Stainless steel fuel tanks

[SpaceCube2000]

I think that reflective, stainless steel fuel tanks would be a cool addition. What do you all think? 

[Gargamel]

Heavy and clunky.  

[ZooNamedGames]

1 hour ago, Gargamel said:

Heavy and clunky.  

But Elon Musk

[Gargamel]

Just now, ZooNamedGames said:

But Elon Musk

They did that on the test bed to simulate the mass of all the components that aren't on the test bed.   And they were hoping for a gleaming cylinder of shininess, but since they used a company that makes water tanks, and not show pieces, all they got was a lumpy shiny flying water tank.   

Stainless makes no sense as a bulk material in space craft.  It's heavy.  Aluminum and Titanium are much better choices if you want shiny and lightweight. 

[ZooNamedGames]

26 minutes ago, Gargamel said:

They did that on the test bed to simulate the mass of all the components that aren't on the test bed.   And they were hoping for a gleaming cylinder of shininess, but since they used a company that makes water tanks, and not show pieces, all they got was a lumpy shiny flying water tank.   

Stainless makes no sense as a bulk material in space craft.  It's heavy.  Aluminum and Titanium are much better choices if you want shiny and lightweight. 

Then... Atlas Agena?

[Gargamel]

Just now, ZooNamedGames said:

Atlas Agena

Meh... there's a good reason that one's obsolete.   

But why stainless in particular?  Why not aluminum?  Why not just ask for a shiny metallic variant?   What does a stainless tank bring that any other won't?

[klesh]

18 minutes ago, Gargamel said:

What does a stainless tank bring that any other won't?

 

NO STAINS!  

[Gargamel]

1 minute ago, klesh said:

 

NO STAINS!  

Titanium is 'stainless' too.   Loved working with that metal. 

[EdwardB3020]

Textures Unlimited 

[SpaceCube2000]

1 hour ago, EdwardB3020 said:

Textures Unlimited 

Haven't tried that. As my previous forum threads have shown, I'm a little stingy about using mods. 

[StrandedonEarth]

53 minutes ago, SpaceCube2000 said:

Haven't tried that. As my previous forum threads have shown, I'm a little stingy about using mods. 

This is Textures Unlimited in 1.3.x...:

But now that those old tanks have been revamped, they're a little harder to find in the VAB. But they're there.

 

Edited February 17, 2019 by StrandedonEarth

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

I think that's what we already have, based on their mass ratio. Maybe what we really need is aluminum and carbon fiber tanks, as up- or side-grades. Carbon fiber could offer the best mass ratio, but be expensive and not heat resistant, aluminum could be right in the middle.

[HvP]

3 hours ago, Gargamel said:

But why stainless in particular?  Why not aluminum?  Why not just ask for a shiny metallic variant?   What does a stainless tank bring that any other won't?

Short answer: Because the Space-X Starship has a much different flight profile than any craft ever before built. Current carbon fiber fabrication technology simply cannot build such a large cylinder of carbon fiber without introducing inconsistencies and flaws that could fail during the extreme temperature ranges from launch to deep space to atmospheric reentry.

Stainless steel is far more resistant to the heat load that the reusable spacecraft will experience without needing as much insulation or ablator. Aluminum easily transfers heat to the cryo-fuel inside and stainless-steel would transfer less heat, requiring less insulation. Machining aluminum down to the structural mesh pattern used results in 90% waste generated, while stainless steel can have the structural mesh welded directly to a much thinner layer of steel.

 

Edited February 17, 2019 by HvP