KSP Interstellar Extended Continued Development Thread

[Nansuchao]

Doh! I'm positive btw, I think we'll find the perfect part, just a matter of time.

[Blauerdaemon]

Why does the VISTA engine only support D-T fusion?

[FreeThinker]

Why does the VISTA engine only support D-T fusion?

Well it's the easiest achievable fusion method, and also the most powerfull. Unfortunaly, it's not the cheapest, that would be D-D fusion. D-D fusion would be good candidate if you want to travel to the next star, as it would not require very large amount of expansive Tritium and produce as still decent amount of thrust.

Edited August 27, 2015 by FreeThinker

[Blauerdaemon]

For me the description of the VISTA sounds like it uses Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF in the table) like one of the fusion reactors which can use different fuel modes. Can you help me understand the difference?

The question arose when planning a trip to Jool where I would be able to scoop D and He3 (for ICF) but no Tritium (or Lithium).

[Trolllception]

The front page post is looking so much better than 2 months ago. Nice work. The propellants section might need updated though since from my testing yesterday I found that metholox produces much more thrust than methane alone yet the chart would seem to indicate otherwise. I have a couple other comments I will add to this post on about an hour.

Edit: My additional comments that I am still confused about how the thermal decomposition works considering the data on the chart. I don't understand why some fuels have a thrust range yet they do not have a thermal decomposition range. Methanol has a thermal decomposition range of 1000k-3200k but has a flat thrust multiplier of 1.6. You stated in a previous post that some propellants like Hydrazine or Ammonia have a low decomposition temperature and therefore have no range and the reflects that although giving it a value might make things easier to understand. The wiki for Ammonia states that auto ignition temperature starts at 924K so many a flat value of 1000K for that field in the chart will help fill things out. Since all reactors are at least a 1000K core temp then this goes with your original statement that thermal decomposition happens at a low temperature and thats why there is no thrust multiplier range.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia

Edited August 27, 2015 by Trolllception

[FreeThinker]

The VISTA engine never had the ability to switch, but it definatly would be a candidate to have such functionality as an advanded fusion option, which would give you an alternative to the expensive D-T fusion. The Vista Engine is basicly an open fusion reactor, which only shileds the part of the engine. This makes the Vista both potentialy incredible powerfull and dangerous (they usualy go hand in hand). Although powerfull, it's not particular efficent in it's fuel (Deteurium and Tritium). It also requires a lot of electric power 2.5GW.

One intresting option would be the proton-Borun fusion to happen with Vista, which would be both cheap and clean.

Edited August 27, 2015 by FreeThinker

[ABZB]

The VISTA engine never had the ability to switch, but it definatly would be a candidate to have such functionality as an advanded fusion option, which would give you an alternative to the expensive D-T fusion. The Vista Engine is basicly an open fusion reactor, which only shileds the part of the engine. This makes the Vista both potentialy incredible powerfull and dangerous (they usualy go hand in hand). Although powerfull, it's not particular efficent in it's fuel (Deteurium and Tritium). It also requires a lot of electric power 2.5GW.

One intresting option would be the proton-Borun fusion to happen with Vista, which would be both cheat and clean.

I would love that.

[Blauerdaemon]

I would be happy to help on the code as I did some C# before but where should I start?

[FreeThinker]

I would be happy to help on the code as I did some C# before but where should I start?

Depends on what you try to achieve. I would start small, the Vista Engine is faily simple compaired to other module like the reactor, but you could copy some of the functionality of the reactor to the Vista Engine. Would be nice if you start adding a type field to the Fusion modes which enables binary filtering.

First step would try to make sure you can actualy build the KSPI sollution

Edited August 27, 2015 by FreeThinker

[Trolllception]

FreeThinker, did you see my previous post? I updated the content of it about 15 minutes ago. I should have just waited until I had all the information to post it then.

[FreeThinker]

Edit: My additional comments that I am still confused about how the thermal decomposition works considering the data on the chart. I don't understand why some fuels have a thrust range yet they do not have a thermal decomposition range. Methanol has a thermal decomposition range of 1000k-3200k but has a flat thrust multiplier of 1.6.

Good catch, Methanol is not implemented, it's one of the may lose ends that never got implemented after Northstar left

- - - Updated - - -

You stated in a previous post that some propellants like Hydrazine or Ammonia have a low decomposition temperature and therefore have no range and the reflects that although giving it a value might make things easier to understand. The wiki for Ammonia states that auto ignition temperature starts at 924K so many a flat value of 1000K for that field in the chart will help fill things out. Since all reactors are at least a 1000K core temp then this goes with your original statement that thermal decomposition happens at a low temperature and thats why there is no thrust multiplier range.

Yes, this is correct. Ammonia and Hydrazine always fully decompse in a NTR. Methanol has a complicating factor as it decomposes and reacts with the Oxygen in an after burning step.

Edited August 27, 2015 by FreeThinker

[millertime42046]

I'm curious on how we get the particle accelerater into space

[Trolllception]

I'm curious on how we get the particle accelerater into space

Two options I can think of.

