Fuel Cell Specifications
Design considerations
- Fuel cells first made their first official appearance during the Gemini/Apollo programs
- Continued use in the Shuttle and ISS programs.
- As technology advanced, the mass of the storage (ec) was cut in half (Pb –> LiFePO4 as example from Apollo to SpaceX)
- Capacity of storage doubled during the same time
- Fuel storage containment improvements have also allows more fuel to be stored in the same sized container (not factored in)
Specification Spreadsheet
aim is 42 hours of runtime using only internal fuels. (which is seven kerbal days (six hours per day))
151,200 seconds of runtime (see runtime sheet)
Mod | Name | Cost | Entry | Mass | Tech | TL | maxEC | Fuel (L) | RunTime† | Battery (EC) | efficiency‡ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(S) | Fuel Cell | 750 | 2250 | 0.05 | largeElectrics | 7 | 1.5 | - | 0h0m | 50 | baseline |
(S) | FC Array | 4500 | 13500 | 0.24 | specializedElectrics | 8 | 18 | - | 0h0m | 300 | baseline |
(HB) | 0.3125m | 330 | 750 | 0.03 | survivability | 3 | 0.375 | 5 | 0h0m | 10 | -25% |
(HB) | 0.625m | 495 | 1250 | 0.05 | basicScience | 4 | 0.75 | 15 | 0h0m | 50 | -15% |
(HB) | 1.25m | 895 | 2250 | 0.1 | Electrics | 5 | 1.5 | 30 | 0h0m | 100 | |
(HB) | 1.875m | 2390 | 6008 | 0.2967 | Miniaturization | 5 | 4.5 | 90 | 0h0m | 300 | +10% |
(HB) | 2.5m | 4277 | 10753 | 0.59 | advElectrics | 6 | 9 | 180 | 0h0m | 600 | +15% |
(HB) | 3.75m | 7829 | 19683 | 1.2 | largeElectrics | 7 | 18 | 365 | 0h0m | 1225 | +25% |
(HB) | 5.0m | 2 | 35429 | 2.4 | specializedElectrics | 8 | 36 | 730 | 0h0m | 2427 | +50% |
(HB) | 7.5m | 17616 | 44287 | 3.3333 | specializedElectrics | 8 | 50 | 1010 | 0h0m | 3371 | +75% |
(HB) | 10m | 33031 | 83038 | 6.9444 | experimentalElectrics | 9 | 75 | 1515 | 0h0m | 5056 | +100% |
(HB) | 20m | 49546 | 124556 | 11.5741 | experimentalElectrics | 9 | 125 | 2530 | 0h0m | 8427 | +200 % |
(HB) | mk0 | basicScience | 4 | 0h0m | -25% | ||||||
(HB) | mk1 | Electrics | 5 | 0h0m | -15% | ||||||
(HB) | mk2 | 4277 | 10753 | 0.59 | advElectrics | 6 | 8.85 | 180 | 0h0m | 600 | |
(HB) | mk3 | 7829 | 19683 | 1.2 | largeElectrics | 7 | 18 | 365 | 0h0m | 1225 | +15% |
(HB) | mk4 | specializedElectrics | 8 | 0h0m | +25 | ||||||
(HB) | mk5 | experimentalElectrics | 9 | 0h0m | +50% |
-
S = Stock HB = Hot Beverage HB+ = Hot Beverage + Another US = Universal Storage US2 = Universal Storage 2 *
†: internal capacity only ‡: currently doesn’t include efficency adjustment to maxEX/Battery/mass/costs - fuel capacity won’t be affected
Effeciency scaled
Mod | Name | Cost | Entry | Mass | Tech | TL | maxEC | Fuel (L) | RunTime† | RunTime+EF† | Battery (EC) | efficiency‡ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(HB) | 0.3125m | 330 | 750 | 0.0375 | survivability | 3 | 0.1 | 20 | 22h 0m | 22h 0m | 7 | -25% |
(HB) | 0.625m | 495 | 1250 | 0.0575 | basicScience | 4 | 0.125 | 40 | 35h 0m | 35h 0m | 50 | -15% |
(HB) | 1.25m | 895 | 2250 | 0.1 | Electrics | 5 | 0.25 | 80 | 35h 0m | 35h 0m | 200 | |
(HB) | 1.875m | 2390 | 6008 | 0.26972 | Miniaturization | 5 | 0.5 | 170 | 37h 0m | 42h 0m | 500 | +10% |
(HB) | 2.5m | 4277 | 10753 | 0.23455 | advElectrics | 6 | 1.0 | 380 | 45h 0m | 53h 0m | 1000 | +15% |
(HB) | 3.75m | 7829 | 19683 | 0.96 | largeElectrics | 7 | 2.0 | 768 | 42h 0m | 57h 0m | 2000 | +25% |
+25% |
†: internal capacity only ‡: cumulative efficency adjustment to maxEX/Battery/mass/costs - fuel capacity won’t be affected even though advances in tech would increase storage capabilities
Stock Specifications
Stock Fuel Cell
- cost: 750
- entry cost: 2250
- techRequired: Electrics
- mass: 0.05
- EC/s Produces: 1.5
- EC storage: 50
Stock Fuel Cell Array
- cost: 4500
- entry cost: 13500
- techRequired: Electrics
- mass: 0.24
- EC/s Produces: 18
- EC storage: 300