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

[zzz]

ð reduced texture pack for KSP interstellar

I don't think it exist. Maybe later someone will make. For reducing you can begin from deleting Spaces folder.

Edited October 28, 2013 by zzz

[Fractal_UK]

Hi! I am encountering an error when I try to stack multiple electric generator & reactor units on top of each other (or had multiple generator/reactor pairs on one vessel). They end up producing "Nan MW" output instead of some proper number.

Also, I find that if I had the generator on top of the reactor, the unit would not produce any power, but if I had the reactor on top of the generator, the unit would operate properly.

Is anyone else experiencing this problem?

This is with version 0.7.2

I discovered this problem last night and was hoping to get the fix out before anyone had any problems with it but alas, I was not quite quick enough. Fix for this is working now and I'll release shortly.

[SquirrelMan]

I also encountered the NaN issue, but it seems to have caused a bigger issue as well. I switched to a science lab to get my science points and the whole game crashed (Kraken attack). Now, when I go to KSC and the Science building, my Science points for the game just say "Nan". This means I get "infinite" points and can buy any technology, but its also really annoying. Would your fix reset my total science points, or does anyone know how to manually reset them (even to 0) in the persistent file? I have about 50 hours invested in this particular game and was about 3 technologies from the end.

I also get NaN on my retrofit points, but I assume this is all related.

FYI, thanks for an awesome mod. Loving it!

[Fractal_UK]

I also encountered the NaN issue, but it seems to have caused a bigger issue as well. I switched to a science lab to get my science points and the whole game crashed (Kraken attack). Now, when I go to KSC and the Science building, my Science points for the game just say "Nan". This means I get "infinite" points and can buy any technology, but its also really annoying. Would your fix reset my total science points, or does anyone know how to manually reset them (even to 0) in the persistent file? I have about 50 hours invested in this particular game and was about 3 technologies from the end.

I also get NaN on my retrofit points, but I assume this is all related.

FYI, thanks for an awesome mod. Loving it!

Open the game, launch a vessel, quicksave. Open the quicksave file in [KSP Main Directory]\saves\[your game name]. Just open it in notepad or something similar. Search for "name = ResearchAndDevelopment" without the quotation marks. Two lines below it, you should see "sci = NaN". Change NaN to a number. Save. Quickload in KSP. Your science will be reset to that number.

[Fractal_UK]

Version 0.7.3 Released

I guess I should've anticipated a few teething problems after a major rewrite of some of the parts, hopefully that's the end of them. I've also totally removed all the useless information the VAB tells you about plasma engines and thermal rockets and replaced it with something that while isn't all the information you might want, is at least accurate. I hope you find this more useful.

Changelog:

Version 0.7.3
-Improved Engine information reporting in the VAB
-Engines will power up their reactor if the reactor is shutdown in order to get thrust
-Fixed resource manager NaN power bug
-Fixed asymmetric thrust bug

Download links in the first post have been updated.

---

[Imca]

Soooo, I had a thought about using microwave beamed power to get things into orbit.

Instead of scattering the power generators in a line around the KSC, would it not be way more efficient to put one in a Geosynchronous Orbit overhead?

I dont know if distance loss happens, but even if it does, would the greater coverage not balance it out? You could put one super reactor up there instead of a half a dozen small ones.

[cy-one]

Narf, just when I had already downloaded it

Btw, as I'm on a slow connection... Fractal, would it be asked too much for to add a smaller "Update"-download (just from "last version" to "new version" (like 0.7.2 to 0.7.3)) which only contains the altered files? That'd by quite nice.

Edit: I' currently fiddling around with partwelding to lower my part count.

When it comes to the AM-Collectors, what would I have to do?

If it counts as one part, would several of those AntimatterCollector-MODULEs be enough that the "looks like several AM-Collectors, but is only one part"-part collects as much AM than it would normally do? For example, when I weld 4 AM-Collectors, would 4 AntimatterCollector-MODULEs make that part collect 4 times the AM than one single collector would?

Edited October 28, 2013 by cy-one

[Donziboy2]

Some light reading on antimatter and collection.... EXTRACTION OF ANTIPARTICLES

CONCENTRATED IN

PLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS by JAMES BICKFORD

And a nice quote that really puts it into perspective.....

The available antiproton supplies in our solar system exceed the nanogram to microgram

quantities needed for most applications. For example, 100 nanograms of antiprotons can be used to

catalyze sub-critical nuclear reactions and drive a one metric ton payload to 100 km/sec. This

capability would enable the first precursor interstellar missions. In comparison, if traditional

chemical propellants were used for the same task, nearly 10^9 metric tons of hydrogen and oxygen

would have to be launched into space. To put this in perspective, the space shuttle can carry

approximately 20 metric tons to low Earth orbit. If one space shuttle filled with fuel were launched

every day, it would take nearly a half million years to lift that much propellant into orbit. The

influence of the rocket equation is very pronounced in these scenarios. The traditional propellant

required to accelerate a 1 kg payload to 1000 km/sec exceeds the mass of the observable universe by

44 orders of magnitude. In comparison, the same velocity could be achieved with a spacecraft

utilizing just micrograms of antiprotons.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Donziboy2

[Jimbimbibble]

Great job with this mod! As a thermodynamics student, I have to say you got your numbers right, but there's one more thing you could do with waste heat. Your radiator temperature should govern your efficiency (it's your T low in the Carnot efficiency). Higher radiator temps could reduce efficiency, especially on the lower temperature reactors. Maybe the upgraded radiators could use a heat pump so the generator "feels" a lower temp that the radiator temp (increasing efficiency or allowing greater heat transfer without an efficiency loss.) This would make the radiators a bigger part of the game. What do you think?

