Kethane Convertion

[SgtElis]

So I've landed 2 rovers on to the mun, One with all the Kethane stuff and one with a big fuel tank and doked them together, I've filled up the kethane tank but when I try to convert the kethane into fuel nothing happens! I have enabled crossfeed.

[Blackbird]

don't they need electricity? other than that if you realy got a fueltank, a kethane tank and a converter together it should work

[SgtElis]

Yes, I almost got 1k electricity...

[Tex_NL]

The converter needs to be directly coupled to a fuel tank, it works like an engine in reverse. Just like an engine won't run on fuel through a docking port the kethane converter can't fill a tank that way.

[SgtElis]

Dang naget! Then I have to redo everything!

[lyndonguitar]

damn, I just Did the similar thing

[HoY]

You can keep the same exact setup just add a fuel line FROM the fuel tank TO the methane converter. Just one fuel line will work. Alternatively you can reconfigure so those two parts are stack mounted together.

[Tex_NL]

You can keep the same exact setup just add a fuel line FROM the fuel tank TO the methane converter. Just one fuel line will work. Alternatively you can reconfigure so those two parts are stack mounted together.

You obviously didn't read the OP closely enough. Yes, you could solve this problem in the VAB/SPH by running a fuel line however SgtElis clearly stated he has docked the two vessels together. If you, HoY, know a way to run fuel lines after docking please let me know.

[maltesh]

The converter needs to be directly coupled to a fuel tank, it works like an engine in reverse. Just like an engine won't run on fuel through a docking port the kethane converter can't fill a tank that way.

An engine will run on fuel through a docking port in certain positions. My typical tanker uses an engine attached to the tank by a docking port to do the last bit of boosting to get to orbit, and I decouple the engine while the trajectory is still subortital to drop the booster engine in the atmosphere. And the transfer stage on this rover sucks the fuel out of the rover's tanks first, through the docking port and into the transfer stage, so I have to refill the tanks from the transfer stage if I want to use the lander engines.

That said, you're right in that the arcane and sometimes confusing rules of fuel crossfeed are in effect with the Kethane converter and Fuel/Oxidizer. Just as you say, if an engine can't pull fuel through it, the kethane converter can't push fuel through it.

[HoY]

Sorry yes. I assumed by "all the kethane stuff" he meant including a tank to convert fuel into. Just as you assumed he did Not include the tank. If in fact he has no tank on the mining rig then no, he can't mine kethane effectively. He can however send up another refinery that just has a fuel tank and processor, dock it, and it Will draw kethane through the docking port from the first module.

[Tex_NL]

Another option is to replace the original miner/processor with one that includes a tiny fuel tank. Even the small orb tanks from KSPX are big enough. While the kethane is processed into this small tank transfer the fuel to the large storage module.

[HoY]

Also Tex, you Can run engines burning fuel directly through docking ports. Just not using the bi or tricouplers with docking ports on them.

It's identical with stock ports, and fustek ports are identical except for the model, this is just the only test I have filmed and uploaded already.

I'm not saying this just to contradict you, I simply want to make sure you have the facts

Edited May 19, 2013 by HoY

[lyndonguitar]

It's a known bug, stop trying to prove yourself. KSP has a random bug of not allowing fuel flow through docks, I don't what causes it, but it happens, and It happened to the OP and me. So, even if you show us a video of fuel flow through two docked vessels, it still won't magically allow kethane to flow through the OPs vessels

There is no solution for this unless you redo everything or cheat

[HoY]

*sigh* that is FUEL to ENGINE not kethane. It was in regards to Tex'scomment, not the OP's problem.

I have nothing to prove tbh

[lyndonguitar]

*sigh* that is FUEL to ENGINE not kethane. It was in regards to Tex'scomment, not the OP's problem.

I have nothing to prove tbh

sigh, not just KETHANE, It just uses the same thing resource transfer feature, engines and converters function very similarly so there's little difference, there's a random bug going on around RESOURCE flow on docked vessels, sometimes they can flow or sometimes they can't, in this the OP's case it did not work, in your video, it works, doesn't mean OP will work though

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/29872-Open-Fuel-Flow-and-Crossfeeds-how-do-they-work-when-docked-as-one-ship

[HoY]

You are right that it does not work "sometimes" but if you spent the time to test and figure out the parts in the line of cross feed that are the problem, as I have, you would probably know that kethane flow is not the same. Again. You are taking my post completely out of context.

Yes, as I said, the op's problem can only be solved in KSC.

No, stating that engines can not cross feed fuel from other ships docked is not possible is not true. It depends on how your fuel is routed primarily by fuel lines on each of the docked ships and there are docking configurations that will not work, due to bugs.

I've made my point, for anyone who decided to read it..