[WIP] Chemical Technologies - A chemically-based resource overhaul

[davidmakurin]

thats cool

[Charle_Roger]

5m tanks.

Spoiler

 

Chemical Storage 0.3.0

Spoiler

• Added 5m configurable cylindrical chemical tanks:
  • "CT-4B 5m Basic Chemical Tank"
  • "CT-4H 5m Heavy-duty Cryogenic Chemical Tank"
  • "CT-4L 5m Lightweight Cryogenic Chemical Tank"
• Added VABOrganizer support
• Fixed 3.75m bulkhead profile sizes
• Adjusted the position and appearance of "Ground horizontal" base models on 3.75m tanks

[Skyliumc258]

What does FuelMixer do?

[JadeOfMaar]

1 hour ago, Skyliumc258 said:

What does FuelMixer do?

It properly lets you dynamically set fuel mixes for a supported engine and takes care of ratios, thrust multiplier and Isp multiplier.

Spoiler

If this came out a year ago it would have saved me a lot of trouble making Rational Resources Nuclear Family happen (in case you use that).

 

[WolfieKSP]

Hello, I'm playing rss, but don't want to play RO or RP1, would this mod be comaptible with any mod that makes engines/fuel tanks optimized for rss?

 

[Charle_Roger]

13 hours ago, JadeOfMaar said:

If this came out a year ago it would have saved me a lot of trouble making Rational Resources Nuclear Family happen (in case you use that).

Would you believe it, your RR Nuclear Family patches were actually one inspiration for FuelMixer.

4 hours ago, WolfieKSP said:

Hello, I'm playing rss, but don't want to play RO or RP1, would this mod be comaptible with any mod that makes engines/fuel tanks optimized for rss?

I'm not familiar with RSS stuff, I assume you mean something like SMURFF. I would guess it's incompatible with Chemical Propulsion since it just patches part configs and FuelMixer recomputes tank masses internally. Chemical Storage might be compatible, depends exactly how SMURFF works. Try it!

[WolfieKSP]

On 1/1/2025 at 8:21 PM, Charle_Roger said:

Would you believe it, your RR Nuclear Family patches were actually one inspiration for FuelMixer.

I'm not familiar with RSS stuff, I assume you mean something like SMURFF. I would guess it's incompatible with Chemical Propulsion since it just patches part configs and FuelMixer recomputes tank masses internally. Chemical Storage might be compatible, depends exactly how SMURFF works. Try it!

Thank's for the answer, definitely will do

[Charle_Roger]

Chemical Propulsion 0.4.1

Spoiler

• Changed multimode engines to use FuelMixer, though currently without any propellant switcher (though FuelMixer can support this)
• Added support for stock multimode engines
• Added support for Near Future Aeronautics multimode engines
• Added support for Kerbal Atomics multimode engines
• Added support for WildBlueIndustries Mk-33
• Added hydrogenJet engine type
• Fixed tanks with built-in engines using a different propellant, e.g. bipropellant tanks with solid fuel separators
• Fixed FuelMixer default propellant assignment for monopropellant engines and multi-type engines, e.g. bipropellant RCS (kerolox, methalox and hydrolox)
• Fixed B9PartSwitch togglable integrated tanks on engines, which should now apply their volume to FuelMixer

 

[Charle_Roger]

For the last little while my attention has been on improving the FuelMixer plugin, which is much more capable and stable now, despite the fairly short changelog:

FuelMixer 0.2.0

Spoiler

• Added support for ModuleEngines which use velocity curve rather than atmosphere curve, i.e. jet engines
• Added retention of ModuleFuelMixerModulePropellant resource amount when switching another module with a maxAmount greater than or equal to the current amount
• Fixed ModuleFuelMixerModulePropellant mass and cost computation
• Added proper support for explicit mass and cost definition via addedVolume, addedMass and addedCost parameters

 

With FuelMixer 0.2.0 comes quite a significant step forward for Chemical Propulsion and a much longer changelog. It's in a very playable state now and is starting to feel cohesive and complete, probably not long until I tick this one off as v1.0 and start developing Chemical Conversion properly.

