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Stellar Plasma-Assisted Rocket Kinetics (SPARK) Technologies [0.2.0]

schlosrat

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schlosrat

schlosrat

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SPARK Technologies is proud to present the latest in electric rocket engines. These Ion engines deliver exceptionally high specific impulse (Isp), with credible (actually measurable) thrust. Just add a wee bit of Xenon (and more EC than you ever thought you'd need) and you'll be off to the races... Sort of... I mean, we'll get you there... Eventually... You weren't in a big hurry, were you?

NOTE: This mod aims to be the KSP2 spiritual successor for Nertea's KSP1 Near Future Propulsion mod. No code or meshes are reused from that mod, but the intent here is to fill the same basic need, delivering moderately realistic electric propulsion engines based on real-world designs and theories. The thrust has been "kerbelized", but the Isp, weight, and power consumption are intended to be fairly realistic.

Compatibility

Source Code: GitHub Repo

SpaceDock: SPARK Technologies

Installation

  1. Download and extract BepInEx mod loader with SpaceWarp 1.4.0 or later (see link above) into your game folder and run the game, then close it. If you've done this before, you can skip this step. If you've installed the game via Steam, then this is probably here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Kerbal Space Program 2. If you complete this step correctly you'll have a BepInEx subfolder in that directory along with the following files (in addition to what was there before): changelog.txt, doorstop_config.ini, winhttp.dll
  2. Install Lux's Flames and Ornaments (LFO) 0.9.0 or later (see link above). From the zip file copy the BepInEx folder on top of your game's install folder. If done correctly, you should have the following folder structure within your KSP2 game folder: ...\Kerbal Space Program 2\BepInEx\plugins\LFO.
  3. Install Patch Manager 0.9.1 or later (see link above). From the zip file copy the BepInEx folder on top of your game's install folder. If done correctly, you should have the following folder structure within your KSP2 game folder: ...\Kerbal Space Program 2\BepInEx\plugins\PatchManager.
  4. Install Community Resources 0.2.1 or later (see link above). From the zip file copy the BepInEx folder on top of your game's install folder. If done correctly, you should have the following folder structure within your KSP2 game folder: ...\Kerbal Space Program 2\BepInEx\plugins\CommunityResources.
  5. Download and extract this mod into the game folder. From theSPARK-x.x.x.zip file copy the BepInEx folder on top of your game's install folder. If done correctly, you should have the following folder structure within your KSP2 game folder: ...\Kerbal Space Program 2\BepInEx\plugins\SPARK.
  6. Optional: Download and install The Nuclear Option (see link above). From the zip file copy the BepInEx folder on top of your game's install folder. If done correctly, you should have the following folder structure within your KSP2 game folder: ...\Kerbal Space Program 2\BepInEx\plugins\TNO.
  7. Optional: Download and install Kesa Solar (see link above). From the zip file copy the BepInEx folder on top of your game's install folder. If done correctly, you should have the following folder structure within your KSP2 game folder: ...\Kerbal Space Program 2\BepInEx\plugins\kesa.
  8. Optional: Download and install Lux's OAB Extensions (see link above). From the zip file copy the BepInEx folder on top of your game's install folder. If done correctly, you should have the following folder structure within your KSP2 game folder: ...\Kerbal Space Program 2\BepInEx\plugins\LuxsOABExtensions.

Hall Effect Thrusters and Nested Hall Thrusters
These engines employ strong magnetic fields to create a Hall Effect current in a stream of Xenon gas, ionizing the gas and propelling the resulting ions out at great speed. They are characterized by an annual ceramic channel with an anode down inside it and a centrally located cathode, which serves to neutralize the plasma exhaust.