[Fractal_UK]

Great job with this mod! As a thermodynamics student, I have to say you got your numbers right, but there's one more thing you could do with waste heat. Your radiator temperature should govern your efficiency (it's your T low in the Carnot efficiency). Higher radiator temps could reduce efficiency, especially on the lower temperature reactors. Maybe the upgraded radiators could use a heat pump so the generator "feels" a lower temp that the radiator temp (increasing efficiency or allowing greater heat transfer without an efficiency loss.) This would make the radiators a bigger part of the game. What do you think?

Actually they already do this, you should see a substantial difference between the efficiency of the generators when the reactors are running at low power and high power, particularly with the lower temperature reactors, where you can get comparable temperatures. The generators use the average radiator temperature as their cold bath temperature for the purposes of calculating carnot cycle efficiency. Due to the way the system works though, you'll probably only see this effect strongly once the rocket has settled into some kind of equilibrium with regard to WasteHeat dissipation.

Interesting idea about the heat pump though.

[apoch1999]

so i tried to build my first thermal rocket craft yesterday..i placed the fuel above the genny, then the reactor below it, and then the thruster below it..then i go to take off and it all falls apart...also when lifting a reactor and genny the genny disappears and the craft goes pPPHTHTHTHTTTTT.....any ideas why this is happening?:

[cy-one]

@zzz (i hope he reads this sometime):

Is there a way to remove the rotation of heat radiators (even if that would mean less efficiency, I don't care)?

I'm currently rebuilding Avatar's "ISV Venture Star" and... Yeah, while your radiators look amazing, they really don't "seem right" when they're rotated

vs

Think you see, what I mean?

[forsaken1111]

I think that looks awesome...

[zzz]

Is there a way to remove the rotation of heat radiators (even if that would mean less efficiency, I don't care)?

It's governed by solar panel module or, in this case, module made by Fractal. I think if you take radiator module from inline variant it will stop rotate. Anyway, it's about code, not model.

Mhm. Damn... How does the inline-modul look unfolded?

Erm.

Try to open warpPlugin\Parts\Electrical\HeatRadiator %something%.cfg

and repace

MODULE
{
	name = FNRadiator
	animName = a1
	radiatorTemp = 1650
	radiatorArea = 1600
	originalName = Mo Li Heat Pipe
	upgradeCost = 15
	upgradedName = Graphene Radiator
	upgradedRadiatorTemp = 3500
	upgradeTechReq = experimentalElectrics
}

to

MODULE
{
	name = FNRadiator
	isDeployable = false
	convectiveBonus = 20
	radiatorTemp = 1650
	radiatorArea = 20
	originalName = Mo Li Heat Pipe
	upgradeCost = 5
	upgradedName = Graphene Radiator
	upgradedRadiatorTemp = 3500
	upgradeTechReq = experimentalElectrics
}

///and just in case

MODULE
{
name = ModuleAnimateGeneric
animationName = a1
startEventGUIName =  Deploy 
endEventGUIName = Retract 
}

I don't know is this will work. Fractal understand all this much better.

Edited October 28, 2013 by zzz

[cy-one]

Mhm. Damn... How does the inline-modul look unfolded?

Edit: Asking, because I have some troubles getting it to work and don't want to bother when I'm not going to use it :/

[SVarg]

Seems like I'm having firespitter compatibility issues. Firespitter's propellers start already rotating and generate zero thrust and have NaN ISP also fuel types messed up. Sometimes it goes to black screen with spinning numbers on hud indicators and NaN at speed indicator. I have many mods intalled but this problem seems to apper and dissapear then I install/remove KSP interstellar. I thied isolating firespitter with KSP interstellar (and squad) and this problem still exists. Anyone else encountered this? I can't give up on firespitter but really wanted to try this one.

Edited October 29, 2013 by SVarg

[AlchemicalAgent]

I'm slapped together something like very-very small radial radiator

http://www./download/1gkgw1c1ab95euc/HeatRadiator.7z

zzz: I tried placing this in the HeatRadiator folder but in-game it looks like the standard unfolding radiator. The orientation has been changed to radial but it's the wrong model. I noticed that the cfg file has mesh = Model.mu. I replaced this with mesh = rheat.mu but it had no effect.

Is there anything else you could suggest?