Chemical Propulsion 0.5.0

Spoiler

• Updated FuelMixer to 0.2.0
• Added jet engine FuelMixer integration
• Added N2F4 as an exotic advanced oxidizer in hypergolic engines
• Added part upgrades for propellant unlocks
• Added more verbose propellant descriptions
• Added patch to remove KerbalAtomics' LF mode on the LV-N "Nerv"
• Added proper support for MultiModeEngines via the creation of extra ModuleFuelMixerPropellants
• Added FuelMixerPropellantCombinationConfigs for single-propellant nuclear thermal rockets and added a switch for them to all NTRs:
  • LqdHydrogen: ThrustMultiplier 0.3; IspMultiplier 2.4, c.f. hydrolox ~0.765; ~1.355
  • LqdMethane: ThrustMultiplier 0.45; IspMultiplier 1.8, c.f. methalox ~0.964; ~1.083
  • LqdAmmonia: ThrustMultiplier 0.6; IspMultiplier 1.2, c.f. ammonilox ~0.931; ~0.978
• Added "None" option to tank propellant switches so that bipropellant tanks can contain just the fuel or just the oxidizer. Tank mass defaults to stock dry mass if both are set to "None"
• Added LqdFluorine to aviation tanks
• Added explicit addedVolume and addedMass parameters to all ModuleFuelMixerPropellants
• Improved generation of ModuleB9PartSwitch propellant switches, so they should be more reliable
• Changed fuel mixtures available on liquid fuel engine types:
  • Monopropellant: HTP—Hydrazine
  • Keroxide: Kerosene / HTP
  • Hypergolic: Hydrazine—Pentaborane / NTO-N2F4
  • Ammonilox: LqdAmmonia / LqdOxygen-LqdFluorine (currently unassigned, but can be used in NTRs with an oxidizer-augmented mode)
  • Kerolox: Kerosene / LqdOxygen—LqdFluorine
  • Methalox: LqdMethane—Diborane / LqdOxygen—LqdFluorine
  • Hydrolox: LqdHydrogen / LqdOxygen—LqdFluorine
• Changed two engines from kerolox to hypergolic type, since there were not many hypergolic engines assigned after the introduction of keroxide:
  • LV-TX87 "Bobcat" (Making History), since it's based on the LR-87 which was used with hypergolic propellants for most of its history
  • RE-L20 "Labrador" (Labradoodle), since it kind of looks like an RD-170 and same as above
• Assigned keroxide type to basic stock and Restock+ liquid fuel engines:
  • LV-1R "Spider"
  • 24-77 "Twitch"
  • Mk-55 "Thud"
  • LV-1 "Ant"
  • 48-7S "Spark"
  • LV-T30 "Reliant"
  • LV-T45 "Swivel"
  • LV-303 "Pug"
  • LV-T15 "Valiant"
• Assigned hydrogen type to engines which are already defined with LqdHydrogen as sole propellant
• Buffed exotic propellant isp multipliers:
  • Pentaborane: 1.14 → 1.55
  • LqdFluorine: 1.12 → 1.2
• Minor adjustment to jet engine propellant ratios to maintain exactly the same IntakeAir and mass flow rates as stock
• Minor changes to part titles and VABOrganizer category titles
• Removed LqdAmmonia as a hypergolic fuel option
• Removed bipropellant FuelMixerPropellantCombinationConfigs since they are made redundant by rebalanced FuelMixerPropellantConfigs

Edited Saturday at 12:34 AM by Charle_Roger

[Charle_Roger]

A quick update to Chemical Propulsion which improves compatibility with many engines in other mods by being a bit more careful with the patches.