  • SPT-100: If you need a really small (tiny! 0.3125m-class) low thrust/high ISP electric engine, then the SPT-100 is the part to pick. Weighing in at a mere 0.075t, it's one of the smallest engines you can find anywhere, yet it delivers a whopping 0.3 kN of thrust with an incredible 2,200s of Isp.
  • X2: What's better than a Hall Effect Thruster? A Nested Hall Thruster! Why settle for just one chamber when you can have two with a modest increase in size, weight, and power consumption? The SPARK X2 packs terrific thrust and high Isp into an Extra Small (0.625m-class) package without needing as much power as a small town just to operate.
  • X3: Seeing what they can do with two nested thrusters, the engineers at SPARK Technologies decided to one-up themselves and go for three! Turns out, this required moving up a size category to Small (1.25m-class), but that didn't stop them. The SPARK X3 delivers high Isp along with nearly 2 kN of thrust! However, it does need a lot of power...
  • X4: The SPARK Technologies X4 is the pinnacle in Small (1.25m-class) Nested Hall Thruster ion engines. Seriously, we just couldn't fit any more nested thrusters into an engine this size. Providing best-in-class thrust (for an ion engine) with superb Isp, the X4 can take you far. Just be sure to bring lots of power because it's notoriously hungry...

Gridded Ion Thrusters
Gridded ion thrusters employ multiple differently charged grids to ionize a gas and accelerate the resulting ions out at terrific speed. Generally delivering higher Isp than a Hall Effect Thruster, they are characterized by even lower thrust. The stock Ion engine in KSP2 is an example of such an engine. However, recent advances have proven that even more performance is possible, albeit at a terrific cost in terms of power consumption.

  • DS4G-1: Other gridded ion engines may have just two or three grids, but why stop there? The DS4G-1 has four grids, and knows how to use 'em! On the plus side, it delivers best-in-class Isp with superb thrust (for an ion engine). On the minus side, it requires a staggering amount of power... Get it? Minus side? Electrons? Why are you not laughing?

Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters

Magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters use the Lorentz force to accelerate negatively charged ions. Also known as Lorenz Force Accelerators, these engines can run on a variety of different fuels, but work best when fueled with Lithium. They produce very high thrust for an ion engine, however they have less Isp than some other types and consume staggering amounts of power. If you need more thrust, but want it in a high Isp package and you don't mind packing a nuclear reactor along for the ride, then an MPD thruster may be the option for you. Even their low-for-ion-engine Isp is much higher than you'd get from a chemical engine, and their thrust is on part with a small chemical engine. You may be surprised just how handy one of these actually is.

  • MPD-1: The MPD-1 started out as a proof of concept Lorenz Force Accelerator in a Plasma Physics lab where an aspiring graduate assistant noticed that it kept nudging the coffee table to the left whenever Dr. Kasperov Kerman ran his experimental apparatus. How it found its way from there to the SPARK Technologies factory is an ongoing mystery.
  • MPD-2: If you're looking for an ion engine with some serious thrust, then look no further! This little engine produces an impressive 96.4 kN at full throttle only demanding 1000 EC/s (and a trickle of lithium vapor) in return. There are chemical engines this size that produce less thrust! Of course, they don't need a fission power system to run...
  • MPD-3: The MPD-3 is the pinnacle of high-thrust ion engines. Topping the chart at a whopping 242.2 kN of thrust, you'll be going places fast with this engine behind you! You may need as much power as a small metropolis to get there, but hey - that's just the cost of playing!

Lithium "Tanks"

Made of the finest materials other than lithium, these "tanks" (more like over-engineered cubby boxes) are designed to hold ingots of metallic lithium which they convert on demand to a (caustic) lithium vapor for use in the magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters.

