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

[zzz]

I played a little in KSP and have the sugesstion, maybe it's already fixed in next but at least in the current version attach points at refinery really messy. I think I tried to make it with multiple side attach points like this stock station hub, but it never worked correctly.

I suggest to change:

mesh = model.mu
rescaleFactor = 1

node_stack_bottom = 0, -0.9, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2
node_stack_right = 2.2, -0.2, 0, -1, 0, 0, 1
node_attach = -1.903, -0.127, 0, -1, 0, 0, 1

attachRules = 1,0,1,1,1

to

mesh = model.mu
scale = 1
rescaleFactor = 0.78 //to  at least fit to 3,75 standart

node_stack_bottom = 0, -0.9, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2
node_attach = -1.903, -0.127, 0, -1, 0, 0, 1
node_stack_top1 = 0, 0.7, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2
node_stack_top2 = 0, 1.3, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1

attachRules = 1,1,1,1,0

And add

CrewCapacity = 1

It have a door, why not possible to put someone in it?

Edited January 6, 2014 by zzz

[Hremsfeld]

Is there any way to add waste heat to another part? I'm tossing around an idea for a part and I want a byproduct of its use is waste heat. (Like solar panels.)

It should be pumpable, like LFO is. That gives me an idea, though: Coolant dumps. Have a part consume LF-or-something to produce a very negative amount of Waste Heat. I'm without my ksp computer for the time being, but I'll see about making a part like that when I get it back.

Edit: Actually, using water makes the most sense, not LF.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Hremsfeld

[ModZero]

It should be pumpable, like LFO is. That gives me an idea, though: Coolant dumps. Have a part consume LF-or-something to produce a very negative amount of Waste Heat. I'm without my ksp computer for the time being, but I'll see about making a part like that when I get it back.

Edit: Actually, using water makes the most sense, not LF.

That's not how coolant works. Coolant moves the heat around, but it's still there until you radiate it away. You can think of it as "already included", it's how the waste heat gets from the reactor to the radiators.

[forsaken1111]

That's not how coolant works. Coolant moves the heat around, but it's still there until you radiate it away. You can think of it as "already included", it's how the waste heat gets from the reactor to the radiators.

If you get the coolant hot enough and then dump it out of the spacecraft, it reduces the overall heat of the craft much like the way your body cools itself by sweating.

[ModZero]

If you get the coolant hot enough and then dump it out of the spacecraft, it reduces the overall heat of the craft much like the way your body cools itself by sweating.

Actually, you've just described propellant. And having slow moving liquid around your craft can be rather problematic, google "John Glenn fireflies". For a slightly funny/practical take on this, see using the coolant as debris shield.

[CleverLikeMe]

I'm going back to the drawing board on my relay satellite network.

Earlier I placed 3 satellites in a 1000 km orbit over Kerbin. I made sure they were 120 degrees apart (not exactly, but +-1 or less), made their AP and PE very close (and of course, they were in circular, equatorial orbits). Then I made small burns so that they all appeared to have the exact same orbital period, down to the second, as reported by MechJeb (I didn't put engineer on these ships, though I will during the relaunch if that is recommended).

All was well, and during standard warping everything worked fine, but during a transfer to Jool, everything, once again, got all wonky and one of my satellites noticeably drifted, because, I'm guessing, MechJeb is limited to reporting orbital period by the second and maybe it's not accurate for this purpose? I couldn't figure a way to get the semi-major axis to display, so I haven't matched those.

Can anyone assist?

[forsaken1111]

Actually, you've just described propellant. And having slow moving liquid around your craft can be rather problematic, google "John Glenn fireflies". For a slightly funny/practical take on this, see using the coolant as debris shield.

Certainly dumping the coolant would impart some force on the craft, but not much and this could be reduced depending on the method of its release. Either way, it would reduce the heat energy of the craft somewhat.

[Konnor]

I'm guessing, MechJeb is limited to reporting orbital period by the second and maybe it's not accurate for this purpose? I couldn't figure a way to get the semi-major axis to display, so I haven't matched those.

Kerbal Engineer Redux displays semi-major axis in its orbital tab, and a period with more precision.

[CleverLikeMe]

Kerbal Engineer Redux displays semi-major axis in its orbital tab, and a period with more precision.

Is Vessel Orbital Information Display sufficient for that? Trying to avoid more part mods, even if KER only has one or two

[NotCoach]

Is Vessel Orbital Information Display sufficient for that? Trying to avoid more part mods, even if KER only has one or two

MechJeb has SMA in there, it just isn't a default display. You can find it in the window editor.

I personally don't like having to worry about drifting satellites in a network, so I use Hyperedit to fine tune orbits after placing satellties, and adjust them again later if necessary. I don't think this is unrealistic because these are unmanned vehicles controlled from mission control. Those damn kerbals have do some work themselves while I'm busy elsewhere.

[Domfluff]

I played a little in KSP and have the sugesstion, maybe it's already fixed in next but at least in the current version attach points at refinery really messy. ...

Thanks zzz, re-scaling helps a lot.

(Unless I'm doing something wrong...) Just adding "CrewCapacity = 1" creates that bug where you EVA a Kerbal, and he's ejected, lifeless onto the pad. Which is quite amusing, but probably not ideal.

The re-scaling and new attachment points fix most of the problems with the part. It would still be great to have a 2.5m inline part, like the Science Lab, but it's much more usable now.

[ModZero]

I kinda love the design of the refinery, but it kinda looks more like something built locally than shipped from space. What I'd love would be a radial part for processing plus resource acquisition attachments (so scoops like the ones we have, and some drills for mining, for example).

