Wraparound Fuel Tanks

[FloatingMongoose]

Is there a mod to allow for fuel tanks that wrap around other fuel tanks to allow for nice, aerodynamic asparagus or onion staging? A picture might explain it better:

This is a view of a horizontal slice through the rocket. The Orange tanks feed into the blue tank in the middle and are ejected when empty. The black parts are decouplers. I can see this as particularly useful for manned landers to increase delta V.

[Cosmic_Farmer]

I rather like the idea of this. I'll have a try at modelling some tanks to go on a 1.25m centre, to take it up to a 2.5m diameter. Should be pretty easy to model, but I'm no texture expert.

[Enceos]

Cool idea, really easy to make. For surface attachment node better use an empty in the unity and a dedicated NODE{} config.

[wasml]

I like the idea. The only problem I see is the collider mesh needs to be convex. You could pull the inner side of the collider in to be tangent to the inner curve leaving the inner corners outside the collision mesh. Of course while the tank is on the rocket these corners will be mostly inaccessible so this might not be a problem.

[Enceos]

I like the idea. The only problem I see is the collider mesh needs to be convex. You could pull the inner side of the collider in to be tangent to the inner curve leaving the inner corners outside the collision mesh. Of course while the tank is on the rocket these corners will be mostly inaccessible so this might not be a problem.

I'm doing curvy things with multiple colliders, it's fault-proof.

[wasml]

I had a hollow part with multiple colliders working in 0.90 but it stopped working in 1.00 - not sure why. I'll be interested to see what you come up with.

[theJesuit]

How did Cosmic_Farmer get on?

[Enceos]

Since nobody took on the task, I stirred up a quick tank myself. It reuses stock Jumbo tank textures and has an integrated decoupler. Doesn't have crossfeed, so don't forget to slap on fuel lines.

I wasn't sure how tall I should make it, so please give feedback on preferred sizes. Stock aerodynamics eat away the advantage you would get by decoupling these during ascent, but in vacuum they give better performance than plain Rockomax X200-32. Don't know how to override their drag.

DOWNLOAD

CC 3.0

Edited August 7, 2015 by Enceos

[Inqie]

You should include a license in your download, but I really like this idea. I would be happy to develop some crisp custom textures if you want to collaborate, just send me a notification if you are interested and I'll give you some examples. Either way, this is great no matter the texture, thanks for doing this.

[FloatingMongoose]

This looks just like I imagined it! I think a shorter version would be good - I think it's of most use in landers where tall tanks cause things to get a little unstable.

I've since found this mod that does something similar: Dr Jet's Chop Shop. It has two parts (LTS and LTS2) that have a kind of inbuilt asparagus staging. Maybe that could point to how to get the fuel crossfeed built in?

Thanks for doing this. Do you think you might put it up as a mod in the released thread and integrate with CKAN?

[Enceos]

I'm currently looking for a modder to make the part procedural. I already have a working module which comes from the "Hangar" mod. It allows unproportional scaling of complex shapes and procedurally generates their contents. However I need this module extracted from the "Hangar" mod before I can publish the addon.

If any knowledgeable modder can help me in this endeavor, here's the link with more details:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/131358

Edited August 17, 2015 by Enceos

[jeffreystjean]

I just tried making that exact same thing!

http://imgur.com/a/0TfhR

[AxleMC131]

Since nobody took on the task, I stirred up a quick tank myself. It reuses stock Jumbo tank textures and has an integrated decoupler. Doesn't have crossfeed, so don't forget to slap on fuel lines.

Dude, that looks freakin' awesome! Jeb would definitely be proud to have something like those lying around in his junkyard.

[Enceos]

Dude, that looks freakin' awesome! Jeb would definitely be proud to have something like those lying around in his junkyard.

If you want to change the length of the tank, just add a line in part config:

    MODEL
    {
[SIZE=1]        model = MyParts/WrapperTank[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]        texture = Jumbo, Squad/Parts/FuelTank/fuelTankJumbo-64/model000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]        texture = Jumbon_NRM, Squad/Parts/FuelTank/fuelTankJumbo-64/model001[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]        texture = Decoupler, Squad/Parts/Utility/decouplerRadialTT-38K/model000[/SIZE]
       [B]scale = 1, 0.5, 1 //(radius x, length, radius z) radius1 = 100% = 3.75m[/B]
    }

Adjust the weight and resources to what you feel is right and remove the "scale = 1" line.

