Query: Kerbalism, 95% battery, fuel cells, on rails - how does it work?

[raysin bisket]

Hi,

 

I have a modded career and just got started with Kerbalism and other mods. 

 

I'm early on and wanting to launch a ScanSat satellite that operates all the time without running out of charge (e.g. Not running out of charge while being on the dark side of the Mun).

 

I'm planning to do this via a fuel cell. Some quick reading up online uncovered that (in stock at least) that fuel cells will only operate when the (presumably combined total?) battery charge is less than 95%.

 

So my queries are as follows, in Kerbalism:

1) Does it work the same way with the 95% threshold?

2) if you start the fuel cell when you have more than 95% charge then put the satellite on rails by doing other launches/active vessels or space centre timewarp, will the fuel cell kick in correctly when inevitably the charge drops below 95%? Or do you need the fuel cell to be actively generating (battery charge <95%) before putting the satellite on rails?

3) Say the satellite had solar panels for perpetual charge. The satellite emerges from the darkside of the Mun with the fuel cell generating, but this is still on rails (not the active vessel). While on rails would the solar panels charge and the fuel cell stop generating as it would if it were the active vessel?

 

Any help or additional info you think would be topical is greatly appreciated :)

[king of nowhere]

i'm not sure if you just leave the probe there, but your best bet is to use the programmed actions. you find them in the kerbalism menu on the top right.

so you have a fuel cell and a chemical plant set to water electrolysis - without that, you'll run out of hydrogen and out of power. you set the system to start water electrolysis when battery charge is more than 20% and to stop it when battery charge is less than 20%. you can actually leave the fuel cells open all the time, won't make a difference. with this setup, by night you will run on fuel cells, and by day your solar panels will recharge your oxygen/hydrogen tanks.

This mission report of mine, at subchapter 6.2 - after all the musings on landing on Duna  - contains additional commentaries and analysis on using the kerbalism programming

Edited April 11, 2022 by king of nowhere