  • LT-XS-05: A handy little 'tank' designed to hold ingots of metallic Lithium. It's really more like an over-engineered cubby box than a tank, but it can deliver a caustic vapor suitable for use in magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters. The vapor can also be used to rid your house of unwanted pests.
  • LT-XS-10: A slightly larger 'tank' with twice as many lithium ingot cubbies for even more storage versatility. While the doors do look like they might be watertight, it's probably best that you avoid submerging it.
  • LT-XS-20: The LT-XS-20 (AKA Tall Boy) provides even more lithium ingot cubbies for double the capacity over the LT-XS-10. With this much lithium on board, you're fairly sure a small probe could get to the Mun and back, provided it's got an engine suitable for using lithium.
  • LTR-XS-05: A clever radial variant of the popular LT-XS-05, this 'tank' holds ingots of metallic Lithium provided they've been properly rotated by 90 degrees. Does not float.
  • LT-SM-060: Small (1.25m-class) Inline Lithium Tank - 0.6t capacity
  • LT-SM-120: Small (1.25m-class) Inline Lithium Tank - 1.2t capacity. Kinda like two LT-SM-60's joined together, but better.
  • LTR-SM-050: Small (1.25m-class) Radial Lithium Tank - 0.5t capacity
  • LT-MD-470: Medium (2.5m-class) Inline Lithium Tank - 4.7t capacity
  • LT-MD-940: Medium (2.5m-class) Inline Lithium Tank - 9.2t capacity. Kinda like two LT-MD-470's joined together, but better.

Argon Tanks

Similar to Xenon tanks in most regards, these tanks hold the noble gas Argon at high pressure for use in ion engines designed for consuming argon - of which there are currently none. This begs the question of why you would even need such a thing. A very good question, indeed!

  • AT-XS-05: Cobbled together from spares leftover from a competitor's product, this handy tank will supply argon gas for your ion engine. If filled with Helium it can also be a lot of fun at parties, but your Isp is gonna suffer...
Edited by schlosrat
Updated for KSP2 0.2.0 For Science!
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SPARK Technologies is proud to present the SPT-100, a simple Hall Effect Thruster with a 100mm discharge chamber. Yes, that does mean it's generally suited for XS2 (0.3125m-class) craft, but it won't look completely out of place on an XS (0.625m-craft), we promise! Hardly anyone will be laughing at you as they fly past, really...

 

OP3wfIb.png

 

OK, we get it... You do need something that actually fits on an XS (0.625m-class) craft. And, hey, why settle for a single discharge chamber when you can have TWO! Yep, that's right. It's time to step up to a Nested Hall Thruster! Check out the SPARK X2! You deserve it, so treat yourself!

 

4ZfcV5i.png

 

What's that you say? You're not building craft in size XS anymore? What you really need is something suitable for a big beefy Size S (1.25m-class) craft? Well, we've got you covered! Granted, you will need to up your power production game, but a little thing like that could never stop are real pioneer like you, could it? No way! For you, we recommend the stalwart SPARK X3! That's a whopping three Hall Effect thrusters nested into one nice neat package! You're gonna go far with this baby! It may take a while to get there, but trust us - you're gonna go far!
 

5tkW4iY.png

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Now, for the truly discerning builder, the sort of person for whom compromise is simply not an option (that's you, right?), there's really only one possible answer. You don't stop until there simply isn't any room left for improvement! And in the world of Nested Hall Thrusters designed for Size S (1.25m-class) craft that means the SPARK X4! That's right, we packed a whopping FOUR Hall Effect Thrusters into one compact package. Trust us, if we could have squeezed five of them in there we would have, but our engineers assured us that four was the absolute max they could possibly fit. They also mumbled something about power consumption, enough solar panels to fill a regulation football pitch, and... melting? We're not sure about that last part, but they did assure us this is perfectly safe... for them.

