ION Fix

[Keymaster89]

i think IONs are ok, they do what they are supposed to do very well... but i played career mode only, and i never actually used them for anything as super light ships looks useless to me (i could be wrong)

I think that an arrey version of ION could be beneficial, something like a 5 ions in 1 solution:

PB-ION Arrey

small sized ION engine with 2.5kN trust, 1.25t mass, Isp around 4000, 65 e/s, TWR still 0.2, xenon 0.625 x/s

It will look like 4 ions in a square pattern + one in the middle, all insulated in a yellow colored circular smooth cover.

It will have the same trust, mass and TWR of 5 ions.

It will have a lower Isp and a bit more xenon consumption (0.025x/s more), but a really good energy efficiency using only 64,989 e/s instead of 72.21 e/s of 5 single ions, making us save the 4th gigantor solar and lots of struts, girders, adapters to place 5 ions in place, saving precious tons in this compact solution.

This prototipe could also allow to make ions a really more viable engine for light ship in addition to ultra light

[Red Iron Crown]

small sized ION engine with 2.5kN trust, 1.25t mass, Isp around 4000, 65 e/s, TWR still 0.2, xenon 0.625 x/s

The specs you've given produce a TWR of 2, not 0.2. To keep it at 0.2 you'd have to increase mass, reduce thrust, or both.

Edit: This is not right at all.

Edited March 14, 2014 by Red Iron Crown
I need coffee.

[Keymaster89]

The specs you've given produce a TWR of 2, not 0.2. To keep it at 0.2 you'd have to increase mass, reduce thrust, or both.

I just multiplied the ion value by 5...

Trust weight rateo= trust / (mass * G)

for ions = 0.5 / (0.25 * 9.81) = 0.5 / 2.4525 = 0.2038

for arrey = 2.5 / (1.25 * 9.81) = 2.5 / 12.2625 = 0.2038

it's the same... or i'm doing something wrong?

[Red Iron Crown]

Herp derp, I forgot g. You're absolutely right.

[Hurry- Starfish!]

It kinda irks me how the ion parts are rather insultingly placed under "Utility" instead of "Propulsion".

[Red Iron Crown]

Good news is that apparently the ion is getting a boost in the NASA ARM update.

[vger]

Good news is that apparently the ion is getting a boost in the NASA ARM update.

Yep, I heard this too in the Twitch talk last night. For those who think the Ion engines are too boring... the devs agree.

[architeuthis]

I'd like it so NERVA's actually use nuclear fuel, and also there was a nuclear generator in the game (for generating electricity by using a fuel).

+1 for space nuclear reactors, though to make them interesting I'd think there would need to be more power hungry components, and a waste heat dynamic.

Regarding fuel for the LV-N, I don't think it's really very necessary. The NERVA 2 was expected to be good for close to a hundred restarts before neutron poisons accumulated to the point that the reactor would need to be replaced. In KSP terms that is dozens of missions for a single vehicle. Practically speaking a lot of other parts on your atomic rocket will need to be replaced before then. Ditto for RTGs. Plutonium 238 has a ninety year half life, solar panels degrade much faster than that. A typical solar panel may loose half of its power generation capacity in 15 years.