[0.25] Engine Ignitor (Workaround for some bugs V3.4.1: Aug.31)

[NathanKell]

HoneyFox: what about clamping at Unstable or neither stable nor unstable, for full tanks? This would IMO make sense since you have a decent probability of pulling fuel in your first turbopump gulp.

[HoneyFox]

HoneyFox: what about clamping at Unstable or neither stable nor unstable, for full tanks? This would IMO make sense since you have a decent probability of pulling fuel in your first turbopump gulp.

I get your point. but I will not do such hard-coding like clamping to Risky directly), I will try to work it out.

[coldblade2000]

Where could I get some pressurized cryogenic and balloon stretchy tanks? I tried to look at the config but I didn't understand it. Since I'm making an EngineIgnitor config for Real Engines, all the pressure fed LH2/LOX engines are useless unless I pass on the cryogenic tank for one that has less space, weighs more, etc.

[HoneyFox]

Where could I get some pressurized cryogenic and balloon stretchy tanks? I tried to look at the config but I didn't understand it. Since I'm making an EngineIgnitor config for Real Engines, all the pressure fed LH2/LOX engines are useless unless I pass on the cryogenic tank for one that has less space, weighs more, etc.

There's not, but you can create your own by:

copy the current cryogenic/balloon stretchy tanks and rename them,

copy cryogenic/balloon tank types add add "(pressurized)" to the notes (see ServiceModule tank type for reference),

change these new tanks' tank-type to your new tank types.

But personally I don't recommend you to create such tanks, I wonder if such things exist in RL... and I think pressurized tanks (actually they should be bladder tanks) cannot use cryogenic fuel that will boil-off easily.

[NathanKell]

Service Module is the pressurized tank for both regular and cryogenic fuels.

...wait, what pressure-fed hydrolox engines are there!? I'm not aware of any. And there certainly aren't any in RealEngines:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aotgw0qR1h0UdDhRazYxaDNPT0psVnhNNHFIVnZLM3c&usp=drive_web#gid=6

Everything's either staged, gas generator, or expander.

Heck, there aren't even any pressure-fed *kerolox* engines in RealEngines. Just hypergolics.

Edited April 17, 2014 by NathanKell

[coldblade2000]

Oh, wow. I could have sworn there were a lot. Also, you saved me a lot of time with that list.

Edit: However, how can I edit an existing tank to be pressurized, or at least some types of fuels. FASA's LEM engines are pressure fed but the pieces aren't so they don't fire.

[NathanKell]

When you add the ModuleFuelTank module to the fuel tank, give it type=ServiceModule

[mrZonke]

Ellow!

First of all: Love this mod, gives me the shakes some times when the next stage does'nt ignite on the first try

Had alot of fun with this and another mod called smart parts allowing some triggers and stuff allowing automated stage transitions etc...

I have a problem though, not sure whether it's a bug with this wonderful mod or a conflict.

Whenever I use a solid propellant booster, any liquid engines after that will have their thrust vectoring disabled. The "lock gimbal" box still show up if I right click it, but there is no thrust vectoring. If I disable the mod and launch the same rocket, the thrust vectoring works after the SRB stage.

As I said I don't know if it's an issue with this mod or a conflict or something (have'nt tried to recreate it on a fresh vanilla install).

Just thought I'd stop by and tell you about it, tell me if you want more info.

Thanks for an awesome mod!!

Edit:

Ah, found the answer in your tweakable gimbal thread (also an awesome mod ).

Edited May 3, 2014 by mrZonke

[Guest]

Could this mod be updated for the latest RPM release? I've updated everything and while the VesselView works, EI MFD doesn't initialize properly.

[HoneyFox]

Could this mod be updated for the latest RPM release? I've updated everything and while the VesselView works, EI MFD doesn't initialize properly.

EI MFD doesn't work with RPM v0.16?

Can you give some more details on that because I'm still using RPM v0.14 with KSP 0.23.5 and it seems like it's working nominal.

[Guest]

Well, I updated everything, installed as normal (specifically, the VesselView-compatible version), and upon selecting the option in IVA, it tells me that "EI MFD failed to initialize". There's nothing else on screen, I can't control engines from it. Ignitors themselves seem to work, though.

[HoneyFox]

Well, I updated everything, installed as normal (specifically, the VesselView-compatible version), and upon selecting the option in IVA, it tells me that "EI MFD failed to initialize". There's nothing else on screen, I can't control engines from it. Ignitors themselves seem to work, though.

