NuclearFuel - Makes stock LV-N and RTG more realistic [16/12/13]

[CaptRobau]

NuclearFuel is a mod that changes the way the nuclear parts (the LV-N and the RTG) work. It introduces a new resource, which simulates the radioactive decay that powers the real-life version of these nuclear parts. This gives both parts a limited lifespan, which were real-life drawbacks of the technology, introducing an extra challenge to the game.

Parts:

RTG

Like the Pioneer and Voyager probes, the RTG will now eventually run out of electricity-producing radioactivity. It doesn’t represent the declining power output that real-life RTGs have, because that’s impossible without a plugin, but it does gives the part a limited lifespan. An RTG will now produce power for 8 in-game years (or 2920 days).

LV-N Atomic Motor

The LV-N differs from the RTG in that it doesn’t decay over time. Its nuclear reactor is more complex. Only when the engine is firing does the NuclearFuel start to deplete, the rate of which is based on the throttle. In return, the LV-N now outputs three times as much (15 e/s) ElectricalCharge at full throttle. The engine has enough NuclearFuel to make ten round-trips to the Mun, a performance similar to those of a planned real-life nuclear thermal rocket (the LANTR to be specific).

Download:

DropBox mirror

License:

[mwlue]

first in, and cool!

[czokletmuss]

Why no more views? This looks great!

[CaptRobau]

Don't know Only thing you can do to fix this is refresh this thread every minute for a day

[123nick]

wasnt there something like this in modular fuel systems?

[TimMartland]

Cool, but NuclearFuel should be stored in tanks for the ARM.

[CaptRobau]

ARM? Also the NuclearFuel represents the decaying radioactive isotopes in the reactor rather than the fuel rods themselves. Fuel rods stay about the same weight, it's just the radioactive energy from them is depleted. As such NuclearFuel has no weight, like ElectricalCharge.

[Gojira]

What about multiple RTGs?

[CaptRobau]

I only do CFG edits, but hoojiwana has the Power Generation mod that adds a lot of RTGs. I could ModuleManager an addon that adds NuclearFuel to those RTG, once I have some more time on my hands.

[Gojira]

I only do CFG edits, but hoojiwana has the Power Generation mod that adds a lot of RTGs. I could ModuleManager an addon that adds NuclearFuel to those RTG, once I have some more time on my hands.

I use Hoojiwana's mod, but what I meant was what about stacking RTGs? How would we set it up to use stacks, would we just change the flow option?

[CaptRobau]

At the moment NuclearFuel doesn't flow or transfer. RTGs can't be turned on and off IRL, so that's why I didn't design 'em that way. You can do easily change that though. Just find NuclearFuel.cfg and change

flowMode = NO_FLOW

transfer = NONE

to

flowMode = ALL_VESSEL

transfer = PUMP

[makinyashikino]

I like the whole, no "reusable Nuclear engine" thing. It makes reliance on nuclear engines much more difficult.

[ZAIZAI]

At the moment NuclearFuel doesn't flow or transfer. RTGs can't be turned on and off IRL, so that's why I didn't design 'em that way. You can do easily change that though. Just find NuclearFuel.cfg and change

flowMode = NO_FLOW

transfer = NONE

to

flowMode = ALL_VESSEL

transfer = PUMP

Well, thanks for that!

I had to send my 175 tons of interplanetary explorer, dry weight and with empty reactors and reactor fuel pods to be able to achieve orbit. I managed to get it half fuelled with liquids and was about to transfer first load of nuclear fuels when...well I couldn't! Seems the nuclear rockets and reactors work fine without nuclear fuels (!?) but it kind of beats the purpose.

Of and it took about 8-10 launches, and in the end Jebediah had to pilot the beast in order for me to reach a stable orbit with the beast.

[ZAIZAI]

Oh and the file is "ResourceNuclear.cfg"...