NuMsK9i.png

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Now, if Hall Effect Thrusters just aren't your thing, we understand. For some purists, there's just no substitute for a real, no-kidding, bonafide Gridded Ion Thruster. They've got Hall Effect Thrusters beat hands down on Isp - and it's all about efficiency, am I right? But why should you stop with a measly two grids, or even three, when you could have a brand new Dual-Stage Four-Grid engine chewing up power and spitting out ions at a truly staggering exit velocity? We're talking 210 km/s, my friend! With that kind of performance, is it any surprise that you'll be taking home nearly 20,000s of Isp? I mean, sure, you'll need even more power generation capability, but you're up for that, right? It's Go Big, or Go Home! Well... the power consumption is admittedly more like a small town than a home, but it's worth it! And just think, we squeezed all that power into a package about the same size as an X2! Just remember not to touch any of the parts while it's running - especially not the RF exciter or... well... any of the parts, really. Just trust me on this one...


xQXnxKZ.png

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Alpha_star

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Good mod! I like how the thrust is kerbalized while other factors remain realistic. However, since we do have the ability to maneuver using engines during time warp and the new orbit planner, we can in thoery do long continous burns here in KSP2. Do you plan making a patch that would make the ion/plasma engines less powerful in order to add more realism to your wonderful little mod?

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20 hours ago, Alpha_star said:

Good mod! I like how the thrust is kerbalized while other factors remain realistic. However, since we do have the ability to maneuver using engines during time warp and the new orbit planner, we can in thoery do long continous burns here in KSP2. Do you plan making a patch that would make the ion/plasma engines less powerful in order to add more realism to your wonderful little mod?

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it!

AFAIK, we can't maneuver during timewarp. At least I've not been able to do so. If we can, then such a thing is theoretically possible, but it would require a mode like Flight Plan to help with the maneuver.  I say like Flight Plan because right now Flight Plan lacks the ability to help with this. All of the math in Flight Plan is geared towards making maneuver nodes for impulse trajectory changes, with only a little thought to how that needs to change when the thrust is not applied in a way like an impulse. So a new mod is needed, or an overhaul of Flight Plan, so that maneuvers using long burns can be planned and executed.

That said, if/when it's possible to maneuver during timewarp, and a mod is made that enables planning and execution of these kinds of burns, then sure - de-kerbalizing the thrust is a real possibility.

For now, I'm going to stay focused on creating KSP2 engines that are similar to those in Nertea's KSP1 NFP.

To that end, here's an update for version 0.1.2 with a spiffy little Magentoplasmadynamic thruster! It's extra small (0.625-m class), lightweight (0.33t), and puts out a whopping 47 kN if you feed it up to 400 EC/s. At lower thrust, the EC consumption is correspondingly lower. An engine like this really ought to be running on Lithium as fuel, but I've not added that yet, so for now it's running on Xenon like all the other Ion engines. When I do add Lithoum I'll update this engine (and others like it) to use that fuel instead.

This update also fixes some minor issues with the other engines (where they had the wrong Isp at the very low end for Sea Level). Here are the release notes. https://spacedock.info/mod/3470/SPARK Technologies#changelog

  • Fixed low-end Isp for all engines to be internally consistent and aligned with similar engines in KSP1
  • Updated graphics for the MPD-1 to include magnetic (solenoid) coils needed to achieve performance and add the gimbal capability.
  • Added +/- 1 degree gimbal capability to MPD-1. Nothing needs to actuate as the plume deflection is realized through the applied magnetic fields.
  • Improved plume and internal nozzle emissivity on MPD-1

Right now, thrusters like this are actually very much overpowered. This is mainly because thermodynamics isn't here, so you're not having to deal with waste heat from the engine or the nuclear reactor you'll need to power it. Consequently, I was able to make a little 8-part test craft that, starting from LKO with more than 16K Delta-v in the tank, was able to make the following ridiculous trip

  • Fly to Mun (land)
  • Fly to Duna (capture)
  • Fly to Ike (land)
  • Fly to Duna (land)
  • Fly to Kerbin (capture)
  • Fly to Minmus (land)
  • Fly to Kerbin (returning to the same 100x100km LKO the journey started from)

At the end, there was still more than 2k Delta V left in the tank. If I had thought to put some parachutes on the craft, it could have finished with a landing on Kerbin

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3 hours ago, Alpha_star said:

I have to say the engine is absolutely overpowered for its size! And the plume looks neat. Do you make the plume yourself, or is it made by LuxStice?

