[0.25]KSP Interstellar (Magnetic Nozzles, ISRU Revamp) Version 0.13

[WaveFunctionP]

Is the seismic impact experiment currently working?

I checked the config in the Science.cfg. Looks like this:

@PART[sensorAccelerometer]{


{
}
MODULE
{
	name = FNSeismicProbe	
	experimentID = FNSeismicProbeExperiment
	rerunnable = true
	deployEventName = Collect Impact Data
	reviewEventName = Review Impact Data
	resetEventName = Reset Impact Data
}
}

But the accelerometer doesn't have any other settings than the normal ones?

I can't get it to go in "Record mode", there simply is no option for that, as you can see here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dg0zcmy84cde9nt/screenshot4.png

I believe you are missing the !MODULE

@PART[sensorAccelerometer]{

!MODULE
{
}
MODULE
{
	name = FNSeismicProbe	
	experimentID = FNSeismicProbeExperiment
	rerunnable = true
	deployEventName = Collect Impact Data
	reviewEventName = Review Impact Data
	resetEventName = Reset Impact Data
}
}

When that is removed it behaves like the stock experiment.

[Osdeath]

Quick question regarding the Science lab, Got one manned with 2 Kerbals in orbit around the Mun at around 8km, but it wont produce any science, and also isn't drawing any power, is something wrong with the lab or do I simply need to be putting it in orbit around a different planet/moon?

[Myrten]

Can anyone help me understand why 3.75m Fusion reactor output drops from 55 GW to 4.3 and 2.4 GW when I swap fuel?

Is this WAD or a bug?

Edited March 31, 2014 by Myrten

[smunisto]

I believe you are missing the !MODULE

@PART[sensorAccelerometer]{

!MODULE
{
}
MODULE
{
    name = FNSeismicProbe    
    experimentID = FNSeismicProbeExperiment
    rerunnable = true
    deployEventName = Collect Impact Data
    reviewEventName = Review Impact Data
    resetEventName = Reset Impact Data
}
}

When that is removed it behaves like the stock experiment.

ÃÂh, thought it's turned on by default. Will test it with the added line and edit this message with the result.

[NeoAcario]

Can anyone help me understand why 3.75m Fusion reactor output drops from 55 GW to 4.3 and 2.4 GW when I swap fuel?

*snip*

Is this WAD or a bug?

First off, low rez pics don't help.

Second, I can see that you have a transmitter... there's a critical bug with direct conversion gens and transmitters.

Third, it could be that you aren't using the proper gen at all with those fuels that produce mostly charged particles and not thermal power.

~Steve

[Myrten]

First off, low rez pics don't help.

Second, I can see that you have a transmitter... there's a critical bug with direct conversion gens and transmitters.

Third, it could be that you aren't using the proper gen at all with those fuels that produce mostly charged particles and not thermal power.

~Steve

1)If you click on them you will be redirected to image hosting site and after clicking one more time there will be a full res version.

2&3)Even if I turn off all generators and transmitter this problem still occurs, it's about reactor itself as its type changes from 50 GW High-Q Tokamak to 4.3 GW High-Q Tokamak after clicking swap fuel.

[WaveFunctionP]

Quick question regarding the Science lab, Got one manned with 2 Kerbals in orbit around the Mun at around 8km, but it wont produce any science, and also isn't drawing any power, is something wrong with the lab or do I simply need to be putting it in orbit around a different planet/moon?

It needs to be manned with two kerbals, have a supply of MJ, and optimally, landed on a body.

[WaveFunctionP]

1)If you click on them you will be redirected to image hosting site and after clicking one more time there will be a full res version.

2&3)Even if I turn off all generators and transmitter this problem still occurs, it's about reactor itself as its type changes from 50 GW High-Q Tokamak to 4.3 GW High-Q Tokamak after clicking swap fuel.

It's a bug. The direct conversion generators don't operate properly. You should be getting 55GW *.85 of energy in pure he-3. Not that it really matters, since he-3 isn't worth bothering with.

[Myrten]

It's a bug. The direct conversion generators don't operate properly. You should be getting 55GW *.85 of energy in pure he-3. Not that it really matters, since he-3 isn't worth bothering with.

I think it's a different bug since my problem happens even if there is no generator at all, pure command pod + reactor + radiator:

[pantheis]

A wild guess. The power manager may be confusing that vessel with the vessel you copied. If it doesn't have unique id, which I believe is called pid in the save file, you have no way of telling one vessel apart from the other. Perhaps renaming the vessel will solve the issue. BUt it's doubtful. I believe you'd need another id.

I didn't copy a vessel, I loaded this one up and it was having this issue, where it had been working before without problems. In trying to figure out what was going on, I launched a new vessel using the same craft file to the launch pad, hyperedited it into orbit around Moho, and tested. That craft worked properly, this one is still bugged. Two separate craft and the problem existed before I hyperedited a new ship into orbit.

-edit-

Fixed it. In the persistence file, for the bugged ship, I found the MPD part, and right near the top of that part was "state = 0". I noticed that the non-bugged ships all had "state = 1". Changed that, reloaded my save and the ship is working fine. No clue what exactly that is, or what it does, but without it being 1, the waste heat levels and the engine weren't working correctly.

Much better max acceleration! 35.79 m/s2.

Edited March 31, 2014 by pantheis

[BigD145]

Hyperedit can cause problems if you don't activate/deactivate things that rely on outside influences. That would be relays, solars, radiators, and such. Activate and deactivate things if possible. Basically kick the machine.

