[WIP v0.1] Wet Workshops - Live inside your fuel tanksâ„¢

[NovaSilisko]

The Idea:

I've long had an interest in the Wet Workshop concept. For the unfamiliar, I'll give an abridged summary from Wikipedia's info on the subject...

Wet workshop is the idea of using a spent rocket stage as a makeshift space station.

[...]

It was realized that the fuel tanks could be retrofitted into the living quarters of a space station. A large rocket stage would reach a low Earth orbit and undergo later modification. This would make for a cost-effective reuse of hardware that would otherwise have no further purpose.

[...]

A wet workshop is contrasted with a "dry workshop", where the empty upper stage is internally outfitted on the ground before launch with a human habitat and other equipment.

Kerbals have no qualms about living inside huge metal shells that reek of kerosene, so they certainly won't mind living in a fuel tank.

Test version 0.1 download: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/575558/KSP/wetworkshops-0.1.zip

Plugin source: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/575558/KSP/ww-source.zip

Usage instructions included in readme.txt. At this early stage I'm just looking for testing its robustness, trying to break it etc.

(Development info below, disorganized as usual)

The plan:

The idea is that there will be two part modules, WetWorkshopTank and WetWorkshopRefit. WWTank is what you might expect, a special fuel tank designed to be reworked into a living area. WWRefit is a module jammed full of instruments and equipment and air fresheners which can be docked with the aforementioned tank and used to convert it into a habitable area. This would remove the ability for the tank to store fuel and oxidizer, and enable the airlock to allow your Kerbals to enter the module.

The refitter also requires at least one Kerbal to operate, to move things around and hang up the air fresheners inside the tank.

Refit modules would work wherever they are on the vessel - we can just assume that Gregski EVAs all the stuff over while the process is going on. Speaking of which, ideally the process isn't immediate - it would take perhaps a day of game time, and the refit module would require occupation until the process is complete, which means that, unfortunately, you can't keep working on the conversion after you bail Greg out upon the realization you're not actually in orbit.

However, the refit module can't be used if there's still fuel in the tank selected, so WWTank has a built-in valve that vents the stored propellant off into space, with accompanying unwanted thrust. A refit module can only be used once, and it's fairly heavy. You can either launch it with the first vehicle containing the refittable tank, or launch it on another vehicle.

Game-wise, it would be fairly simple - right click on the workshop tank you want to convert, hit the "convert" button, and it grabs the first available refit module and begins the process, shown by a progress bar either on the staging icon or the context menu (not sure if such a thing can happen with the context menu, more research required). Due to technical limitations I don't know if it would be possible for the process to work when the vessel isn't active.

The plugin work comes tomorrow, though. Tonight, I started on the models:

The refittable tank. Holds somewhere between an orange tank's worth and a big silver tank's worth of fuel. Weighs a little more than a standard tank of its size would due to the windows and hatches and stuff. 2.5m diameter.

The refit module itself. Weighs a little more than the big capsule. Also 2.5m diameter.

I hope tomorrow to make a prototype plugin with the bare essentials. I've got a general idea of what needs to be done for code, though there most definitely will be unexpected technical hurdles.

We shall see.

__________________________

Update: Textured the fuel tank

Edited June 17, 2013 by NovaSilisko

[Tommygun]

That would be useful.

It's sounds like a more elaborate version of the crew tank.

Will it have an IVA.

[udk_lethal_d0se]

Sounds good, this was suggested in my own thread but had no idea of doing the code.

Look forward to seeing your progress.

[1of6Billion]

Cool! I made a Mun base back in 0.17 with a few empty fuel tanks. So to do it "for real" would be totally awesome!

[Voidryder]

Excellent Nova! If you make it, I'll fly it.

[warmadmax]

sounds fun

Workshop in space as a makeshift service depot / "spare parts" generator for the toolboxes?

obvious question to me is, would we be able to do this to the other stock tanks i.e. the big orange rockomax tanks in future?

I could see me docking a refit module to a makeshift space station and converting the tank i've sandwiched into the backbone of the station into the wet workshop.

would you need a second model plus someway to change from the "old" to the "new" ?

[WCOLE360]

This is very interesting nova..I look forward to seeing it develop!

[betaking]

sounds fun

Workshop in space as a makeshift service depot / "spare parts" generator for the toolboxes?

obvious question to me is, would we be able to do this to the other stock tanks i.e. the big orange rockomax tanks in future?

