Very Limited ISRU- Laythe and Oxidizer only.

[KerikBalm]

At the moment, there is no need to make extensive mods to do ISRU.

I propose we add a system that consumes IntakeAir and produces oxidizer.

Example:

TechRequired = automation

entryCost = 8200

cost = 40000

category = Utility

subcategory = 0

title = ISRU Gas Condensor

manufacturer = Kerboplanetary Resources Inc.

description = A compressor and refrigeration unit capable of fractional distillation of liquified air. Can produce liquid oxygen (oxidizer) with access to air containing oxygen.

attachRules = 1,0,1,1,1

mass = 32

dragModelType = default

maximum_drag = 0.2

minimum_drag = 0.3

angularDrag = 2

crashTolerance = 6

breakingForce = 200

breakingTorque = 200

maxTemp = 2900

vesselType = Ship

MODULE

{

name = ModuleEngines

thrustVectorTransformName = thrustTransform

exhaustDamage = True

ignitionThreshold = 0.1

minThrust = 0

maxThrust = 1

heatProduction = 600

useVelocityCurve = True

fxOffset = 0, 0, 1.6

PROPELLANT

{

name = ElectricCharge

ratio = 100

DrawGauge = True

}

PROPELLANT

{

name = IntakeAir

ratio = 0.1

}

atmosphereCurve

{

key = 0 1000

}

velocityCurve

{

key = 10 0 0 0

key = 5 0.2 0 0

key = 0 1 0 0

}

}

MODULE

{

name = ModuleAlternator

RESOURCE

{

name = Oxidizer

rate = 500.0

}

}

RESOURCE

{

name = ElectricCharge

amount = 100

maxAmount = 100

isTweakable = false

hideFlow = true

}

RESOURCE

{

name = IntakeAir

amount = 10

maxAmount = 100

isTweakable = false

hideFlow = true

}

RESOURCE

{

name = Oxidizer

amount = 10

maxAmount = 100

isTweakable = false

hideFlow = true

}

}

The *only* problem I see, is that it would allow you to do ISRU on Kerbin, and sell oxidizer for funds... but with and end game tech unlock, and given that oxidizer is much cheaper than liquid fuel, I wouldn't worry about it.

No major changes are needed:

Intake air supplies the resource for a weak engine.

That weak engine has a velocity curve such that it only works when stationary (well in this case <10 m/s)

The engine alternator produces oxidizer.

I would even be temped to add one for Xenon gas, and have it use "IntakeAtmosphere" (no check for oxygen)... but I don't think there is such a need for ISRU for Xenon.

It wouldn't be game breaking, it would only allow ISRU on Laythe, and you'd still need to take liquid fuel (both to react with oxidizer, and to lift the oxidizer up from Laythe orbit).

Thoughts?

[Beale]

At the moment, there is no need to make extensive mods to do ISRU.

I propose we add a system that consumes IntakeAir and produces oxidizer.

Example:

TechRequired = automation

entryCost = 8200

cost = 40000

category = Utility

subcategory = 0

title = ISRU Gas Condensor

manufacturer = Kerboplanetary Resources Inc.

description = A compressor and refrigeration unit capable of fractional distillation of liquified air. Can produce liquid oxygen (oxidizer) with access to air containing oxygen.