Nice update!

I agree, in it’s present state it’s way overpowered. Fun, but silly. I need to go back to KSP1 to see if the equivalent engine is working the same way or if I’ve just missed something really important. I suspect it’s my substitution of Xenon for Lithium. I do plan to introduce Lithium as a fuel, but that requires the Community Resources mod, which hasn’t been released yet as it requires the Patch Manager mod - which is in a pre-release beta stage. So… Soon, I hope, but this change will make SPARK dependent on both of those mods.

I could never have gotten where I am today on the plumes without the help I’ve gotten from @LuxStice and @IsaQuest.  Lux implementeded some changes in the latest LFO that he developed to support having plumes like on my nested hall thrusters, and Isa paved the way with blender tools to model the profiles necessary. It really wouldn’t have been possible for me without their help and Lux’s LFO mod in particular.

The plumes on the DS4G-1 and MPD-1 are also using LFO, but they use the mesh-based plume tools Lux had previously developed in LFO. I did play with the sliders to get things how I liked them, but I don’t know how much credit I deserve for that when it was Lux who made it possible *and* showed me how.

So, I suppose that in some sense I made the plumes, but really, it was Lux with help from Isa that made it possible and did all the heavy lifting. The good news is that any future engine molders can also use these tools! I expect to keep working my plumes like this, and I hope that others do to.

Edited by schlosrat
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The stock ion engine in the game does make a sound I believe. That said, I think it’s pretty quiet and that seems reasonable for such an engine. If I can work out how to add sound, then I will. I’m more focused on some short term goals to add more engines, tanks, and fuel types.

I’ve already got 4 new lithium tanks ready and will have another lithium burning engine here very soon. I’ve got a start on an argon tank, but I’ll probably scrap it and re-do it. Until I add some argon burning engines though I’ll probably hold off on that line of tanks. I also need to add a couple more reactors to TNO…

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I'm getting ready to update SPARK with some new engines, so here are some pics!

First up, the all new and improved MPD-1. Why new? What's improved? Well, this thing is pulling in a lot of juice (400 EC/s to be precise), so it only seemed fair that it must have some built-in way to shed the waste heat. It's not like the engine could possibly be 100% efficient, so there must be some waste heat, right? Tada! Built-in radiators!

Iv120xD.png

But wait! There's more! Look how they glow...

rvFqKms.png

Next, we have the long-awaited sequel to the MPD-1, the MPD-2, naturally! It's a bit bigger, and heavier, and gobbles up even more EC which it merrily converts into thrust for you, just add a smidge of propellant (Xenon in case you're wondering).

axuMNEi.png

hMP4KYw.png

RdHyZYF.png

 

And, finally (you guessed it, didn't you?), the legendary MPD-3! This thing is a BEAST! Warning, it consumes 3x as much power as the MPD-2...

eESs2ux.png

YCG6iBA.png

T3edTZZ.png

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Now, technically, each of these really ought to be running on Lithium, but for now, they're fueled with Xenon. To keep things simple, the Xenon fueled performance is the same as what you should expect when I transition these to burning Lithium. This is why they're currently listed in the Lithium group for engines. Once the Community Resources mod comes out (...SoonTM), then you'll see an update to SPARK where I convert these to use Lithium. In the meantime, though, I've already begun crafting special new "tanks" (really they're airtight cubby boxes) to hold all the metallic lithium ingots you'll need. They automatically take care of melting the lithium to deliver a nice (caustic) lithium vapor (DO NOT SNIFF!). Also, please do not take any of these tanks into the bath with you. They may be airtight, but... just don't. Lithium and water have a, shall we say, volatile relationship.

