Giant Orbital Tank Farm...

[Omar X]

I know this is the place to come for brilliant ideas, so...

I'm ready to build a tank farm extension off of my already huge space station. A few years ago, I remember seeing an enormous tank farm, stacks and rows of different fuels and materials, in a video like the one I want to build, but I can't remember where or details of how it was constructed. 

Can anyone here recommend some examples that might inspire?

TIA

[DeadJohn]

There are countless ways to build an orbital fuel depot. IMO much depends on where your station is located: low Kerbin orbit you'll likely put one full tank into orbit at a time, while Minmus with less gravity might allow a mining rig + many tanks to land, process fuel, redock with the station.

KerbalX.com is a good source for ideas. Search "fuel depot", "tank farm", etc.  For example:
 https://kerbalx.com/IrateMercenary/OD-64-Jumbo-Orbital-Depot
https://kerbalx.com/IrateMercenary/Fuel-Depot

 

[stephensmat]

This is why I'm looking forward to Orbital Construction in KSP2. We can build Stations to *be* Stations, instead of Rocket segments. No doubt at all an orbital fuelling station will be the first thing I make.

Honestly though, my Refuelling station is in Minmus orbit; due to the low gravity. It's a regular station, but on the end is a segment with four docking ports on struts, extending far outwards.

I have large 'Tankers' with a drill on one end, and a mini-converter on top, just below the docking port. I've been mass producing them, and using the same design (minus the diggers and converter) as heavy boosters, to get my ships out into Interplanetary space.  It's a design that's worked for several planets and moons; once I get them off Kerbin.

Pictured here is the Digger (on the right), and the Booster version. I believe this flight was sending the Digger towards Ike.

I send four or five such Diggers to Minmus, and have them cycle. Empty one lands, filled one takes off. Since the Station itself has docking ports on the front, any ship that docks with it can refuel.

Edited July 7, 2023 by stephensmat

[KerikBalm]

One should always try to limit part count - so my fuel depot's are large 3.75 or 5m tanks

It's a fuel depot, there's no need to be fancy.

Some docking ports, a big LFO tank, and a big monoprop tank.

Throw on a reaction wheel, probe core, solar panel, and relay antenna for convenience.