Chemical Propulsion 0.5.1

Spoiler

• Added a last-ditch compatibility patch which replaces LiquidFuel and MonoPropellant in unpatched engines with Hydrazine... I imagine this will have unintended consequences but I haven't run into any yet
• Realigned MissingHistory's "Pug" and "Valiant" engines to have identical stats with their Restock+ counterparts
• Fixed assignment of tank volume and mass for built-in tanks on engines
• Fixed assignment of jet engine VABOrganizer category on multimode engines
• Fixed compatibility with many kinds of engines which were erroneously targeted due to containing targeted propellants alongside additional propellants
• Fixed patch ordering of generic engine type assignment, which further improves mod compatibility

[Mossconfig]

Hi Charle, I love this mod, but with so many components I don't know what's required and what's causing issues. Currently my engines have multiple b9 fuel selection switchers in the VAB, and only one of them seems to work? I've got ChemicalPropulsion, Chemical Core, ChemicalStorage, and FuelMixer installed, and Chemical core and FuelMixer work together well but installing chemical propulsion adds a second fuel selector to the engines.

 

also, you might want to get some communication channels up for when the forums finally die.

 

[Charle_Roger]

18 hours ago, Mossconfig said:

Hi Charle, I love this mod, but with so many components I don't know what's required and what's causing issues. Currently my engines have multiple b9 fuel selection switchers in the VAB, and only one of them seems to work? I've got ChemicalPropulsion, Chemical Core, ChemicalStorage, and FuelMixer installed, and Chemical core and FuelMixer work together well but installing chemical propulsion adds a second fuel selector to the engines.

So for clarity, there are strictly only two top-level mods here:

• Chemical Storage (needs Chemical Core)
• Chemical Propulsion (needs Chemical Core and FuelMixer)

Which engines in particular are not working? Could you show specifically what the fuel selectors look like? Also your mod list would be helpful since there are likely lots more compatibility issues which are yet to be discovered, or which you have just discovered.

18 hours ago, Mossconfig said:

also, you might want to get some communication channels up for when the forums finally die.

I have a thread in the KSP Modding Society discord server, which I use more often than the forum: https://discord.gg/XT6MJTDu
I'm mostly just using the forums to publish pre-releases at this point.

[Mossconfig]

This is the game with  Chemical Core and FuelMixer, no Chemical Propulsion.

Spoiler

Here is the game with all three, Chemical Propulsion, Chemical Core and FuelMixer.

Spoiler

see that there's a second propellant/oxidizer switcher?

Here's my modlist.

Spoiler

Folders and files in GameData:
000_AT_Utils
000_ClickThroughBlocker
000_FilterExtensions
000_FilterExtensions_Configs
000_Harmony
000_Toolbar
000_USITools
001_ToolbarControl
AutoQuickSaveSystem
B9PartSwitch
Benjee10_sharedAssets
Benjee10_stowaway
BonVoyage
ChemicalCore
ChemicalPropulsion
ChemicalStorage
CommunityCategoryKit
CommunityResourcePack
CommunityTechTree
CryoEngines
CryoEnginesExtensions
CryoTanks
DecouplerShroud
DeployableEngines
DynamicBatteryStorage
EnvironmentalVisualEnhancements
FarFutureTechnologies
Firefly
Firespitter
FShangarExtender
FuelMixer
GroundConstruction
HabTechProps
HeatControl
ImmersiveChemicalCore
ImmersiveChemicalPropulsion
JanitorsCloset
KerbalAtomics
KerbalChangelog
KerbalJointReinforcement
KerbalReusabilityExpansion
Kopernicus
KSCSwitcher
KSPCommunityFixes
MechJeb2
ModularFlightIntegrator
NearFutureElectrical
NearFutureLaunchVehicles
NearFutureProps
NearFuturePropulsion
NearFutureSpacecraft
Parallax
Parallax_StockTextures
RealSolarSystem
ReStock
ReStockPlus
ROLoadingImages
RSS-SpaceDust
RSS-Textures
RSSDateTime
RSSVE
SCANsat
Scatterer
ScattererAtmosphereCache
ScienceAlert
SpaceDust
SpaceTuxLibrary
Stock folder: Squad