Ok, guess it's because RPM has updated the TextMenu class... which I also used in EI MFD for convenience.

I need to grab the latest version and do a recompile.

[HoneyFox]

Fix for EI MFD in RPM v0.16:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3vmj0ib0gukx47a/EngineIgnitorRPM%20Fix%20for%20RPMv0.16.zip

Replace the dll file with the new one and that's done.

[BombastixderTeutone]

I'm useing RSS and the rescaled F1 cluster engine that Nova-punch provides. Somehow I can't ignite it at the launch pad. It says it needs an external ignition, but don't the launch clamps provide that?`Also I can't attach the launchclamps directly to the engine, is that maybe the problem?

[Benoit Hage]

Greetings.

I'm wondering something about two things in real life. Firstly, can the fuel be unstable inside a tank when the tank is full? Secondly, is it real to have a rocket spining with an engine on? Wouln't it generate variation of pressure inside the chamber and therefor to a combustion instability?

[HoneyFox]

I'm useing RSS and the rescaled F1 cluster engine that Nova-punch provides. Somehow I can't ignite it at the launch pad. It says it needs an external ignition, but don't the launch clamps provide that?`Also I can't attach the launchclamps directly to the engine, is that maybe the problem?

That might be the problem. If the launch clamp is not directly attached to the engine, it has a range limit for igniting engines by checking the engine part's center position (yeah so if the engine is very big it might be too far away even if it doesn't seem to be).

You can always change the engine to be surface-attach-able IMO. Or you can open the Ignitor_Stock.cfg and adjust the launch-clamp's ignitor range to a bigger value (unit is meter).

[HoneyFox]

Greetings.

I'm wondering something about two things in real life. Firstly, can the fuel be unstable inside a tank when the tank is full? Secondly, is it real to have a rocket spining with an engine on? Wouln't it generate variation of pressure inside the chamber and therefor to a combustion instability?

AFAIK a liquid fuel tank is never really full. There will be some ullage there for fuel to boil (especially for those cryogenic fuels) and/or to avoid exceeded pressure inside the tank. But yes when the fuel tank is relatively full, the fuel flow will be less likely to be unstable.

I don't know if there is any liquid-fueled engine specialized to be running with fast spin in RL. In normal cases this should be avoided or fuel will be sticking on the side of the fuel tank instead of the bottom of it. And you talked about the instability inside the combustion chamber, I wonder what would happen to it because IIRC there're some engines that has spiral pipes along the chamber wall and injects propellant into the chamber in some sort of vortex pattern.

Edited May 24, 2014 by HoneyFox

[kiwiak]

Im playing with RSS and engine ignitor.

When i want to activate engine during midflight, it shows me that there is not enough electric charge, despite that i have my batteries nearly full. What is the reason for this?

[HoneyFox]

Im playing with RSS and engine ignitor.

When i want to activate engine during midflight, it shows me that there is not enough electric charge, despite that i have my batteries nearly full. What is the reason for this?

http://i.imgur.com/xx3AnOl.png

That "Ignitions: Electric - 0/1" means you can only ignite for once. Have you already ignited this engine before or this is the first attempt but failed?

[rhoark]

Seems pretty weird for an electric ignitor to be good only once, but that seems to be what the majority of engines have with stockalike Real Fuels configs.

[TeeGee]

Shouldn't the rapier rocket engines have ignitors as well?

Edited May 30, 2014 by TeeGee

[TeeGee]

Anybody have advice on how I can add ignitor system to the rapier rocket?

[TeeGee]

Also, I use real fuels in my KSP install and noticed that my 1st stage rocket using liquid H2 and 02 no longer can reignite after I coast to apoapsis. How can I reignite the 1st stage engine to circularize my orbit, is it even possible?

[NathanKell]

Sounds like your fuel situation got stable, with ullage getting down near the pumps. You need to settle your fuels (with RCS or with a short solid burn) before igniting. Also make sure your engine has more than 1 ignition!

[TeeGee]

Sounds like your fuel situation got stable, with ullage getting down near the pumps. You need to settle your fuels (with RCS or with a short solid burn) before igniting. Also make sure your engine has more than 1 ignition!

Yeah I always thrust foward with rcs before reignition to stabilize fuel flow AND the engine has more than 1 hypergolic ignition. I just don't understand why she won't reignite.