VASIMER Engine

[DJRWolf]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VASIMR

Thought this one would be nice.

[vexx32]

To what end?

[SirusKing]

Try googling "KSP VASIMR". There are MANY request theads on the VASIMR* engine, and it is usually just awnsered with "go check out this addon which has them" >.>

[Themohawkninja]

How could you possibly balance such an engine? The whole concept IIRC allows you to go from something with super-low thrust and super-high ISP (like the ion engine, but better), to something like that of a chemical rocket (if not more thrust).

How would this work as well? The system isn't binary like the SABRE engine, so you would have to have a slider of some sort to control the ISP/thrust ratio.

[pyrosheep]

if implemented now VASIMR would just be a less efficient ION engine.

if you wanted to implement it with the thrust/ISP changing properties you would have to bring in high density power sources like nuclear reactors (probably with radiators too), which i think is getting a bit complex for stock parts.

[Captain Sierra]

You want VASIMRs and the like, go get Near Future Propulsion. It fits nicely with stock, it isn't as sci-fi as Interstellar, and it handles the whole concept well. This is something that probably won't even get considered for the stock game until we have multiple star systems. Until then, NFP is hands down, the best way to get these.

[DJRWolf]

Try googling "KSP VASIMR". There are MANY request theads on the VASIMR* engine...

I did check the "Already requested" threads and did not see it.

It is a kind of ion engine that has more thrust for the fuel it uses by using more energy to run. Some of the latest one have 200kW power levels. Many current ion engines are less then 10kW. This type of high-end electric engine is a great way to do long range outer solar system exploration that can visit several destinations in one trip.

[Nuke]

the point of vasmir is that you can trade isp for thrust when needed. way id implement this is to have isp go down as you throttle up. so at lower settings, you get isp up the wazoo, but at higher throttle settings you are just spewing gas. power consumption will probibly be high at all levels of thrust, or it might have its own curve. we need throttle curves in the same way we have atmospheric curves and velocity curves, with isp and thrust as parameters (and possibly fuel ratio).

obviously you would use the high thrust mode when there is a small window in which to perform a burn, the rest of the time you would save your propellant and go it slow.

Edited January 4, 2014 by Nuke