[1of6Billion]

I wanted this since 0.18, great job

[seanth]

Since nobody took on the task, I stirred up a quick tank myself. It reuses stock Jumbo tank textures and has an integrated decoupler. Doesn't have crossfeed, so don't forget to slap on fuel lines.

http://i.imgur.com/mt0W7VF.jpg

I wasn't sure how tall I should make it, so please give feedback on preferred sizes. Stock aerodynamics eat away the advantage you would get by decoupling these during ascent, but in vacuum they give better performance than plain Rockomax X200-32. Don't know how to override their drag.

DOWNLOAD

CC 3.0

Great! I have wanted things like this for use as water tanks for a long time.

As for sizes, why not make a whole family that fits on the outside of all the 1m and 2m size tanks?

Edit: Just got a chance to download and play with this. Absolutely love it.

Edited August 29, 2015 by seanth

[Enceos]

Great! I have wanted things like this for use as water tanks for a long time.

As for sizes, why not make a whole family that fits on the outside of all the 1m and 2m size tanks?

Edit: Just got a chance to download and play with this. Absolutely love it.

I personally don't like multiplying parts, making it procedural is the way to go.

[SAI Peregrinus]

I personally don't like multiplying parts, making it procedural is the way to go.

Agreed. The fewer parts the better.

[AxleMC131]

model = MyParts/WrapperTank

texture = Jumbo, Squad/Parts/FuelTank/fuelTankJumbo-64/model000

I've got a query about this. I have another thread relating to a mod I'd been working on (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/132487-Legalities-and-Moralities-of-a-Pseudo-mod?p=2158065#post2158065), and I've been having trouble getting a config file to add a new part that uses an existing Squad model, but a custom texture in the mod folder. The MODEL tag I have for the part config looks something like this:

MODEL

{

model = Squad/Parts/Aero/cones/TinyCone

texture = BackyardRocketryRemastered/Parts/ARD_noseCone/coneTexture.dds

}

But this doesn't work. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I noticed you have an extra bit before the file path: "texure = Jumbo, Squad/Parts/FuelTank..." Is this something I need, and if so what does this actually mean? Any help appreciated!

[Dr. Jet]

Had such part in my mod as a prototype. Now it's in deprecated.zip.

Removed it from mod because:

1) It's not realistic thing and even doesn't look like one.

2) Segments tend to collide with wider engines after jettison thus leading to KABOOM!!!

Automatic asparagus crossfeed is simple. You just put two side nodes on each part including core. But on core they are separated by 180° and on side part by 90° outwards, so that second pair of side parts connect to first pair of side parts instead of core part. Err... inctricated, right? Just download my mod and look how nodes are configured for LTS Mk1.

[Enceos]

Had such part in my mod as a prototype. Now it's in deprecated.zip.

Removed it from mod because:

1) It's not realistic thing and even doesn't look like one.

2) Segments tend to collide with wider engines after jettison thus leading to KABOOM!!!

Automatic asparagus crossfeed is simple. You just put two side nodes on each part including core. But on core they are separated by 180° and on side part by 90° outwards, so that second pair of side parts connect to first pair of side parts instead of core part. Err... inctricated, right? Just download my mod and look how nodes are configured for LTS Mk1.

1) Not realistic for atmospheric flight, yeah I can agree with that. But who prohibits you to use it as a fairing friendly extra tank for interplanetary travels?

2) With higher decoupling forces they don't collide, but still that's an atmospheric flight. Better use it on landers and such.

I don't like dependency on the core tank, freedom to strap this part anywhere is a must; plus fuel lines are not that hard to use.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Enceos
typo

[Stoney3K]

Have you guys also considered integrating this with Universal Storage?

[Enceos]

Have you guys also considered integrating this with Universal Storage?

Why and how? Universal Storage already has a detachable tank of its own.

[Stoney3K]

Why and how? Universal Storage already has a detachable tank of its own.

US tanks are rather small (compared to the fuel tank proposed here) and the wedges, as they are now, don't act as decouplers where that could be very useful.

I'd be in for a larger US spine with integrated decoupler which would accomodate bigger US wedges. Especially now that we have KIS and the stock service bays.

[Enceos]

US tanks are rather small (compared to the fuel tank proposed here) and the wedges, as they are now, don't act as decouplers where that could be very useful.

I'd be in for a larger US spine with integrated decoupler which would accomodate bigger US wedges. Especially now that we have KIS and the stock service bays.

Probably wrong thread for that. This one will be independent, only one procedural part with switchable textures. You'll be able to make it any size and strap it anywhere.