Liquid rover wheels

[Rockyfelle185]

Does this seem like a good idea to you? It does to me, I have built a kerbin jeep with liquid tanks in the engine and fuel wires running below the entire veichle, its also refualable

Liquid running wheels would be good for realistic rovers, and would consume a bit over what ion engine takes from xenon, and would still require electricity, what do you think? WOuld this be good to have ingame?

[Zeroignite]

Do you mean rover engines that consume liquid fuel rather than electricity?

[RatBeer]

no point. Electricity works fine and its infinite

[Mr. Scruffy]

That´s just absurdly unrealistic. Wheeled ground vehicles running on liquid combustion fuel... ?!

Seriously: A combustion engine, just like cars have them, seems sort of, uhem, plausible, too (even if that´s not exactly what the OP meant, i suppose), right? For scaling make it modules of just two cylinders each, with little power, but make them freely combinable. It could have the same fuel needs as jet engines, to keep things simple.

[JakeGrey]

I'm sure it's perfectly feasible in-engine, but I'm not sure how useful it'd be; the only place besides Kerbin where a petrol engine would work at all is Laythe, which hasn't got much in the way of landmass to cover anyway.

A generator module, on the other hand...

[Rockyfelle185]

Do you mean rover engines that consume liquid fuel rather than electricity?

Yes pretty much.

no point. Electricity works fine and its infinite

Thats pretty much like saying "why dont make everything infinite" the game is not supposed to be easy with unlimited and everything, this would add a new challenge to the game.

That´s just absurdly unrealistic. Wheeled ground vehicles running on liquid combustion fuel... ?!

Just like car runs on gas, and if the liquid normal fuel is not fine a new tank could be added with simply gas.

Seriously: A combustion engine, just like cars have them, seems sort of, uhem, plausible, too (even if that´s not exactly what the OP meant, i suppose), right? For scaling make it modules of just two cylinders each, with little power, but make them freely combinable. It could have the same fuel needs as jet engines, to keep things simple.

Thats probably the best idea to do, maybe withut the cylinders since I have a feeling KSP team wont add that

[Alguien]

As JakeGrey said, it won't be very viable unless you take liberties in how it works, and Ratbeer has a point, electricity works in all places, is not about "unlimited" is about "why use this when you have this other thing than works better?". So i am sure SQUAD won't do it

But there is a mod than does it, i think is TouhouTorpedo multiwheels

[maltesh]

At some point, fuel cell parts (that generate electrical energy from rocket fuel) were planned, but they have not yet arrived. I imagine that a liquid fuel/intake air electrical power plant would also be workable.

[allmappedout]

Man, I was totally hoping that this was a suggestion for rover wheels made of liquid. Consider me disappointed.

[MajorSystemError]

Man, I was totally hoping that this was a suggestion for rover wheels made of liquid. Consider me disappointed.

Me too! I was thinking water balloons wrapped around a wheel rim. Consider me disappointed as well.

[TwoHedWlf]

I'm sure it's perfectly feasible in-engine, but I'm not sure how useful it'd be; the only place besides Kerbin where a petrol engine would work at all is Laythe,

Unless it runs off the liquid rocket fuel and oxidizer.

[Bluekommeh]

Internal combustion would not work out of Kerbin and Laythe, and the mechanical conversion from liquid fuel rockets would be amazingly inefficient.

[RatBeer]

Thats pretty much like saying "why dont make everything infinite" the game is not supposed to be easy with unlimited and everything, this would add a new challenge to the game.

Umm that is not at all saying make everything infinite. Electricity is the only resource that should be infinite.

[Ernest3.14]

To be "balanced", it should need an atmosphere with oxygen (Laythe/Kerbin), but be more efficient than electric motors--that's how internal combustion engines are like, IRL.

[TwoHedWlf]

but be more efficient than electric motors--that's how internal combustion engines are like, IRL.

Except internal combustion engines are FAR less efficient than electric motors. Around 20% vs electric engines which are usually over 90%.

[Ernest3.14]

Yes, but electric motors run off batteries, which have less efficiency/energy density than fossil fuels IIRC.

[TwoHedWlf]

Yes, but electric motors run off batteries, which have less efficiency/energy density than fossil fuels IIRC.

Nope, again, good batteries are up around 90% efficiency. Yes, the energy density is much lower, but don't confuse the two.

[Tw1]

Checked out the multiwheels mod? This does a good job of this, if you want to give it a go.

[BenHR]

I just skimmed through this, I hope it hasn't already been said, but why not make liquid fuelled wheels much more powerfull? It's like the rocket rockets vs. the ion engine. Sorta. Sure, electrics would be fine for rovers, but what about whole mobile bases that you want to be able to get from A to B in less than a day?

[AngelLestat]

First.. mechanical engines like cars (otto) are only 22 % of efficient and weight a lot. and when you run out of fuel you will have nothing where to go..

Like many other said, you will also need oxigen in case you are not in laythe or kerbin.

also do not need a lot of batteries, only 1 small is needed to maintain constant current flow. You do not need to have much autonomy, what is the ponit? explore at night? take the kids to see the doctor?

Liquid rovers totally pointless.

[maccollo]

Stick some RTGs on your rovers and they can go so fast they will flip over if you turn to rapidly. I don't see how ICEs could offer any advantage that would outweigh the downsides without seriously nerfing the electric wheels.

[Rockyfelle185]

I just skimmed through this, I hope it hasn't already been said, but why not make liquid fuelled wheels much more powerfull? It's like the rocket rockets vs. the ion engine. Sorta. Sure, electrics would be fine for rovers, but what about whole mobile bases that you want to be able to get from A to B in less than a day?

YES! Exactly what I ment, I built a car allready that has fuel input and tanks below the car floor, its all wired together and would work perfectly if the decided to add this, and since it would give an advantage, its a good thing that its a bit more complicated

[KvickFlygarn87]

Me too! I was thinking water balloons wrapped around a wheel rim. Consider me disappointed as well.

This. Simply this.

[Dunbaratu]

Technically there's no reason it can't work to have liquid-filled tires. In most ways pneumatic and hydraulic physics behave similarly, where a gas behaves like a very runny liquid. But I can't see an advantage to it.

[M5000]

I don't personally think this would be such a good idea.

Before you say anything, let it be known that I am a huge car person, I love cars, I love engines, I love it all.

BUT, this is Kerbal Space Program, not Kerbal Racing Program. Rover wheels are always run on electricity, because internal combustion engines need AIR in addition to fuel to operate. We don't have air (oxygen) on any planet except Kerbin and Laythe. It's just not a thing... Electric wheels work totally fine...