attachRules = 1,0,1,1,1

mass = 32

dragModelType = default

maximum_drag = 0.2

minimum_drag = 0.3

angularDrag = 2

crashTolerance = 6

breakingForce = 200

breakingTorque = 200

maxTemp = 2900

vesselType = Ship

MODULE

{

name = ModuleEngines

thrustVectorTransformName = thrustTransform

exhaustDamage = True

ignitionThreshold = 0.1

minThrust = 0

maxThrust = 1

heatProduction = 600

useVelocityCurve = True

fxOffset = 0, 0, 1.6

PROPELLANT

{

name = ElectricCharge

ratio = 100

DrawGauge = True

}

PROPELLANT

{

name = IntakeAir

ratio = 0.1

}

atmosphereCurve

{

key = 0 1000

}

velocityCurve

{

key = 10 0 0 0

key = 5 0.2 0 0

key = 0 1 0 0

}

}

MODULE

{

name = ModuleAlternator

RESOURCE

{

name = Oxidizer

rate = 500.0

}

}

RESOURCE

{

name = ElectricCharge

amount = 100

maxAmount = 100

isTweakable = false

hideFlow = true

}

RESOURCE

{

name = IntakeAir

amount = 10

maxAmount = 100

isTweakable = false

hideFlow = true

}

RESOURCE

{

name = Oxidizer

amount = 10

maxAmount = 100

isTweakable = false

hideFlow = true

}

}

The *only* problem I see, is that it would allow you to do ISRU on Kerbin, and sell oxidizer for funds... but with and end game tech unlock, and given that oxidizer is much cheaper than liquid fuel, I wouldn't worry about it.

No major changes are needed:

Intake air supplies the resource for a weak engine.

That weak engine has a velocity curve such that it only works when stationary (well in this case <10 m/s)

The engine alternator produces oxidizer.

I would even be temped to add one for Xenon gas, and have it use "IntakeAtmosphere" (no check for oxygen)... but I don't think there is such a need for ISRU for Xenon.

It wouldn't be game breaking, it would only allow ISRU on Laythe, and you'd still need to take liquid fuel (both to react with oxidizer, and to lift the oxidizer up from Laythe orbit).

Thoughts?

There is a setup very similar to this in my own mod, although it is more geared towrads fund generation than creating actual usable resources (Xenon sells for a good price!).

Basically a small unit for extracting atmospheric Xenon

There is an issue that alternators only work outside of timewarp, meaning unless resource output is fast, it would be painful to sit for hours and collect (But a rate of 500 is really fast).

You could instead use the same moduleGenerator as the RTG uses, but require IntakeAir as an input resource.

MODULE
{
	name = ModuleGenerator
	isAlwaysActive = false
	INPUT_RESOURCE
	{
	   name = ElectricCharge
	   rate = 6
	}	
	INPUT_RESOURCE
	{
	   name = IntakeAir
	   rate = 1.5
	}
	OUTPUT_RESOURCE
	{
	   name = XenonGas
	   rate = 1
	}
}

The only other thing is, Oxidizer alone isn't much use without LiquidFuel, so you'd need someway to generate that, for full "playable" ISRU.

Also 32 tons is like, really heavy, man.

If you dislike the large ISRU mods out there, you can use ORS and cook up your own, it's what I did, and you only need to make a few parts (Drill, tank, converter)

Edited September 27, 2014 by Beale

[KerikBalm]

Interesting, I didn't know you could specify an input resource for RTGs and such.

Just ot be sure - that is an unused stock feature, and not something added by a mod?

"Also 32 tons is like, really heavy, man."

We don't want to make ISRU too trivial, do we? Its less than an orange tank...

Maybe only 16 tons, it shouldn't be that hard to make a glorified air compressor and refrigeration unit.

"The only other thing is, Oxidizer alone isn't much use without LiquidFuel, so you'd need someway to generate that, for full "playable" ISRU."

Well, yea, hence the "limited ISRU"

Liquid fuel is only 0.9/(0.9/1.1) * 100% = 45% of the total fuel weight for rocket fuel in the game.

Bring a bunch of liquid fuel to laythe orbit... take a nearly empty tank down with a bit lof liquid fuel for the jet engines and orbital insertin burn, fill er up with oxidizer, lift it back to orbit, mainly using the jet engines which are ridiculously efficient (like 19,000 ISP), and in stock are sufficient to get you to laythe orbit on their own.

Dock with your craft, and you've now got a lot more fuel than you actually brought -> head out to the other moons of Jool to do the jool 5 challenge or something like that. I'm not sure it would actually help go farther... only Eeloo lies beyond Jool's orbit, and transfer windows from jool are not very often. Also I'm not sure how much you loose in oberth effect by not doing it as a single burn.... but... it could still be a fun game mechanic without going full ISRU like Kethane and Interstellar.