[Fractal_UK]

Seems like I'm having firespitter compatibility issues. Firespitter's propellers start already rotating and generate zero thrust and have NaN ISP also fuel types messed up. Sometimes it goes to black screen with spinning numbers on hud indicators and NaN at speed indicator. I have many mods intalled but this problem seems to apper and dissapear then I install/remove KSP interstellar. I thied isolating firespitter with KSP interstellar (and squad) and this problem still exists. Anyone else encountered this? I can't give up on firespitter but really wanted to try this one.

Can you make this happen, then send me a copy of your KSP.log file please?

[Lalwcat]

So, anyone mind helping me? I don't quite understand the flux fields I guess.

http://i.imgur.com/UdQK9Vr.png

This graph makes me think that at an equatorial 380km orbit around Moho, I'll be collecting around 12x10^-5 flux mg/sec.

http://i.imgur.com/iNBma16.png

This one tells me that at an equatorial 900km orbit around Kerbin, I'll be collecting around 4.5x10^-5 mg/sec.

In the moho orbit, I should be collecting far more antimatter.

The issue I'm finding is that when in orbit at 900km around Kerbin, I was able to get a net antimatter profit. My tanks were always slowly filling up, even with the AM reactor turned on. Now that I am in Moho, I'm not able to gain any antimatter and it stays constant at the amount I have.

This is the amount I'm seeing in my collectors: http://i.imgur.com/eNaslvG.jpg

The magnetometer thing says the same value.

Where is the flux? Why am I not able to collect as much as I was in Kerbin orbit with the exact same craft?

[Fractal_UK]

Where is the flux? Why am I not able to collect as much as I was in Kerbin orbit with the exact same craft?

The graph isn't correct for Moho. There was a bug with the antimatter values that inflated certain location's supplies way above what they should have been and it was corrected a few updates ago. Moho was one of the hardest hit, because it is quite small and has a very slow rotation rate, this is only somewhat cancelled by its unique multiplier.

Eve, Jool, Kerbin, Kerbol, Laythe and Tylo are the best places for antimatter collection with Jool a long way in the lead at the top.

[Lalwcat]

The graph isn't correct for Moho.

All the trouble I did on this launch For some reason if I have a stack separator on top of the whole thing with a small (62.5) nuke and electric generator, the center of mass starts to randomly shift (and thus the camera appears to detach) on the craft after I've had it loaded for a few seconds. Not sure what causes it exactly, if it's another mod conflict or something, but as soon as I separate that tiny bit, the camera resets back to where it should be and the craft stops shaking violently. Probably not Interstellar, but no idea what would be causing it either way.

Hopefully at some point someone creates some updated graphs, because I'm far too lazy to do it.

Also, one for amount of science a lab can create at various altitudes would be awesome too.

Edited October 29, 2013 by Lalwcat

[Fractal_UK]

All the trouble I did on this launch

At least you have a science lab out at Moho, those things generate a lot out there.

For some reason if I have a stack separator on top of the whole thing with a small (62.5) nuke and electric generator, the center of mass starts to randomly shift (and thus the camera appears to detach) on the craft after I've had it loaded for a few seconds. Not sure what causes it exactly, if it's another mod conflict or something, but as soon as I separate that tiny bit, the camera resets back to where it should be and the craft stops shaking violently. Probably not Interstellar, but no idea what would be causing it either way.

I'll take a look into it and see if I can replicate it.

[Lalwcat]

At least you have a science lab out at Moho, those things generate a lot out there.

Which reminds me, any chance you could give us the option to disable charging on antimatter containment tanks? I know it sounds funny, but I was having some issues launching this in that the tank was consuming all electrical charge on the launchpad, leaving me with none for torque control. I had to add the nuclear reactor + generator on the tippy top just so that it would give enough power to let me control at launch. If I could disable charging on the containment tank, I could launch and get to the point that I start collecting antimatter before having to worry about filling the thing up with power

I'll take a look into it and see if I can replicate it.

I wouldn't spend too much time on it. I'm sure it's some strange conflict with the wide array of mods I have going on

Edited October 29, 2013 by Lalwcat

[Fractal_UK]

I wouldn't spend too much time on it. I'm sure it's some strange conflict with the wide array of mods I have going on

I'm afraid you are giving me too much credit, I already managed to reproduce it (and fix it). It was a side effect of the new system I'm using to scan for connected reactors in the new generator code.

[DrNuke]

All the trouble I did on this launch For some reason if I have a stack separator on top of the whole thing with a small (62.5) nuke and electric generator, the center of mass starts to randomly shift (and thus the camera appears to detach) on the craft after I've had it loaded for a few seconds. Not sure what causes it exactly, if it's another mod conflict or something, but as soon as I separate that tiny bit, the camera resets back to where it should be and the craft stops shaking violently. Probably not Interstellar, but no idea what would be causing it either way.

Hopefully at some point someone creates some updated graphs, because I'm far too lazy to do it.

Also, one for amount of science a lab can create at various altitudes would be awesome too.

Arg! I thought I got everything updated correctly.

I'll start making new charts tonight. Darn awesome constantly updating mod bringing us new awesome things every week. Fractal you're working too hard.