How do you transfer electricity?

[Confuzion]

Okay so this may sound weird, i dont know if it is a well known thing to do lol, new to ksp !

Anyway my idea was to get a sort of "core" on the moon for my base, which acts as a generator with large electricity supplies and solar panels, for rovers to charge up at

Just wondering if you CAN transfer electricity, couldn't find anything about it on the wiki, and if so, how? (ie: which docking ports etc?)

Thanks in advance for helping a noob

[stupid_chris]

IIRC, you can transfer electricity just as you transfer fuel : So yeah, with dockingports would make it work

[AndreyATGB]

Any docking port, it's like transferring fuel. You alt+right click on both parts to bring up the transfer menu. I don't know if it works between panels and batteries, but it does between probe cores and batteries.

[elkar]

You need to be docked to something or use Lazor system with yellow laser I think, then you can transfer it without connectiing anything but it wasnt reliable for me.

There is also TAC fuel balancer which can work with electricity but again, you need to be docked to something.

[nhnifong]

There is usually no need to transfer electricity, because panels will charge all batteries on a vessel that have room. by they time you even manage to click both batteries, they'll probably already be full.

[elkar]

There is usually no need to transfer electricity, because panels will charge all batteries on a vessel that have room. by they time you even manage to click both batteries, they'll probably already be full.

Yes that and if its a night-time you are having problem with, then RTGs are the answer.

[Confuzion]

Ok thanks guys! Look forward to trying this and thanks again

[nyrath]

Now in real life, there is something called a "regenerative fuel cell".

You use a solar power array to energize an electrolyser. This takes in water, splits it, and outputs oxygen and hydrogen.

During periods of darkness you can take the oxygen and hydrogen feeding it to a fuel cell. The fuel cell consumes the oxygen and hydrogen, outputting electricity and water. (not as much electricity as the original solar array, but close). Periods of darkness like the two week long Lunar night.

Basically it is a way to store solar electricity.

Actually that would make a nice mod.

[Skorpychan]

It's basically a big battery, though.

[nyrath]

It's basically a big battery, though.

Yes, except

1. regenerative fuel cells can be more efficient than rechargable batteries
   
2. rechargable batteries typically only last 1000 charge cycles before they stop working
   
3. it is a lot cheaper to increase your energy story by adding a few tanks as compared to adding another bank of batteries
   
4. water ice for increasing energy storage can be found on site on many planets and moons, while battery components have to be shipped from Kerbin
   
5. 
   

[Skorpychan]

There is usually no need to transfer electricity, because panels will charge all batteries on a vessel that have room. by they time you even manage to click both batteries, they'll probably already be full.

So, if you dock up to something with a load of big panels, it will charge your batteries automatically?

[Kimberly]

Yes, except

1. regenerative fuel cells can be more efficient than rechargable batteries
   
2. rechargable batteries typically only last 1000 charge cycles before they stop working
   
3. it is a lot cheaper to increase your energy story by adding a few tanks as compared to adding another bank of batteries
   
4. water ice for increasing energy storage can be found on site on many planets and moons, while battery components have to be shipped from Kerbin
   
5. 
   

All good points, but not ones that are simulated in any way in the current game. (Not that it wouldn't be cool to have a mod with a part like that, mind you.)

[Commander Zoom]

So, if you dock up to something with a load of big panels, it will charge your batteries automatically?

Correct. You can even (as I recently confirmed) use KAS to connect things via cables - say, a power module to base module(s) - and the game will treat them as if they were docked.

[Skorpychan]

Awesome. My space station just got more useful. Now it can generate power, as well as store fuel and RCS monopropellant for missions. Maybe I need a section dedicated to power, with a big bank of batteries, solar panels up the wazoo, and RTGs.

[WhiteWeasel]

Awesome. My space station just got more useful. Now it can generate power, as well as store fuel and RCS monopropellant for missions. Maybe I need a section dedicated to power, with a big bank of batteries, solar panels up the wazoo, and RTGs.

One RTG can power a half dozen of the very bright lights, maybe more. The only thing that uses a major amount of power right now is the ion engine, or lots of rover wheels (the ladder you won't use on a station) 2-3 by themselves should be sufficient in most cases.

[Skorpychan]

One RTG can power a half dozen of the very bright lights, maybe more. The only thing that uses a major amount of power right now is the ion engine, or lots of rover wheels (the ladder you won't use on a station) 2-3 by themselves should be sufficient in most cases.

It needs to be MORE than sufficient, though. I can't be doing things by halves. Not with dwarf fortress colouring my habits.

[WhiteWeasel]

I stand corrected, not half a dozen-16 of them. Keep in mind that these are the bright ones that consume twice as much power as the box lights.

[Sirrobert]

I'd suggest putting a few smal solar pannels on your rovers though.

Don't make them 100% dependant on reaching the recharge station in time, or there WILL come a time when you fail to notice in time and they die.

Wouldn't need to be enough pannels to permanently charge the wheels, but just put on 1 or 2 of the cheap ones, and they will recharge the batterys when you are standing still. This way you can drive around, stop and do some stuf, and at the same time your batterys get refilled

[Skorpychan]

Well, I stacked five or six of the radial battery packs, stuck four RTGs on it, and four of the big gigantor solar panels on my standard upper stage, and lobbed it up into orbit. Should be plenty of power should I decide to use the thing as a science platform.