Stock folder: SquadExpansion

StationPartsExpansionRedux
StockScattererConfigs
StockWaterfallEffects
SystemHeat
TrackingStationEvolved
UmbraSpaceIndustries
Waterfall
WaterfallExtensions
ModuleManager.4.2.3.dll
ModuleManager.ConfigCache
ModuleManager.ConfigSHA
ModuleManager.Physics
ModuleManager.TechTree
toolbar-settings.dat

 

also, about the additional communication lines you might want to put refrences to the discord in your readme file, github.

[Charle_Roger]

6 hours ago, Mossconfig said:

see that there's a second propellant/oxidizer switcher?

Here's my modlist.

I notice that you have both the new "Chemical" mods and the old "Immersive Chemical" mods. Confusion here is understandable since I changed the name on a whim because I never really liked the original (which I came up with on another whim). Removing the old ones should fix your problem. You might also need to delete the module manager cache files (in GameData).

Thanks for having a go with these mods despite their volatility. Your testing is very valuable to getting these things stable since I've never properly released a mod before and I don't quite know what to expect yet.

[DareMightyThingsJPL]

I'm not sure whether this fits the mod, but would fuel-switching for electric engines be a future possibility?

You wouldn't have to add your own new resources, but you could - CRP has gaseous and liquid versions of neon, argon, krypton and xenon. But it doesn't have mercury, and early ion propellant.

I imagine quite a bit of thought would have to go into this - both propellant mass and ionization energies would have to be factored in to keep realism.

[Charle_Roger]

3 hours ago, DareMightyThingsJPL said:

I'm not sure whether this fits the mod, but would fuel-switching for electric engines be a future possibility?

You wouldn't have to add your own new resources, but you could - CRP has gaseous and liquid versions of neon, argon, krypton and xenon. But it doesn't have mercury, and early ion propellant.

I imagine quite a bit of thought would have to go into this - both propellant mass and ionization energies would have to be factored in to keep realism.

I originally intended to only modify chemical rockets, since this is Chemical Propulsion after all. I also think that different propellants are generally best handled by constraining them to different parts, as Chemical Propulsion does. The exotic fuel and oxidizer switching are late game upgrades that serve as analogues of individual conventional propellants, and I may end up splitting them into a separate mod, since propellant switching is not really part of the core experience intended for this mod. With this in mind I consider ion engines a solved problem already and I won't do any noble gas switches for ion engines, I like Near Future Propulsion's bespoke argon engines.

All of that being said, I have also added hydrogen/methane/ammonia switching for NTRs, with the latter options trading isp for thrust and propellant volume, so I'm not completely opposed to featuring non-chemical rockets. I've replaced the MonoPropellant in Supplementary Electric Engines with hydrazine, but I might also add an ammonia mode once I get FuelMixer to support the more complex propellant combinations.

Edited yesterday at 09:20 AM by Charle_Roger

[DareMightyThingsJPL]

13 minutes ago, Charle_Roger said:

3 hours ago, DareMightyThingsJPL said:

I'm not sure whether this fits the mod, but would fuel-switching for electric engines be a future possibility?

You wouldn't have to add your own new resources, but you could - CRP has gaseous and liquid versions of neon, argon, krypton and xenon. But it doesn't have mercury, and early ion propellant.

I imagine quite a bit of thought would have to go into this - both propellant mass and ionization energies would have to be factored in to keep realism.

I originally intended to only modify chemical rockets, since this is Chemical Propulsion after all. I also think that different propellants are generally best handled by constraining them to different parts, as Chemical Propulsion does. The exotic fuel and oxidizer switching are late game upgrades that serve as analogues of individual conventional propellants, and I may end up splitting them into a separate mod, since propellant switching is not really part of the core experience intended for this mod. With this in mind I consider ion engines a solved problem already and I won't do any noble gas switches for ion engines, I like Near Future Propulsion's bespoke argon engines.