XaNy8wO.png

jAH7d2l.png

X3KUJvn.png

QwapMbj.png

Just for good measure, I've also introduced a (starter) argon tank... At some point, those may also prove useful!
u3tqMnN.png

Once the Community Resource mod is released, I'll update both the Lithium tanks and the Lithium engines to store/consume Lithium. For now, they can be found in the appropriate parts group, but they're actually configured to store/consume Xenon. This should make it so that when the new version is released, any rockets you build using these will still work! The parts should transition seamlessly.

Now, if you go and do something crazy (like I have in the action shots above) and use a no-kidding Xenon tank with a Lithium engine... Well... It'll work for now, but it will stop working once SPARK is updated to have the lithium engines require... lithium!

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Annnd, it's updated!

Release notes for v0.1.3:

  • Updated MPD-1 to have built-in radiators to deal with the waste heat (that isn't actually generated yet). The MPD-1 started out as a proof of concept Lorenz Force Accelerator in a Plasma Physics lab where an aspiring graduate assistant noticed that it kept nudging the coffee table to the left whenever Dr. Kasperov Kerman ran his experimental apparatus. How it found its way from there to the SPARK Technologies factory is an ongoing mystery.
  • Added MPD-2, because MPD-1 just isn't big enough for some applications. If you're looking for an ion engine with some serious thrust, then look no further! This little engine produces an impressive 96.4 kN at full throttle only demanding 1000 EC/s (and a trickle of lithium vapor) in return. There are chemical engines this size that produce less thrust! Of course, they don't need a fission power system to run...
  • Got carried away and added MPD-3 just for good measure. The MPD-3 is the pinnacle of high-thrust ion engines. Topping the chart at a whopping 242.2 kN of thrust, you'll be going places fast with this engine behind you! You may need as much power as a small metropolis to get there, but hey - that's just the cost of playing! Yes, it needs 12 of the Size SM (1.25m-class) reactors. Why do you ask?
  • Added a set of Size XS (0.625m-class) Lithium "tanks". It might be a slight exaggeration to call them tanks in the sense that they actually are made up of over-engineered cubby boxes designed to hold metallic lithium ingots, but whatever... Tanks for playing!
    • LT-XS-05: A handy little 'tank' designed to hold ingots of metallic Lithium. It's really more like an over-engineered cubby box than a tank, but it can deliver a caustic vapor suitable for use in magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters. The vapor can also be used to rid your house of unwanted pests.
    • LT-XS-10: A slightly larger 'tank' with twice as many lithium ingot cubbies for even more storage versatility. While the doors do look like they might be watertight, it's probably best that you avoid submerging it.
    • LT-XS-20: The LT-XS-20 (AKA Tall Boy) provides even more lithium ingot cubbies for double the capacity over the LT-XS-10. With this much lithium on board, you're fairly sure a small probe could get to the Mun and back, provided it's got an engine suitable for using lithium.
    • LTR-XS-05: A clever radial variant of the popular LT-XS-05, this 'tank' holds ingots of metallic Lithium provided they've been properly rotated by 90 degrees. Does not float.
Edited by schlosrat
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Updated to v 0.1.4 with some new Lithium tanks to help with making craft that use the larger MPD-2 and MPD-3 engines.

Release Notes:

  • Added more Lithium tanks. The new tanks are scaled-up versions of the XS tanks with correctly adjusted sizes, weights, capacities, etc. - so for now they just look like bigger versions of the smaller tanks. The new tanks include.
    • LT-SM-060: Small (1.25m-class) Inline Lithium Tank - 0.6t capacity
    • LT-SM-120: Small (1.25m-class) Inline Lithium Tank - 1.2t capacity. Kinda like two LT-SM-60's joined together, but better.
    • LTR-SM-050: Small (1.25m-class) Radial Lithium Tank - 0.5t capacity
    • LT-MD-470: Medium (2.5m-class) Inline Lithium Tank - 4.7t capacity
    • LT-MD-940: Medium (2.5m-class) Inline Lithium Tank - 9.2t capacity. Kinda like two LT-MD-470's joined together, but better.
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