Wheels running on LF

[Triop]

I need some help.

I want to power my wheels using LF instead of electricity.

I don't want to use mods, can I change it in the config file ?

Anybody has a code for me that can do that ?

Thanks.

[DoctorDavinci]

1 hour ago, Triop said:

I need some help.

I want to power my wheels using LF instead of electricity.

I don't want to use mods, can I change it in the config file ?

Anybody has a code for me that can do that ?

Thanks.

In the ModuleWheel section of the wheel change the resource used

Quote

    MODULE
    {
        name = ModuleWheelMotor
        baseModuleIndex = 0
        
        maxRpm = 42
        driveResponse = 2
        
        torqueCurve
        {
            key = 0 1.0 0 0
            key = 10  0.66 0//20  0.66 0
            key = 30 0.14 0 0//40 0.14 0 0
            key = 34 0 0 0//44 0 0 0
        }
        
        RESOURCE
        {
            name = ElectricCharge <---- CHANGE TO ANOTHER RESOURCE
            rate = 2.5//5
        }        
        idleDrain = 0.0//0.1////0.3
    }

 

 

[Gargamel]

Use a fuel cell.   My heavy Eve base rover runs on both solar and LFOx.  It has plenty of power to run all through the night.  I use only the small radial tanks for LFOx, and refill them with ISRU as needed.  I could drive for a few days before running out.    But even if you don't want solar nor ISRU on your rover, a sufficiently large tank and a fuel cell will give you plenty of power for a long duration roving mission. 

Using a fuel cell does, yes, still have the wheels run on EC, but you use the Fuel cell to convert the LFOx to EC. 

Completely stock solution. 

 

11 minutes ago, Triop said:

I don't want to use mods, can I change it in the config file ?

That, in it's purest definition, is a mod. 

[Triop]

30 minutes ago, DoctorDavinci said:

name = ElectricCharge <---- CHANGE TO ANOTHER RESOURCE

Well, that was easier than I thought, thanks Doc.

( I need to adjust the consumption rate though )

29 minutes ago, Gargamel said:

Use a fuel cell

Yes, I could do that, but I want to simulate a fuel burning engine.

 

29 minutes ago, Gargamel said:

That, in it's purest definition, is a mod.

True.

Edited September 1, 2018 by Triop

[Zeiss Ikon]

FWIW, a fuel cell is a fuel burning "engine" -- it's just that the parts that convert chemical energy into electric energy are molecular in size...

But use of fuel cells was the first thing that came into my mind when I read the thread title, too.

[Triop]

3 minutes ago, Zeiss Ikon said:

FWIW, a fuel cell is a fuel burning "engine" -- it's just that the parts that convert chemical energy into electric energy are molecular in size...

But use of fuel cells was the first thing that came into my mind when I read the thread title, too.

Yeah, Gargamel had me thinking about that, the fuel cell does indeed simulate a fuel burning engine. . .

Thanks for waking me out of my stupidity

 

[katateochi]

I was also going to say fuel cell.  But there is something that a fuel cell lacks when it comes to petrol-head simulation; belching noxious fumes. 
I know this is a mod thing but; way back when Kethane was the only ISRU option it had a power generator that turned kethane into electricity and it did it with style (or at least clouds of smoke).  And even better, the amount of smoke was dependent on the power output, so your rover sitting there idling just let out a little smoke, but when you moved off it would kick out a larger cloud of smoke.  oh and it had a little fan that spun around.  It made me happy.
I'd really like to see a "petrol" engine in KSP that behaved like that.

[Gargamel]

2 hours ago, Triop said:

Yes, I could do that, but I want to simulate a fuel burning engine.

Yeah, after posting my response, I wondered if you had bigger plans than just using a fuel cell.  You've been around too long not to have considered them.   But that said... I just used them for the first time a couple months ago on said base rover, and was pleasantly surprised on how efficient they really are. 

[Triop]

1 hour ago, katateochi said:

But there is something that a fuel cell lacks when it comes to petrol-head simulation; belching noxious fumes.

Exactly, I want that !

I know 3 people on this forum that can make us a petrol engine @DoctorDavinci @Azimech and @SpannerMonkey(smce)

Edited September 2, 2018 by Triop

[DoctorDavinci]

3 hours ago, katateochi said:

I was also going to say fuel cell.  But there is something that a fuel cell lacks when it comes to petrol-head simulation; belching noxious fumes. 
I know this is a mod thing but; way back when Kethane was the only ISRU option it had a power generator that turned kethane into electricity and it did it with style (or at least clouds of smoke).  And even better, the amount of smoke was dependent on the power output, so your rover sitting there idling just let out a little smoke, but when you moved off it would kick out a larger cloud of smoke.  oh and it had a little fan that spun around.  It made me happy.
I'd really like to see a "petrol" engine in KSP that behaved like that.

 

1 hour ago, Triop said:

Exactly, I want that !

I know 3 people on this forum that can make us a petrol engine @DoctorDavinci @Azimech and @SpannerMonkey(smce)

 

[Triop]

@DoctorDavinci

Good old days.

 

[KerikBalm]

Well, fuel cells are an alright solution, but electric charge generation and consumption is often pretty wonky, and I suspect youd get better efficiency using a wheesley for propulsion.

Fuel cell EC per unit of LF is fine for space use compared to batteries and other generators when one considers mass of the fuel cell and fuel vs panels and a battery... but this is if you care about mass (or you want your fuel mass to serve dual purposes, particularly when you've got ISRU making fuel)... but EC to "thrust" from a motor can be quite bad, and I think some wheels with fuel cells will get pretty bad range.

Plus you need to carry oxidizer too (I've made .cfg edits to make fuel cells that run on intakeAir and LF, because of this factor... great for use on Laythe or modded planets with O2 in the atmosphere).

That said... a fuel cell will make nearly 889 EC per unit of LF (but you need 1.22 units of Ox per LF).... while the alternator on a goliath gets you about 30 EC per LF (but mostly the engine gives you a ton of thrust... well enough thrust to lift 36 tons that is....)

 

[Mahnarch]

On 9/1/2018 at 10:53 PM, DoctorDavinci said:

 

 

Love that ending!