New thermal modelW=

[igor_perusco]

disclaimer: i like squad and love 1.0, i do not mean this as a complaint but simply an observation, thank you (also my physics is a bit rusty)

There appears to be some confusion about the thermal model and specifically the debug menu for it.

Right clicking on a part brings up (among other things) something called "flux"

- Radiative flux

- Convective flux

- Conductive flux

It does not appear to behave much like flux, rather the numbers seem to indicate energy flow rate?

Suggestion: Either-

- Rename the three values to something more like "- energy flow rate" and attach proper measuring units to prevent confusion (if it's not really flux)

- Keep flux in there but add "contact area" for each of those, because it's useless without those (if it IS flux) attaching a proper measuring unit helps too

- Scrap it completely and make up a "kerbal" thermodynamics model to replace the real world one

A "better" model will arise in the form of a mod, as was the case with FAR and NEAR, the realism oriented players will use that, might be useful to keep a whackier simpler model in the game, avoiding the need for real life physics.

I'd love feedback on this, thank you

[problemecium]

Last I checked "flux" was literally a synonym for "flow". You may have been conditioned to equate "flux" with magnetic flux, or even the clear stuff you use to clean up bad solder joints, but this is a valid use of the term too

[viktor19]

Flux = flow, I think. So far thermodynamics implementation has delightfully surprised me. However HeatWarning mod for me is a absolute must when flying spaceplanes.

[EDIT]: Ninja'd

[igor_perusco]

I was taught that the two terms are separate with "Flow" being flow and flux being flow through surface area.

Note: i am aware the standard mathematical definition is slightly different, i am talking about, strictly speaking, the physical phenomenon

Then again i didn't learn my physics in english so i might be mixing up words (we call torque, momentum over here, yeah...)

EDIT: panicked searching through the interwebs yielded several definitions to support this

heat flux is defined as a vector field Õ⃗ with units of energy per unit time, per unit area

pulled from stack exchange, i won't even attempt quoting wikipedia

Edited April 28, 2015 by igor_perusco

[NathanKell]

It appears to be in kilojoules.

[Matt516]

Yeah, "flux" generally refers to flow normalized by area. So their usage is technically wrong. But not really a huge deal.