All of that being said, I have also added hydrogen/methane/ammonia switching for NTRs, with the latter options trading isp for thrust and propellant volume, so I'm not completely opposed to featuring non-chemical rockets. I've replaced the MonoPropellant in Supplementary Electric Engines with hydrazine, but I might also add an ammonia mode once I get FuelMixer to support the more complex propellant combinations.

Yes, i think you have a good point with the ion engines. Have you thought about cold gas thrusters? I think the Isp is too low for serious consideration, although their commonality in real world reaction control systems is a good case for their addition plus literally any propellant can be used.

[Charle_Roger]

57 minutes ago, DareMightyThingsJPL said:

Have you thought about cold gas thrusters?

They could probably have a niche, especially in life support systems that have waste products. No plans for them though, again I think they should have bespoke parts. If someone wants to make a decent cold gas thruster mod then I'll absolutely support it with some patches and a FuelMixer switch.

[JadeOfMaar]

9 hours ago, DareMightyThingsJPL said:

Have you thought about cold gas thrusters? I think the Isp is too low for serious consideration, although their commonality in real world reaction control systems is a good case for their addition plus literally any propellant can be used.

LinuxGuruGamer had a mod for finite jetpack fuel and switching said fuel. I was onboard with using Nitrogen (with reference to Kerbalism) but the mod broke when it became possible to unequip the jetpack. Aside from jetpack fuel where or how do you think this could settle itself in as a worthwhile gameplay element?

 

8 hours ago, Charle_Roger said:

No plans for them though, again I think they should have bespoke parts.

It would be very kerbal (under Kerbalism) to have such parts and casually vent atmosphere (Nitrogen) to reorient a station or oncoming crewed transfer vehicle. (But Carbon Dioxide if orbiting such a planet -- Eve or Duna, would be quite a thing too.)

Rational Resources does contain distinct gas tanks for use by Kerbalism, and some cold gas thrusters (cloned stock) within its demo parts so @DareMightyThingsJPL if inclined enough, could tool around and apply your mod to them. RR RCS Family also exists and has an Isp data table that can be used for reference. It still uses common liquid resources and not their gas forms because outside of Kerbalism it's a bit of a nuisance to make wide use of gas and liquid forms of several resources.

[DareMightyThingsJPL]

5 minutes ago, JadeOfMaar said:

10 hours ago, DareMightyThingsJPL said:

Have you thought about cold gas thrusters? I think the Isp is too low for serious consideration, although their commonality in real world reaction control systems is a good case for their addition plus literally any propellant can be used.

LinuxGuruGamer had a mod for finite jetpack fuel and switching said fuel. I was onboard with using Nitrogen (with reference to Kerbalism) but the mod broke when it became possible to unequip the jetpack. Aside from jetpack fuel where or how do you think this could settle itself in as a worthwhile gameplay element?

Good point. We already have the much better performing monoprops, so apart from paralelling real world mssions, there would be no in-game reason to use cold-gas thrusters if  they were added.

 

7 minutes ago, JadeOfMaar said:

It would be very kerbal (under Kerbalism) to have such parts and casually vent atmosphere (Nitrogen) to reorient a station or oncoming crewed transfer vehicle. (But Carbon Dioxide if orbiting such a planet -- Eve or Duna, would be quite a thing too.)

Rational Resources does contain distinct gas tanks for use by Kerbalism, and some cold gas thrusters (cloned stock) within its demo parts so @DareMightyThingsJPL if inclined enough, could tool around and apply your mod to them. RR RCS Family also exists and has an Isp data table that can be used for reference. It still uses common liquid resources and not their gas forms because outside of Kerbalism it's a bit of a nuisance to make wide use of gas and liquid forms of several resources.

Thanks for the proposition, but I'll decline - I don't trust myself well enough to write enough code for entire new parts and fuel-switching. Also thanks for pointing out RR's RCS Family!