Expanding Horizons: Resizing Fuel Tanks In Ksp

There are a few ways to change the size of your fuel tank in Kerbal Space Program. One way is to unlock wider parts in the tech tree. Another way is to use mods such as Procedural Parts, Procedural Fairings, Procedural Wings, and TweakScale. These mods allow you to increase or decrease the size of your fuel tank, as well as other parts of your ship. Alternatively, you can manually edit the config files for each part to change the fuel capacity. While using smaller fuel tanks can give you more precise control over your fuel amounts, larger tanks can provide benefits such as improved structural stability and better frames.

Using mods like Procedural Parts, Procedural Fairings, Procedural Wings, and TweakScale

Using mods is a great way to change the size of your fuel tanks in KSP. Here are some popular mods and how they can help:

Procedural Parts: This mod allows you to change the size of your fuel tanks by stretching them. It's an expanded version of the old "stretchy tanks" mod and includes more customizable parts. With Procedural Parts, you can also modify structural elements, giving you more control over your spacecraft's design.

Procedural Fairings: This mod is handy for creating proper Apollo-style fairings. It lets you adjust the shape and size of your fairings to better fit your spacecraft's unique design.

Procedural Wings: As the name suggests, this mod focuses on wings. It gives you the ability to tweak wing sizes and shapes, ensuring they perfectly fit your spacecraft. This is especially useful when you need to make minor adjustments to your spacecraft's aerodynamics.

TweakScale: TweakScale is a versatile mod that lets you change the scaling of almost any part in the game. You can use it to resize fuel tanks, making them bigger or smaller as needed. It also allows you to adjust the performance settings of scaled parts, such as ISP, to ensure they function realistically at their new scale.

These mods offer a range of options for customizing fuel tank sizes in KSP. They provide flexibility in spacecraft design, allowing you to create more efficient and aesthetically pleasing vehicles. Remember to review the installation instructions and compatibility requirements for each mod before adding them to your game.

Changing the configuration of the fuel tank

Using Mods:

• Procedural Parts: This mod allows you to change the size of parts, including fuel tanks, in-game. It gives you the flexibility to increase or decrease the size of your fuel tanks using the mouse wheel.
• Procedural Fairings: This mod offers similar functionality to Procedural Parts, enabling you to modify the dimensions of your fuel tanks.
• Procedural Wings: While focused on wings, this mod also provides options for scaling structural parts, which can be beneficial for fuel tank configurations.
• TweakScale: This mod lets you scale non-procedural and stock parts, giving you control over the size and capacity of your fuel tanks.

Asparagus Staging:

This technique involves mounting additional fuel tanks radially and transferring their fuel to a central tank using fuel lines. The outer tanks are drained first and discarded when empty, while the central tank remains full. Asparagus staging can be challenging to implement with very large rockets, as it requires managing the thrust of outer engines to ensure the rest of the rocket can reach orbit.

Adjusting Flow Priority:

If Advanced Tweakables are enabled, fuel tanks will have a "Flow Priority" option. You can control the order in which fuel is drawn from multiple tanks attached to a single engine by adjusting their flow priorities. This allows for more precise control over your rocket's mass distribution as it consumes fuel.

Modifying Config Files:

For those comfortable with editing config files, you can directly change the fuel capacity of specific tanks. This approach gives you precise control over the fuel capacity of your tanks but remember that increasing fuel will also increase weight.

Unlocking Wider Parts:

If you're looking to increase the diameter of your fuel tanks, you may need to unlock wider parts in the tech tree. Progressing through the tech tree can grant access to larger fuel tanks that can accommodate more fuel without increasing part count.

It's important to consider the trade-offs when changing fuel tank configurations. While smaller tanks provide more precise control over fuel amounts, larger tanks can improve structural stability, reduce part count for better performance, and simplify the construction process. Ultimately, the chosen configuration depends on the specific requirements of your mission and the overall design of your spacecraft.

Using fewer large tanks for more structural stability

When building rockets in Kerbal Space Program, fewer large tanks are more structurally stable than more small tanks. This is because the joints between parts in the game are very weak, and fewer large tanks mean fewer joints that can break. This can be addressed with mods such as Kerbal Joint Reinforcement, which make joints stronger, or by using struts to reinforce joints.

However, there are other benefits to using fewer large tanks. For one, fewer parts mean better performance, as each component has its own set of physics calculations. Additionally, using fewer large tanks can make a rocket more stable. This is because using fuel tanks that are equal to or greater than the size of the engine means the ship will be more stable.

There are also benefits to using multiple small tanks over a single large tank. For example, this can be useful for space planes, as it changes how the centre of mass behaves. With a single large tank, the mass will decrease uniformly as fuel is used. With multiple small tanks, the frontmost tank will empty first, and the centre of mass will move towards the back. This can be useful for manoeuvring the craft.

Using a single large tank for a more uniform centre of mass

When building rockets in Kerbal Space Program, it is important to consider the centre of mass, centre of lift, and centre of thrust. The centre of mass should be perfectly aligned with the centre of thrust, and the centre of lift must always be behind the centre of mass.

One way to achieve a more uniform centre of mass is to use a single large tank. This can be done by mounting additional fuel tanks radially and transferring their contents to a central tank using fuel lines. This method, known as asparagus staging, allows outer tanks to be drained first and dropped once empty, while keeping the central tank full.

The "Flow Priority" option in Advanced Tweakables can also be used to control how a rocket's mass distribution changes as it uses fuel. By adjusting the flow priority, players can determine the order in which fuel tanks are emptied, allowing for more precise control over the rocket's centre of mass during flight.

Additionally, the placement of parts can also impact the centre of mass. Using the "Offset" mode in the Vehicle Assembly Building, players can move parts around to adjust their position relative to the centre of mass. This can help ensure that the centre of mass remains aligned with the centre of thrust and that the centre of lift stays behind the centre of mass.

Using smaller tanks to avoid overheating engines

To avoid engine overheating in Kerbal Space Program, it is recommended to use a smaller tank. This can be done by attaching the engine to a smaller tank instead of a larger one, such as the Jumbo-64. For example, if the engine overheats when attached to a Jumbo-64, attaching it to a smaller tank can help dissipate heat more effectively. This is because the engine cooling capacity is based on the number of parts closer to the engine, rather than the volume of fuel in the tank.

Another strategy to prevent engine overheating is to create a small gap between the tank and the engine. This can be achieved by placing an octagonal strut block between the fuel tank and the engine. This method can be particularly effective for the Mainsail engine, which is known for overheating issues.

Additionally, adding RCS thrusters or similar surface-attached parts to the fuel tank above an overheating engine can help absorb excess heat. These parts act as heat sinks and prevent the engine from overheating.

It is worth noting that the use of smaller tanks may require more frequent refuelling, as they carry less fuel than larger tanks. However, this approach can help manage engine temperature and prevent performance issues or explosions caused by overheating.

Overall, by utilising smaller tanks and heat dissipation techniques, players can effectively manage engine temperature and prevent overheating in Kerbal Space Program.

Frequently asked questions