Plasma Engine
Instead of generating thrust from thermal power, it is possible to use electrical propulsion systems. These propulsion systems offer slightly different characteristics, tending to produce remarkable specific impulses but far lower thrusts. Getting large enough power plants into orbit to propel these creations across space is a challenge for any space program but the results, if successful, can be staggering.
This part will automatically detect the amount of thrust available from any electrical generators attached to the ship and scale its thrust accordingly. Specific impulse is solely determined by choice of propellant: You can toggle between LiquidFuel (Hydrogen), Lithium, Monopropellant (Hydrazine), Argon and Xenon. LiquidFuel offers the best specific impulse and lowest thrust, while Xenon offers the most thrust but the least specific impulse. The others are in between in the order they are listed above.
The different propellants also have different efficiencies, this determines how effective the electrical power input is transformed into thrust. It also determines how much WasteHeat the plasma engine produces - the less efficient the propellant, the more energy is wasted as heat.
This is a table of the thrusts you will get from a plasma engine powered by one reactor+generator in all the upgrade configurations, i.e. no upgraded parts, just the reactor upgraded, just the generator upgraded and both parts upgraded. This list is by no means exhaustive of the possible combinations you might have.
- Specific Impulse: 11,213s
- Efficiency: 72%
- Thrust: 13.5 kN per gigawatt
- Specific Impulse: 6,470s
- Efficiency: 86%
- Thrust: (TBD)
- Specific Impulse: 2,803s
- Efficiency: 52%
- Thrust: (TBD)
- Specific Impulse: 2,491s
- Efficiency: 76%
- Thrust: (TBD)
- Specific Impulse: 1,384s
- Efficiency: 69%
- Thrust: (TBD)