I could see me docking a refit module to a makeshift space station and converting the tank i've sandwiched into the backbone of the station into the wet workshop.

would you need a second model plus someway to change from the "old" to the "new" ?

a wet workshop is really just another space station module, so it can be used for whatever.

its opposed to a "dry workshop" which is what skylab was,

Edited June 13, 2013 by betaking
derp derp I was wrong, termonology

[betaking]

bravo nova!

love that you have setbacks to balance it out.

Edited June 13, 2013 by betaking

[WCOLE360]

a "dry workshop", where the empty upper stage is internally outfitted on the ground before launch with a human habitat and other equipment. Then the upper stage is launched into orbit by a sufficiently powerful rocket

They didn't use rocket stages for ISS modules.

[mushroomman]

They didn't use rocket stages for ISS modules.

No one said they did.

But they did use one for Skylab.

[betaking]

I guess I might have said that, but I was fairly certain that the term "dry workshop" also applied to purpose built space station modules that never contained fuel..

they did use TKS-derrived components for a great number of the russian parts, but I'm not sure that exactly qualifies as a rockets so much as a general "spacecraft"

[Kerbal01]

Nice to see your getting back to modding!

[WCOLE360]

No one said they did.

But they did use one for Skylab.

I believe that all (or almost all) of the ISS components are dry workshops as well.

He did, you must've missed that.

[betaking]

He did, you must've missed that.

sorry, but I think its termonology

[NovaSilisko]

The term 'dry workshop' was invented after the wet workshop concept was decided against, I think. It specifically referred to the retrofitting of an S-IVB for Skylab.

[Mekan1k]

They could always, you know- remove the internal components that hold fuel and spray the inside with an airtight 2/3-part sealing foam..... Then any part could become a hab module if empty!

[Initar]

That is a very clever (although not new) concept. Will be a mess to code. Not only must the fuel tank turn into a container, but the two parts must become one... Well, "bon courage!" ("good luck for that" in french).

[NovaSilisko]

Well, I think I'm cheating a little. The fuel tank will have crew capacity by default, but you won't be able to enter until it's actually been modified. The Refit module is a passive part - all the code is handled inside the Tank module, which just grabs the first available Refit to use. The refit module only keeps track of whether it's currently crewed and whether it's already been used.

[hoojiwana]

Well, I think I'm cheating a little. The fuel tank will have crew capacity by default, but you won't be able to enter until it's actually been modified. The Refit module is a passive part - all the code is handled inside the Tank module, which just grabs the first available Refit to use. The refit module only keeps track of whether it's currently crewed and whether it's already been used.

Could that plugin be used for something like the Lack Luster Labs sections and airlocks?

[NovaSilisko]

All a part needs to be functional as a wet workshop is a hatch, crew capacity and a resource definition(or two, for fuel/oxy). Then you can use the WWTank module and the standard refit module to turn it into a livable area.

[WCOLE360]

Sweet, can't wait to see an ingame version.

[nothke]

Ha, I just suggested this the other day to udk_lethal_dose

Hay man, your work is fantastic! I am working on another project and don't have time for making new models, so I think you are the right man to talk to =)

One of the things I wanted to make is a WET WORKSHOP, which is practically, a fuel tank that when used, turns into a crewable module. For example, there was a proposition once upon a time in NASA to convert the Shuttle external tank into a crewable module once it's spent. So imagine the stock KSP orange tank that can be crewed after being emptied =) Another thing could be a fuel tank that converts into a cargo bay (for example for retrieving debris or satellites)

It sounds like a great compromise for part count. The dry mass of the workshop would be higher than the standard fuel tank and also more expensive (maybe even twice), but you wouldn't need to carry another module for crewing, also you get a bigger crew space for less launch mass. The bad side is that it can be crewed only when the tank is empty (and possibly can't be reverted to tank function since it would undergo some interior decoration after being crewed).

You could also easily use the models you've already made, but give them more... less sophisticated sturdier fuel-tanky texture =)

It's actually strange that there is no mod that exploits this idea..

on how it would work to code:

...Yes, but an extremely simple one.. Practically,

- when fuel is 0 and button "convert to crew module" pressed, do CONVERSION, if more than 0, write "unable to convert, there's still fuel inside"

- on CONVERSION, enable the hatch and crew module and disable the fuel tank module

The problem with the wet workshops in real life is that they are very complicated to successfully and properly convert to crew spaces, so the idea was always shelved and less risky designs prefered instead.. In Kerbal universe there is no such thing as "complicated" xD

Edited June 14, 2013 by nothke

[Bioman222]

This will be awesome. Can't wait to see it!

[Initar]

I just suggested this the other day to udk_lethal_dose

Yeah he said it himself two pages ago.

It's actually strange that there is no mod that exploits this idea..

That's true, but there's plenty of real life aerospace concepts that are still to be made in KSP ^^