Difference between revisions of "Radiator Panel (edge)"

Latest revision as of 16:07, 19 August 2018

Radiator Panel (edge)
Radiator by Probodobodyne Inc
Radial size		Radial mounted
Cost	(total)	450.00
Mass	(total)	0.030 t
Drag		0.2
Max. Temp.		2500 K
Impact Tolerance		12 m/s
Research		Basic Science
Unlock cost		2 200
Since version		1.0.5
Part configuration		radPanelEdge.cfg
Electricity required		0.025 ⚡/s
Dissipated heat		150 kW [1]
Retractable		No
Packed volume		75 l
↑ This radiator only cools the part it is directly attached to, and parts directly connected to that part.

The Radiator Panel (edge) is a fixed radiator used to dissipate waste heat into space (and atmosphere), by pumping it out of nearby hot parts on the craft, when active, consuming a small amount of electric charge (1.5 per minute).

Part heat may be accumulated from external sources (e.g. re-entry or sunlight from Kerbol) or be generated by reaction engines or the cores of resource harvester drills or converters, while they are active. To be cooled by this radiator, a part must be connected directly, or to a part that is, in turn, connected directly. Radiators make themselves hotter to perform efficiently, but self-limit to avoid heating to destruction.

Unlike the deployable Thermal Control Systems, these panels can be used as structural elements, with other parts attached to them, and are not especially prone to breaking from aerodynamic forces. By default, they stick out at 90 degrees to the surface they are attached to.

Core Cooling

The limiting factor for cooling the cores of drills and converters is the "Core Heat xFer" (transfer) limit of this radiator: 150kW.

This is substantially lower than what the part can actually dissipate, under most circumstances, with a "Max Cooling" figure of: 2234kW.

To maintain an active drill or converter core at optimal thermal efficiency, radiators must provide enough unused Core Heat Transfer capacity to fulfil the "Required Cooling" stat, shown below:

Image	Part	Required Cooling (kW)	Max Cooling(kW)
	'Drill-O-Matic Junior' Mining Excavator	50	50
	'Drill-O-Matic' Mining Excavator	100	100
	Convert-O-Tron 125	100	75*
	Convert-O-Tron 250	200	200

(*) The Convert-O-Tron 125 is a special case - it can not be maintained at optimal thermal efficiency because its "Max cooling" cap of 75kW is below it's required cooling (100kW). With the help of radiators, it will still reach equilibrium, albeit a little hotter than the optimal 1000K. This is possible because core heat production scales down at higher core temperatures, as the thermal efficiency drops off.

Also note, for both Converters, that the required cooling figure is per active conversion mode, with each unit able to have any, or all, of their four ore conversion modes active at the same time. Hence the Convert-O-Tron 250's required cooling can also exceed its maximum permitted (e.g. 3 modes will produce 600kW of core heating).

Product description

Changes

1.2

• Moved from Utility to Thermal

1.0.5

• Initial release