1. Moar boosters, lots of RCS/Vernor engines to control ascent

2. Extraplanetary Launchpads and build it orbitally. This is the method I would prefer.

[ABZB]

Two options I can think of.

1. Moar boosters, lots of RCS/Vernor engines to control ascent

2. Extraplanetary Launchpads and build it orbitally. This is the method I would prefer.

I will go with build-on-Astur (in New Horizons) - or on Minmus in stock. Space building requires too much hassle with launching supplies, TBH.

[Nansuchao]

Actually, the particle accellerator is not so difficult to get in orbit. I succesfully did it for testing purpose in FAR without much trouble.

FreeThinker, I'm trying to mess around with Real Plume. If you're interested, I'll try to create a config in Real Plume for Interstellar engines.

I made a test with Thermal Turbojet. What do you think about?

[FreeThinker]

Actually, the particle accellerator is not so difficult to get in orbit. I succesfully did it for testing purpose in FAR without much trouble.

FreeThinker, I'm trying to mess around with Real Plume. If you're interested, I'll try to create a config in Real Plume for Interstellar engines.

I made a test with Thermal Turbojet. What do you think about?

http://i.imgur.com/s7R8btN.png

Yes, looking nice, but can you also achieve it for the electric engines?

[Trolllception]

Actually, the particle accellerator is not so difficult to get in orbit. I succesfully did it for testing purpose in FAR without much trouble.

FreeThinker, I'm trying to mess around with Real Plume. If you're interested, I'll try to create a config in Real Plume for Interstellar engines.

I made a test with Thermal Turbojet. What do you think about?

http://i.imgur.com/s7R8btN.png

Probus from the Realplume Stock configs is supposedly already working on Interstellar configs according to the thread. I already barked up this tree and decided to remove Hotrockets and Realplume since I couldn't get the effects to scale with Tweakscale. I get the feeling that this won't be supported correctly in this mod since Engine plumes can't be scaled with TweakScale from what I can tell.

[Nansuchao]

In theory, it would be also better for electric engines, but I failed my first try with Vista so I tried with the TTJ. Give me a couple of days and I'll show you a showcase.

The only trouble I found (when I understood how to make it work) is to save the positions of Flare and Afterburner in a persistent way, but it's probably cause I'm a completely noob...

[Trolllception]

Should I be able to transfer depleted fuel from a pebble bed reactor to the uranium nitride tanks?

Edited August 28, 2015 by Trolllception

[FreeThinker]

Yesterday I tried to travel to a nearby star and found out these canisters don't need any depleted fuel storage. Instead it should partly be converted into propellant when used with magnetic nozzle. This will save significant mass and improve speed and endurance

Edited August 28, 2015 by FreeThinker

[Enceos]

We need something like this

http://i.imgur.com/CHX0vTD.gif

Source: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/115992-SmallFatFetus-s-workshop-all-of-my-WIP-models-one-place

Hi FreeThinker,

I can replicate this model for you, and even make it better. Would be nice, If you could do me a small favor as well

[raxo2222]

Well looks like plasma engine doesn't have throttle.

And thermal receiver with thermal generator can transfer sane amount of energy unlike other types of microwave receivers - I have TW energy worth microwave transmitters.

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[Blauerdaemon]

@FreeThinker

"Release KSP0.25" builds but for "Release KSP 0.90" (and "Debug KSP 0.90") I get errors like

Error	17	Unable to copy file "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Kerbal Space Program\KSP_Data\Managed\Assembly-CSharp.dll" to "..\..\..\..\..\Games\Kerbal Space Program 0.90\GameData\OpenResourceSystem\Plugins\Assembly-CSharp.dll". Access to the path '..\..\..\..\..\Games\Kerbal Space Program 0.90\GameData\OpenResourceSystem\Plugins' is denied.	OpenResourceSystem

I did neither find out where i can change the path nor where it should point to. Can you point me to info about that?

Ooops - I installed VS 2013 (12.0) instead of VS 2012 (11.0) but this actually should not break the copying, right?

Edited August 28, 2015 by Blauerdaemon

[raxo2222]

@FreeThinker

"Release KSP0.25" builds but for "Release KSP 0.90" I get errors like

Error    17    Unable to copy file "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Kerbal Space Program\KSP_Data\Managed\Assembly-CSharp.dll" to "..\..\..\..\..\Games\Kerbal Space Program 0.90\GameData\OpenResourceSystem\Plugins\Assembly-CSharp.dll". Access to the path '..\..\..\..\..\Games\Kerbal Space Program 0.90\GameData\OpenResourceSystem\Plugins' is denied.    OpenResourceSystem

I did neither find out where i can change the path nor where it should point to.

Ooops - I installed VS 2013 (12.0) instead of VS 2012 (11.0) but this actually should not break the copying, right?

>.>

Why you are using outdated mod and outdated version of KSP?

Interstellar is for 1.0.4 now.

[Blauerdaemon]

The mod works fine for me (using the current version of KSP and mod) but I am trying to build it from the sources on github myself and in the solution (stuff for MS Visual studio) the existing configs are named "Release KSP0.25", "Release KSP 0.90", "Debug KSP 0.90" - these names do not actually have to match any actual version.