Mod Idea: Realistic ISRU

[KAL 9000]

So, I have an idea for a mod. You know how in stock KSP, fuel is refined from Ore? Well, that doesn't make any sense! Ore is only refined into metal! So, I have an idea for a mod that adds Realistic ISRU. You can choose what you want to be the Liquid Fuel, depending on what you want/what resources you have. The choices are: Liquid Hydrogen and Liquid Methane. Oxidizer is (kinda obviously) always Oxygen (O2 form). Monopropellant choices are: Hydrazine and DiNitrogen Tetroxide. The basic extractors are: a Water subsurface drill, a Carbon Dioxide atmospheric filter, and a Nitrogen atmospheric filter.

The Water Extractor is like a Drill-O-Matic, except it drills for Water instead of Ore. The filters extract chemicals directly from a planetary atmosphere (obviously, they don't work on bodies without atmospheres). Okay, you've got some raw ingredients. Now there are a whole host of processors.

The Electrolysis Unit splits Water into Hydrogen and Oxygen: Inputs: Water, 1 unit, Outputs: Hydrogen, 2 units, Oxygen, 1 unit.

The Atmosphere Splitter splits molecular Nitrogen into atomic Nitrogen: Inputs: AtmoNitrogen, 1 unit, Outputs, Nitrogen, 2 units. It also splits Carbon Dioxide: Inputs: CO2, 1 unit, Outputs: Oxygen: 2 units, Carbon, 1 unit.

The Molecular Combiner combines Hydrogen and Oxygen into their molecular forms: Inputs: Hydrogen, 2 units, Outputs: MolecularHydrogen, 1 unit, Inputs: Oxygen, 2 units, Outputs: MolecularOxygen, 1 unit.

The Hydrazine Combiner creates Hydrazine from raw ingredients: Inputs: Nitrogen, 2 units, Hydrogen, 4 units, Outputs: Hydrazine, 1 unit.

The DiNitrogen Tetroxide Combiner creates DiNitrogen Tetroxide from raw ingredients: Inputs: Nitrogen, 2 units, Oxygen, 4 units, Outputs: DNT, 1 unit.

The Methane Combiner creates Methane from raw ingredients: Inputs: Carbon, 1 unit, Hydrogen, 4 units, Outputs: Methane, 1 unit.

The FuelConverter converts the finished chemicals into LiquidFuel, Oxidizer, and Monopropellant. Technically, the chemicals are already fuels, but this is necessary for KSP to recognize them as fuels.

All parts use ElectricCharge, except for the FuelConverter, because it's really only there to fix a bug (well, I guess it's not a bug, but still).

What do you guys think? Let me know in your posts! If a lot of people like this, I will turn this into an actual mod!

 

[Randazzo]

I believe it already exists: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/109771-real-isru-development-thread/

[tater]

Ore is just a (poor) word choice. Better would be "precursor" but that would be confusing for many people.

[FreeThinker]

KSPI-E also includes many of the described ISRU processes , but in a more realisitic way.

Edited March 9, 2016 by FreeThinker

[KAL 9000]

Oh, well. I had this idea, but they already have a mod for everything these days!

[hypervelocity]

1 hour ago, KAL 9000 said:

Oh, well. I had this idea, but they already have a mod for everything these days!

Real ISRU is currently under development, I am sure your help will be most welcome!!!

 

Edited March 9, 2016 by hypervelocity