert on solar cells, but you might want to consider the 5-20% figures are probably true for consumer grade solar panels (the whole assembly including converter etc.) with 5% in cheap stuff like toys or solar garden lights, and 20+% in "serious" consumer panels, aka. photovoltaic power supply. Modern high end solar cells (as might be found in cutting-edge space systems) can have up to twice that efficiency. Also something to keep in mind is that the quoted solar cell efficiency rating is measured through quite a thick layer of atmosphere.

Anyway, thanks for your excellent plugin!

[Kreuzung]

>ZeldaCorporation

Dumb question, did you download the plugin but forgot the parts pack? It's a separate download as there are other mods that only require the plugin but not the parts pack.

>Corax

Thanks for clarifying that, I'll probably make them more efficient to allow the engines to consume more energy, I don't want the battery to last as long as it does in the current version.

The poll is at almost 50% for infinite now, so I'll leave them infinite for the next update and wait for the poll to timeout...

[kyle.mk.howard]

[sarcasm]Thanks for the help guys![/sarcasm]

[Kreuzung]

>kyle.mk.howard

Are you trying to make a part be an ion engine?

// --- general parameters ---
name = VB_IonEngine
module = IonEngine
author = Yorik

// --- asset parameters ---
mesh = IonEngine.DAE
scale = 1
texture = IonEngine.png
specPower = 0.1
rimFalloff = 3
alphaCutoff = 0
iconScale = 4, 4, 4
iconCenter = 0, 1, 0

// --- node definitions ---
node_stack_top = 0.0, 0.1991, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0
node_stack_bottom = 0.0, -0.054, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0


// --- FX definitions ---

fx_exhaustFlame_blue = 0.0, -0.1502, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, active
fx_exhaustLight_blue = 0.0, -0.1502, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, active
fx_smokeTrail_light = 0.0, -0.1502, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, active

// --- Sound FX definition ---

sound_vent_medium = activate
sound_rocket_ion2.wav = active
sound_vent_soft = deactivate

// --- editor parameters ---
cost = 950
category = 0
subcategory = 0
title = YE-1138 Ion Engine
manufacturer = Void Bukerneering
description = Representing the next step in kerbal space exploration, the YE-1138 Ion Engine will never run out of fuel provided you can provide it's battery with energy via the solar cells. (Battery and solar cells not included.)

// attachment rules: stack, srfAttach, allowStack, allowSrfAttach, allowCollision
attachRules = 1,0,1,0,0

// --- standard part parameters ---
mass = 0.4
dragModelType = default
maximum_drag = 0.2
minimum_drag = 0.2
angularDrag = 2
crashTolerance = 19
breakingForce = 80
breakingTorque = 80
maxTemp = 3600

// --- ion engine parameters ---

maxThrust = 4
fuelConsumption = 0.8

thrustVectoringCapable = False

It's basically the same as an old LiquidEngine that doesn't use Isp