Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

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Kenosos
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by Kenosos »

MBas wrote: Fri Nov 01, 2024 4:27 pm
T-nm wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 5:47 pm Interesting mechanics used there, do you mind sharing your bp of this ship?
There are couple of issues i need to fix first before I public something like that. I dont like sharing something which is not done :D

Neuclear support should have 2 steam tanks, not one. So one fuel is consumed into steam and much less is lost during coooling.
Did you ever manage to fix your issues? Your posts have been really helpful for making platforms but i've still been struggling to get to Aquilo and was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing yours so I can understand how it works from someone smarter than me haha. Thanks
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DragonRT
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by DragonRT »

This ship should get you to Aquillo (I can't be 100% sure because it was many game hours ago but I think it is the correct Blueprint)



It doesn't use the fuel regulation system.
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DragonRT
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by DragonRT »

This ship DOES use fuel regulation, a much later version of the previous ship :)

It makes it's own ammo and is pretty much self sufficient with the exception of the nuclear power cannisters needed.
It is still a bit of a work in progress.

NOTE: May contain spoilers of course.

It can get to Aquilo and back with no problem at all. It does use technologies from Aquillo tho.

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SuicideJunkie
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by SuicideJunkie »

I've just been using an extra tank and pumping when fluid < 180 (adjusted by constant for convenience).
The engines fill while the ship is idle so they get a hearty jump start on any transits, and then quickly ramp back to the natural flow restriction of the 180/25000 fluid level.
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bohant
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by bohant »

It took me a while to actually understand how the original BP from MBas works. It's pretty cool, I think it was pretty clever to only limit half of engines per respective fluid to save some space, I didn't think about it myself at all. In the process I came up with my own implementation that achieves the same result and with the same amount of combinators. Posting it here in case someone is interested and finds it easier to follow the logic inside.

The input parameters are basically the same.

Image

Also requires the green wire connection from the hub to any of the top 2 combinator inputs and having "moving from" and "moving to" checked. Has the same issue with the initial start.

Layout


Last edited by bohant on Wed Dec 25, 2024 3:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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davcrt
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by davcrt »

Hello,

tnx for this awesome design. I have a few questions on how to apply it properly to my platform. The platform in the screenshot has 5 stacks of 14 legendary engines, and I'm lost on what defines as a "engine wing" in this case?

Fuel is provided by 8 + 8 leg. pumps (7 is needed, but just in case) with total pumping speed of 24k/s per component. Due to the extreme length of the ship, I also require another set of pumps (4 + 4) between 3rd and 4th stack of engines, but this shouldn't mess with flow rate or?

So far, my best attempt at getting linear response in pumping speed from changing value C is to set E at 7 and actual pump. speed will be 3 times the value of signal C. (Is the correct value for E, roughly 2,3 ?) Is this the best way considering my setup or am I doing something horribly wrong?

[img][/427520_285.jpg]
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adam_bise
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by adam_bise »

Thanks for this. Clever design!
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ZlovreD
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by ZlovreD »

Just another tested concept...
изображение.png
изображение.png (2.89 MiB) Viewed 1107 times
Speed: 275km/s
Weight: 925t
Trust: 1.4Gn

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MrFaul
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by MrFaul »

Uhm...
Just use a tank behind the pump to measure the fuel level.
Then set the pump(s if its a bigger ship, still only one tank to measure) to turn of at the desired % of 1k.
Then make a test flight to dial in offset for the sweet spot of your ship and your good to go.

This is a self regulating system due to how fluids work.
This will fill up the engines when parked which gives a nice initial kick when setting off to a new journey.
(If you don't want this use a combinator to only pump while speed > 0. You can make a "and condition" or add 1k fuel to the wire)


Absolutely no need to use any sort of combinator tomfoolery, that's overthinking it...
The strange German dude
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RocketSurgin
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by RocketSurgin »

Thanks for creating this, I've ben using it quite a bit and it seems to really help.

That being said, I've been trying to understand exactly how it works, mostly because I'm building a massive ship with 250+ thrusters and I'm trying to adapt this solution to work with it. One thing I've found particularly vexing is where the "F" constant is being used, because I don't see it being used anywhere at all, except for the declaration and assignment of it in the constant combinator. I do, however, see that one of the arithmetic combinators performs the operation T % 1.2k, and the 1.2k is set as a constant. I was thinking it's not a coincidence that the value of F for one common quality pump is also 1.2k, so I was thinking this is actually where the F value should be used, but for some reason it's not.

So, I was wondering if you could help me out with this, as my ship is going to have multiple thruster assemblies, but all of them will be connected to a single constant combinator which holds the values of E, C, and F, and I don't want to have to manually change the value in that arithmetic combinator for each assembly when needed.

Thanks!
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Zazinator
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Re: Fuel consumption control for thrusters in Space Age

Post by Zazinator »

LeeWhite187 wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2024 12:01 pm This is a genius design choice.
I was experimenting with engine count vs platform-mass to reduce consumption, but couldn't find a saddle-point.
But your idea to modulate fuel, is key for this game mechanic. Good job!
I've converted a long-hauler to leverage it, and am doing "sea-trials" before I find out if it's the missing ingredient to reach past the solar-edge.
Well done!
Here's my current hauler... bug me if anyone wants the blueprint to save time.
Image
Would you mind sending me the blueprint for this?
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