Autonomous Experimental staging.

[kidolvski]

This is just a quick side project I made:

Autonomous X-Staging.

It basicly consists of two experiments,

The first being the staging method, I thought I could come up with something even more efficient than asparagus staging and I think I made that happen.

The second being the usage of my keyboard's macro keys' record function, it still has plenty of bugs but I may try to eliminate them and ultimately fly an autonomous münar landing mission.

Let me know what you think and enjoy.

Craft file: http://www./view/y3o6veyu479c0l4/AutoOrbiter_II.craft

http://www.twitch.tv/eshox_ilegend/b/541131097

[lunait]

Cool use of staging! I think you could make it even lighter though, by only using one sepratron per "stage" instead of two.

EDIT: Like this:

Edited June 23, 2014 by lunait

[Darnok]

If you compare weight of separatrons and decouplers to empty tank is it worth it?

[kidolvski]

2*sepratron I + TR-18A Decoupler + Cubic Octagonal Strut = 2*0,0725 + 0,05 + 0,001 = 0,196

FL-T400 Fuel Tank = 0,25

So it is worth it, but I think the efficiency is more noticable when using larger and heavier tanks.

[Khobai]

The problem I see with this kindve staging is part count. Whats great about asparagus staging is the relatively low part count. So even though you might lose some fuel efficiency you dont lose as much framerate.

[lunait]

Even though this is a stock craft thread, mods can help in investigation, so I applied Kerbal Engineer Redux to see if there is actually any gain in dV when using this method compared to normal asparagus staging. This is the result. If you want to verify that my craft are indeed identical apart from the extra staging, you can click on the images below to see the craft that each dV table represents. You can also download each craft file if you wish to compare them in detail (or use them for other purposes - feel free to do so! I'm quite pleased with the Mün lander on top of the launch stage).

The circled red number is the last stage in the launch system, the stage that circularizes the orbit. In order to minimize extra weight, I used only one sepratron per stage, and used the 0.625m stack separators. (Also note that I'm using FAR, so my dV to orbit is a bit lower than would be expected for an entirely stock game.)

With experimental staging (link to craft file):

Identical craft but with asparagus staging (link to craft file):

So, it would seem that there is a small gain in dV, but at the cost of added complexity and parts. Perhaps someone could get a higher gain than I did, though. This is a relatively small craft, so as kidolvski said earlier, I think the gain would be higher with larger crafts. Anyway, I think it's a cool staging method!

Edited June 24, 2014 by lunait

[KvickFlygarn87]

2*sepratron I + TR-18A Decoupler + Cubic Octagonal Strut = 2*0,0725 + 0,05 + 0,001 = 0,196

FL-T400 Fuel Tank = 0,25

So it is worth it, but I think the efficiency is more noticable when using larger and heavier tanks.

Actually, struts don't affect, well, anything

[The Destroyer]

Neat. I've seen this before though... someone said it was... hmm, I forget what kind of staging?

[NKL]

This kind is good with far because of the way the rocket look like(more aerodynamic). Otherwise you could simply put some orange tank on the side without rocket engine with the only purpose of being tank and stage them when they are empty.

The mass cost of one decoupler is really low.

[Red Iron Crown]

Seems to me like you could radially mount the engines on the upper tanks with cubocts and have the lower tanks staged away normally; that would give the same benefit of dropping tanks as soon as they're empty without needing sepratrons or risking collisions.

It would definitely not look as good, though.

[kidolvski]

That's actually quite a good idea, a lot can be improved on this design and I'll definetly look into it.

[Lohan2008]

That sure is a lot of littering...

[Navy2k]

Its basically a modified droptank staging. Seperatons allow you to drop the topmost tank instead of the lowest tank, so you could mount the engines on the droptanks instead of on top radially or stacked in the center stage.

But it looks very neat =)

Greetings

Ben

[Red Iron Crown]

If you follow this through to its logical extreme, you eventually realize that it's more efficient to drop tanks singly instead of two at a time. Pretty soon you end up with twisted candle staging.

[kidolvski]

http://www.twitch.tv/eshox_ilegend/b/541387378

V2 with the radial mounted engines suggested above.