Liquid fuel engines and smoke

[0x7be]

In KSP every engine produces smoke in atmosphere. However, in real life liquid fuel engines do not produce much of smoke (or dust) after liftoff and burn cleanly.

I'd like to turn off smoke effect for liquid engines. Is it possible wihout too much of a hacking?

[Spyritdragon]

Liquidfuel is often to ususlly liquid hydrogen. Since the burning of hydrogen with the usual oxidiser, liquid ozygen, generates water, your smoke is likely water that condenses because of rapid depressurisation and cintact with cold upper-atmosphere air. Its also whitr, reinforcing my theory.

[RawChicken]

I dont know any way to turn off smoke. I like it thou

[KerbMav]

It is an old part.cfg from the wiki, but I cannot access my KSP right now. Should be the same or similar though.

// Kerbal Space Program - Part Config
// LV-T45 Liquid Fuel Engine
// 

// --- general parameters ---
name = JetEngine
module = AtmosphericEngine
author = C. Jenkins

// --- asset parameters ---
mesh = model.mu

// --- node definitions ---
node_stack_top = 0.0, 0.7783, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0

[B]// --- FX definitions ---

fx_exhaustLight_blue = 0.0, -0.74338, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, power
fx_smokeTrail_light  = 0.0, -0.74338, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0, power[/B]

[Smidge204]

Well in the game it's "Liquid Fuel" and "Oxidizer" with no indication of what these substances actually are. I agree that Hydrogen+Oxygen would produce pronounced water vapor trails, but real rockets like the Saturn V basically used Kerosene+Oxygen as a fuel for the first stage - though in principle that also would produce only water vapor and CO2 as combustion products.

Since most real rockets leave streaks through much of their flight path, and since it looks great, I enjoy the "smoke" trails!

=Smidge=

[0x7be]

Thanks for hint to FX section.

[lazarus1024]

In KSP every engine produces smoke in atmosphere. However, in real life liquid fuel engines do not produce much of smoke (or dust) after liftoff and burn cleanly.

I'd like to turn off smoke effect for liquid engines. Is it possible wihout too much of a hacking?

Have you seen the Saturn V taking off? RP-1/LOX engines produce plenty of smoke, as do a number of other propellant types, like hydrazine/nitrogen oxide propelled rockets (or at least I think the later does).

Granted, we aren't talking massive smoke plumes miles long on them, but they are not "clean burning" like LH2/LOX powered rocket engines are.

[ZedNova]

Most of the exhaust from LQ Oxygen and Hydrogen rockets is superheated steam.

But we're not using those types of rockets.

[KerbMav]

Thanks for hint to FX section.

Let us know what you did!

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

Erm... Guys you know that it isn't just smoke or exhaust gases that paint the sky but also watercondensation.

Keep that in mind

[FITorion]

Having watched many real world launches... Liquid engines do in fact produce a vapor trail... It gets harder to see the further away but it is there.

Most of the trail seen from Shuttle launches is from the Solids but after those separate the trail of water vapor from the main engines is visible.

[Anton P. Nym]

I think the point is a bit moot, given that Liquid Fuel in KSP is the same for both rockets and jets... and IIRC the jet fuel tanks say right on them that they contain kerosene. Kerosene, or a highly-purified version called Rocket Propellant-1, was commonly used as rocket fuel for ease of storage and low cost. Kerosene does leave smoke when burnt as fuel.

-- Steve

[vencaslac]

on a side note the smoke graphic could use some improvement... it's pretty good as it is and there are quite a few other priorities tbh (mk2 cockpit interior >.< what's taking so long!) but yeah... that's my $0.02

[Arsonik]

on a side note the smoke graphic could use some improvement... it's pretty good as it is and there are quite a few other priorities tbh (mk2 cockpit interior >.< what's taking so long!) but yeah... that's my $0.02

Seconded on that!... I mean come on! Isn't bac9 a developer for SQUAD now? Doesn't he have 2 or 3 IVA's for his mod pack? AFAIK He made that pack for free out of his love for this game... Can't they give the guy like a day or two to make a STOCK IVA? Hell just put the B9 Mk2 IVA in the Stock Mk2 cockpit and I'd be fine with that lol!

[Torham234]

Seconded on that!... I mean come on! Isn't bac9 a developer for SQUAD now? Doesn't he have 2 or 3 IVA's for his mod pack? AFAIK He made that pack for free out of his love for this game... Can't they give the guy like a day or two to make a STOCK IVA? Hell just put the B9 Mk2 IVA in the Stock Mk2 cockpit and I'd be fine with that lol!

Amen to that. His mod IVA's are excellent, it really is a shame to still have a plain placeholder for the Mk2 Cockpit.

PS: Off topic: Why exactly is it so very bad to necro a thread that it needs to be locked immediately? Surely its better to add to the previous conclusions and conversations instead of endlessly recreating the same threads?( like "have you hit something in orbit", witch seems to resurface every week or so...)

Am I just being thick?

[Mr. Entropy]

Pretty sure the Kerbals are actually using RP-1 or something similar instead of LH2. RP-1 a highly refined form of kerosene similar to jet fuel, and considering that jet engines in-game can use both jet fuel and rocket fuel tanks (the game counts both as liquid fuel), they're probably the same thing or at least similar enough.

[Arsonik]

Amen to that. His mod IVA's are excellent, it really is a shame to still have a plain placeholder for the Mk2 Cockpit.

PS: Off topic: Why exactly is it so very bad to necro a thread that it needs to be locked immediately? Surely its better to add to the previous conclusions and conversations instead of endlessly recreating the same threads?( like "have you hit something in orbit", witch seems to resurface every week or so...)

Am I just being thick?

I believe it falls under forum etiquette because it can save face for a lot of people who might not have been in the know in the past, if you will. Say someone contributed to an old topic as a newbie with bad information or something. Months or years go by and they are now much better versed in the game/topic and more well respected. So reviving such an old post could be frustrating for said individuals. Although it can be hilarious for everyone else

This is why they recommend making a new topic and simply providing a link to the old topic if you must. Or that is my view on the subject anyways.

[WafflesToo]

Amen to that. His mod IVA's are excellent, it really is a shame to still have a plain placeholder for the Mk2 Cockpit.

Thirded... or fourth...ed? Anyway, agreed. I'm looking into what it takes to mod IVAs just to fix this issue.

Edited November 7, 2013 by WafflesToo
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