[ModZero]

Certainly dumping the coolant would impart some force on the craft, but not much and this could be reduced depending on the method of its release. Either way, it would reduce the heat energy of the craft somewhat.

The problem is, unless you eject it with some force and/or accelerate away, it's going to keep floating around - which is what I meant with the fireflies reference. Of course it could be a reasonable gameplay decision to ignore both effects.

[forsaken1111]

The problem is, unless you eject it with some force and/or accelerate away, it's going to keep floating around - which is what I meant with the fireflies reference. Of course it could be a reasonable gameplay decision to ignore both effects.

You could eject it with a small amount of force from two points on opposite sides of the craft to avoid imparting any momentum to the ship. Really though the force of ejecting the fluid wouldn't be worth modeling it woul dbe so low and you're right that both effects can be safely ignored for gameplay considerations.

[Konnor]

Is Vessel Orbital Information Display sufficient for that? Trying to avoid more part mods, even if KER only has one or two

It should be sufficient, there was a screenshot with KER window two or three pages ago.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Konnor

[zzz]

It would still be great to have a 2.5m inline part, like the Science Lab

I agree, it's not very good as part and most of the time looks out of place. But I do not make anything anymore, maybe some one else can make something more appropriate. And maybe remade termal nozzle to something better.

Also, termal jet now use gigant torch FX instead of jet FX and make very annoying skirr(?).

[Rassyu]

So i have been having some trouble installing the mod, i follow the instructions and it see the parts and all but my game crashes as soon as i leave the space center.

Any idea why this is happening???

[Domfluff]

But I do not make anything anymore

That's sad to hear - your models have been fantastic (the radiators in particular are perfect). Thank you for the parts!

[CleverLikeMe]

So, generator efficiency.

I have a KTEC solid state generator, 3.75m, on a tier 1 3.75m fission reactor (uranium) in low kerbin orbit, with 12 graphene huge deployable radiators (way overkill), and I'm getting 15% efficiency on my generator. Is this normal?

Note that when I hit orbit, I get a much more reasonable efficiency, but it rapidly drops off. Right now, with this particular station, after time warp till the output stabilized, I'm only putting out 400MW

[ModZero]

You could eject it with a small amount of force from two points on opposite sides of the craft to avoid imparting any momentum to the ship. Really though the force of ejecting the fluid wouldn't be worth modeling it woul dbe so low and you're right that both effects can be safely ignored for gameplay considerations.

So, let's heat some water from the right side of 0 to 373 degrees at 22MPa (so that it stays liquid, but not supercritical. BTW, 22MPa is quite a bit - 218atm). That takes, um, ~~ 17 × caloric energy consumed by Michael Phelps per day when training for the Olympics (also known as 695MJ, also known as, afair, a bit over 1s of your reactor's output).

How much water are you planning to pack? At least that's less that the core temperature, though. Because in case of smaller craft the problem becomes "how to heat that water up". And yes, there are (at least theoretical) systems that use liquid metal.

[DerekL1963]

Earlier I placed 3 satellites in a 1000 km orbit over Kerbin. I made sure they were 120 degrees apart (not exactly, but +-1 or less), made their AP and PE very close (and of course, they were in circular, equatorial orbits). Then I made small burns so that they all appeared to have the exact same orbital period, down to the second, as reported by MechJeb (I didn't put engineer on these ships, though I will during the relaunch if that is recommended).

sarbian added a couple of digits of precision to orbital period in today's MJ dev build FWIW.

All was well, and during standard warping everything worked fine, but during a transfer to Jool, everything, once again, got all wonky and one of my satellites noticeably drifted, because, I'm guessing, MechJeb is limited to reporting orbital period by the second and maybe it's not accurate for this purpose? I couldn't figure a way to get the semi-major axis to display, so I haven't matched those.

All constellations drift eventually, it's just a question of when and how fast. I just use Kerbal Alarm Clock and schedule constellation maintenance every few months. You can display the semi-major axis by editing the orbital information window. matching the sem-major down to millionths of part is theoretically possible but... I just schedule constellation maintenance.

[Hremsfeld]

When you're trying to get e-6 level precision, you're really better off just opening your persistence.sfs, setting the constellation's eccentricities to 0, and not controlling them again.

[roxedboxer]

Why am I only able to get tiny amounts of thrust with the plasme thrusters?

[Domfluff]

Why am I only able to get tiny amounts of thrust with the plasme thrusters?

Are you putting tiny amounts of power into them?

As in present reality, we can build plasma thrusters, but they don't really offer many benefits (or even any benefits at all) over ion engines until you also provide them with a sufficiently large power source.

Feed the same plasma thruster an antimatter reactor, and it's practically possible to build a single-stage-to-anywhere.

[Shad0wCatcher]

For a nice little example. Using 9x 1.25 Fusion Generators powered by He3 with Direct Conversion Generators and 1x 1.25 plasma thruster (un-upgraded); 3x Medium Graphene Radiators; and Stretchy Tanks + Real Fuels w/ a balloon stretchy filled with Xenon and 3x Lithium containers gives you a nice 7-8ish kM dV (2800 from Lithium; ~4500 from the Xenon) Vessel that weighs 33.6 tons. Lithium provides ~108.8 kN of thrust at 0.33 repeating TWR. And when things need to get done in a hurry the Xenon provides 1.25 TWR (kicking up to 1.80ish when close to empty). In total the generators produce about 4.02 GW of power (yes, gigawatts; that's the kind of power you need to efficiently [time-wise; so you don't die of old age before your burns complete] run plasma thrusters). Once you get antimatter going though it's a matter of getting a Production station up and going in HKO and/or Jool and going to town.