[Fractal_UK]

I think it's a different bug since my problem happens even if there is no generator at all, pure command pod + reactor + radiator:

It's not a bug, the reactor output changes when you swap the fuel mode. The Tokomak size determines the kind of plasma density that can be achieved in the Tokomak but if you switch to He-3 or D/He-3 you'll get far fewer reactions compared to D/T. You're introducing atoms that have 2 protons instead of just 1, which leads to a vastly increased coulomb barrier, meaning fewer atoms undergo fusion. That leads to significantly reduced power output, D/He-3 is actually more fuel efficient than D/T because fuel consumption goes down even more than the power output does.

Edited March 31, 2014 by Fractal_UK

[roxedboxer]

So could anyone please teach an oblivious space venturer how to create and deploy an impactor?

[SirusKing]

Two methods (I think?)

Land something on the ground with a siesmic detector and turn on "recording". Then, smash a probe into the ground at high speed and it should detect it...

OR, just have a small probe with two siesmic detectors on, both with recording on, and smash that into the ground.

Its a little OP though, 500 science from the mun and minmus without even needed to send it back to base or have control over the probe

[BudgetHedgehog]

So could anyone please teach an oblivious space venturer how to create and deploy an impactor?

Put impactor on body to be tested (either on a probe or a lander or whatever - just needs to be solid ground). Start recording. Smash something into the ground (doesn't have to be nearby) at over 40 m/s and it has to be your active craft - it could be anything, a mini-probe, piece of debris, another ship, just as long as you're controlling it. When smashed, a pop up will say there is science to be collected from one of the impactors deployed on this surface. Go to first vessel with recorder and collect and transmit data.

If you want to smash more than one thing into the ground, they have to be called different things. There's also more science to be gained from several recorders in different locations on the planet/moon (up to a point, though).

EDIT: I don't think that second method will work - if the recorder is destroyed, then so is the data in it.

[smunisto]

How do you figure out the coordinates where you have to place the impactor sensors? Without using MechJeb I figured I could use ScanSat's map, but I don't know what longitudes(not very savvy in the location system) to use for each of the six. I read the wiki, but it didn't tell me much - just one on the north, one on the south pole and 4 on the equator. Ok, but where, how to figure out the exact landing coordinates without MJ and how precise does my landing have to be?

Edited March 31, 2014 by smunisto

[Myrten]

It's not a bug, the reactor output changes when you swap the fuel mode. The Tokomak size determines the kind of plasma density that can be achieved in the Tokomak but if you switch to He-3 or D/He-3 you'll get far fewer reactions compared to D/T. You're introducing atoms that have 2 protons instead of just 1, which leads to a vastly increased coulomb barrier, meaning fewer atoms undergo fusion. That leads to significantly reduced power output, D/He-3 is actually more fuel efficient than D/T because fuel consumption goes down even more than the power output does.

OK, thanks for the explanation, but why this effect doesn't happen in 1.25m and 0.625m reactors? 1.25m He-3 reactor has bigger output then 2.5m He-3 reactor

[db48x]

How do you figure out the coordinates where you have to place the impactor sensors? Without using MechJeb I figured I could use ScanSat's map, but I don't know what longitudes(not very savvy in the location system) to use for each of the six. I read the wiki, but it didn't tell me much - just one on the north, one on the south pole and 4 on the equator. Ok, but where, how to figure out the exact landing coordinates without MJ and how precise does my landing have to be?

You can place them anywhere. Your scientists feed the landing coordinates into the calculations when they do the analysis, so you don't have to put them in any predefined locations either relative to the surface or relative to each other. On the other hand, the more sensors you have, the more data you can collect about each impact. Just put a seismometer on every probe you send, scatter them widely, and have lots of impactors.

[Makeone]

...and have a plenty of power on the 'main' probe that transmits the data, as it will take some time...

It becomes even more fun from outer planets, btw

[BigD145]

Thinking about power problems in Interstellar? *gasp*

[Fractal_UK]

OK, thanks for the explanation, but why this effect doesn't happen in 1.25m and 0.625m reactors? 1.25m He-3 reactor has bigger output then 2.5m He-3 reactor

I don't really know anything about the physics of the power and density scaling in an inertial confinement reactor so I glossed over this issue. I've not read anything much about IC with non D/T fuels, if I come across a paper or something, I'll try and spruce up the system with a bit more realism.

[PringleMan]

I don't really know anything about the physics of the power and density scaling in an inertial confinement reactor so I glossed over this issue. I've not read anything much about IC with non D/T fuels, if I come across a paper or something, I'll try and spruce up the system with a bit more realism.

In short with a tokomak, stellerator, or hybrid of the two, the larger the reactor the more efficient the containment, as the forces required from the magnets to contain the plasma become lower, thus you need less power for confinement. And thus greater net power output. This is one reason why current fusion reactors like the ITER being built in France are built as large as the budget allows. Interestingly, the opposite is true with a polywell design where a smaller vessel will typically be more efficient because of the higher plasma density and thus higher reaction rates (though those do not break even with current designs).

edit: to be clear. Larger = larger diameter torus = less acceleration = less force. Bigger magnets also means more coils, so a greater electromagnetic effect for even less current.

[Fractal_UK]

Information on Tokamak designs are much easier to come by, hence the greater nuances in the behaviour of those parts. It's the inertial confinement designs that are the problem.

[Myrten]

I don't really know anything about the physics of the power and density scaling in an inertial confinement reactor so I glossed over this issue. I've not read anything much about IC with non D/T fuels, if I come across a paper or something, I'll try and spruce up the system with a bit more realism.

Alright, it's nice that you keep certain level of realism in this mod.

Another weird thing: 1.25m reactor has 25 units of tritium on start while 2.5 and 3.75 reactors only have 5 units.

[WaveFunctionP]

Alright, it's nice that you keep certain level of realism in this mod.

Another weird thing: 1.25m reactor has 25 units of tritium on start while 2.5 and 3.75 reactors only have 5 units.

The smaller reactors don't come with a supply of lithium.