Fully automated rocket launcher

[Sturm58]

Hi guys. After countless hours I was able to fully automate my rocket launcher.

Here is a general description of how it works: 

I have 4 main components:

• water-clock that counts time from when the rocket is ready to start to when it is back in the dock. For me that's 46kg water-clock time.
• Rocket starting indicator - this module is on a 75 sec timer. It will be active when the rocket is ready and stay active for that 75 sec.
• Rocket is docking indicator - this module is activated when the water-clock hits the target. It will stay active for 100 sec.

Both indicators will make the Gantry close and dock door open when active.

• Rocket is not in dock indicator. This part is only active when a rocket is not docked (that is - it is starting, in space or landing). It is activated when a rocket is ready to start and reset when it bunker door start to close after landing.

There are also two additional modules for steam generation and steam capture that are active when rocket is docked. Those are not esential to the build and can be skipped.

This works perfectly but you will need to calibrate the water-clock first. It is activated when the rocket is ready to start by closing the water-clock trap door and starting the pump. When the rocket lands it will open the door and stop the pump again.

Or gate on top of th screen can be ignored. I forgot to delete it.

Hope this helps - regards

Automation - no rocket in dock:

Automation - rocket docked:

No rocket docked:

Rocket docked:

Water and cooling system:

Vent system:

[Miravlix]

I link the "ready to launch" cockpit output to the doors and not gate+filter to the gangways. I could link the doors to an AND linked to "not meteor shower sensor", to avoid launching during meteor showers, but I didn't bother. "Rocket is landing Sensor" is linked to the doors/gangway system.

 

Not sure the Enable/Disable does anything, since it launch the rocket no matter if it's off or on.

 

I build my rocket launch pads in space, because I feel it's stupid to fight with all the heat generated by the rocket, so let the vacuum eat it.

 

To avoid loosing a jet suits or atmo suit during the rocket trip, I build a launch tower between two launch pads, with the doors to the rockets only allowing the pilot for that rocket to pass through, since the game makes the pilot live in the rocket except for a pee trip on return, I exclude them from access to the jet suits.

 

I think that is all my automation.

[Sturm58]

I was hoping to get some of the heat and steam back from the rocket but it's not worth it. I would build this in space directly next time. I have also already scrapped the "steam capture module".

[Craigjw]

Steam capture seems a bit of overkill for how much is generated from the launch.

A better system is to have a 9 tile high heatsink directly underneath the rocket made from obsidian.  The steam thruster won't do much to this, but the solid fuel booster should heat it up a fair amount.

As a backup to ensure the heatsink stays hot, I collect fresh regolith and dump it on the top.  If there are some tempshift plates above the heatsink, the plates will help the heatsink absorb the heat from the regolith.

You would do well to use a loop in the fuel line to your rockets, which feeds back into a storage container.  In future, I would have probably 5 or 6 gas tanks in a vacuum with a flow sensor between the 4th and 5th tank, which detects when the tanks are full of steam and sends an automation signal to a valve to stop producing steam.

[Miravlix]

I use Regolith to create steam, so my steam is 100C and with just access to caremic insulated pipe, the pipes break if the steam isn't flowing, I think tank freezes the temp, but why bother, the pipes around the tank's still breaks and I can't empty them without emptying the tanks.

 

So automation that stop two pumps (because why only pump with half full pipes) and open a pipe that take the content of the pipes into space is my "solution" to cooling steam. I do build the steam room as the "buffer room" under the rocket, but it seems to me the heat is at least 7 tiles from the bottom of the rocket and the heat jumps past my 6 tile steam room. The steam room uncontrollable over pressures, so can't return the pipe content to the room. Think I changed to petro rocket decades of cycles ago and the damn room is still sitting with tons of steam.

[maradyne]

...oh, I thought this topic title meant something else.

[Craigjw]

the rockets have a 9 tile wide deep area that they defecate onto, a nice 8x8 heatsink should do you.

[LTLking]

On 12/31/2018 at 9:57 AM, Craigjw said:

As a backup to ensure the heatsink stays hot, I collect fresh regolith and dump it on the top.  If there are some tempshift plates above the heatsink, the plates will help the heatsink absorb the heat from the regolith.

 

On 12/31/2018 at 6:24 PM, Miravlix said:

I use Regolith to create steam, so my steam is 100C and with just access to caremic insulated pipe, the pipes break if the steam isn't flowing, I think tank freezes the temp, but why bother, the pipes around the tank's still breaks and I can't empty them without emptying the tanks.

At 1 point some time ago I used petroleum from the metal refinery after heated to 250C+ into a 4 tile wide area with metal tiles in between there and water. When petroleum cools down, pump it out back to storage.
You can have it on a constant flow in as the metal refinery doesn't produce consistently. Anything above 200C goes to steam room and any under goes to storage.
Works really good.

However reading here gave me an idea and much easier to setup.
At 1st I poured P-water on to the regolith laying around but eventually it cooled the regolith to much. So I come up with this.


Placement of pumps floors shape etc doesn't matter. Rocket filled up in a matter of minutes. Currently set to 10G/S getting ready for next rocket but you could probably release the water when the rocket gets back. Heat's the water in no time at all.
Currently 30 cycles later. Steam still at 130C+
Open the door when you need to and fresh hot steam at around 180C

So I built a storage and when the rocket says it's full. Open the door. Overflow goes in. Nothing comes out.

However when the rocket come back and after adding a 2nd pump.
I turned up the water to 500G\S. Rocket filled in half cycle.
No need to store anything. Just shut the pumps down and return the steam to the room.
Or down to the base to be cooled for fresh germ free water.

So it just hit me. Everything up in the void heating to much. As much as 180, 200, 250. All your stuff getting damaged from the heat. FLUSH that heat away. Literally. Right out the drain.
Instead of running gas or liquid up and back and use energy to cool it back down. I was thinking run it into open space but why not let that hot water produce something. Run the cold water up and past everything. Then dump it into a room and viola. Steam. Steam to be cooled somewhere else for fresh water, rockets, steam generator. Let the regolith heat up an area to 500 and viola. The perfect steam for the steam gen.