This object is in archive! 

Hydrogen Engine

Hay Dogg shared this feedback 5 years ago
Declined

Hi Keen Software House,

I love the model and size of the hydrogen engine. I think it's a perfect fit for Space Engineers, especially when paired with a battery. However, I feel like it's lacking a bit of sound for realism.

As you know, engines in real life increase their RPMs as speed increases or to provide more power. In-game, atmospheric and hydrogen thrusters do this already with a modifier to the sound based on speed. Right now, the hydrogen engine sounds like it's constantly idling - fine for a generator, but not for rover applications!

I'd love to see the sound of the hydrogen engine (and maybe the animation speed of the model?) speed up/increase in pitch as either:

A) speed increases, as it is currently with thrusters

B) Output increases (preferably this one!)

This would increase realism and give a more satisfying sound for high-output applications, and reward engineers who balance power output with weight to produce the optimum power and speed. :)

As a side note, it would be cool to have something similar for purely battery-operated rovers, such as a subtle whine that slowly increases in pitch, similar to how a Tesla sounds in Forza Horizon games.

Thank you and keep up the good work!

Replies (8)

photo
2

I agree. Please lets have the engine revs change depending on current load.

Also, perhaps consider adding a starter motor or pneumatic cylinder compressor sound to the beginning of the audio clip. The initial rev-up sounds gorgeous but the extra satisfaction of hearing a starter turning the engine for a second or so; or the hiss & whine of a cylinder compressor would be the icing on the cake!

Voted!

photo
4

A is not the option, because you dont have thrusters on cars, keeping it unrealistic. However i strongly agree with option B, as i have got the same idea. Upvote from me! :)

photo
6

Its not en engine, its a generator. So on your rover even if you increase speed, the engine runs at the same rpm to produce power. A power generator in real life doesnt speed up under load. Is holds rpm instead of dropping down.

photo
1

1, it's literally called 'Hydrogen Engine' 2, irl generators also don't make any noise when they aren't producing power ;)

photo
3

Depends on the design or the generator.

When it has litle to no load it runs idle, when it is beeing fully loaded it burns more fuel so it under more stress which results in vibration and more noise.

photo
5

It doesn't really matter what it's called. It matters what it is. And it is a generator.

I also think they should rename it to hydrogen generator, because it would avoid confusion. But it's not very hard to understand the concept of it, if you just think about it for a second.

photo
2

They didn't because it'd cause confusion with the h2/o2 generator.

photo
4

@Malware Man, Keen really f***ed themselves this time! Thrusters are also 'engines' so it's confusing either way. The simple solution would be to just call everything by the correct name in the first place! O2H2 generator = electrolyzer; Hydrogen engine = hydrogen generator; Thruster can remain thruster idc.

photo
2

It is a generator that uses a combustion engine. Not only that, but it isn't at full use all the time when in use.

Edit: A piston combustion engine for clarity.

photo
6

Mike is right. I work on generators and the hydrogen engine performs this way. The speed is maintained on the engine as load increases or decreases. However there is a noticeable change in the sound when a load increases. This is consistent with both diesel and turbine engines.

photo
1

True, but I think people's intuition will win out here, even if it is physically incorrect. Ironic since it will actually take more work to make it incorrect than to leave it correct.

I haven't worked on generators, so I'm curious. You say the sound changes which I assume is because more fuel is being released to create a more powerful combustion even though the RPM doesn't change. So my guess is that some aspects of the sound get louder while others don't? Moreover, the pitch stays the same?

photo
4

That's pretty much the reason. More fuel, louder explosions, but the crankshaft is still rotating same speed. There are a lot of nuances that go into power production that have more to do with electricity than the engines themselves. I would like rovers that sound like cars but this item is a generator and should behave as such.

photo
1

Yeah, I'm studying to be a physicist in college so I understood what you meant as soon as you said it. I hadn't thought about how a generator would vary its output before. And, of course, I know what changing the RPM would actually do. It would change the frequency of the generator's AC output (something not described in game) whereas the change in fuel combusted is what is needed to keep the voltage constant as the resistance (due to the devices being operated) changes. In other words, to increase current, which is what they are measuring in game.

I got all that. I was hoping you'd indulge me and describe the difference in the sound, but that's okay. I found examples. Thank you, Robert.

photo
3

I come from a country where we regularly rely on Generators, due to an unstable power grid... and this is Indeed how they work.


I'm here to say:

"I'd rather it be renamed generator (since this is what it is, an electricity generating combustion machine, and not a kinetic energy generating engine) than it being reworked to sound like an engine, Sine the block is not an engine."

photo
2

an slider rpm that can scale up and down output like an real engine so one could run at max or idle but the catch is it would use hydrogen even if no power is being used based on the throttle setting not the useage of power

photo
1

I like that idea. That would open the door for scripts to manage the engine output. It would also give me a consequence for always forgetting to turn my ships off!

photo
2

In a real generator the RPM is constant. Without going into too much of the gritty details a generator uses more fuel to "push harder" has the electrical load increases. Fuel consumption should depend on demand. Generators often have idle speeds but normally are either off or on and only idle to warm up or cool down.

photo
1

@Robert Yeah, I don't actually care. They named it 'engine' so I will view it as such. I will continue to criticize until they either change the name or the behavior of the block.

photo
3

To get rid of this tantrum, it's easier for Keen to put the right name on it. For this is (and always will be) a power generator.

You will never have mechanical energy extracted directly from it.


And the rpm should be constant. Such a good energy generator should be. They can boost the audio volume when it is providing more load.

photo
5

Curently there are large companies like Siemens or Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems researching the use of hydrogen in power generation and most of them plan see it useful to utilise fuel cells or a large gas turbine.

How you ended up with a piston engine is beyond me.

I would love it if you remodel it to a turbine version and 4 size varinats, 2 for large block and 2 for small.

The large big block variant should rival the large reactor imo. Or atleast a half of it in power output, while beeing longer maybe.

Idk, just make what you like most.

photo
3

It would have made way more sense if it were a metane generator. Methane can be combusted in an engine alike diesel. Hydrogen works best on fuel cells or large turbines. This model is a lost oportunity to give shine to an generaly forgotten block, the oxygen farm. Which could have been modify to produce methane as a by product of the plants inside, making it a rewenable chemical power suply and ease the use of baterys to hold large amounts of power.

Also the fact that you're heating and electrolizing water to esentialy revert that last step and somehow produce more energy that the cost of heating and separating it on the first place is beyond me. Hi 5's for a eternal motion machine I supose...

photo
3

Hello, Engineer!


Thank you very much for you feedback.


We really appreciate all of the suggestions, ideas, and bug reports we receive from our amazing community, as we truly believe that this feedback combined with our own design philosophies help us to create better games for everyone.


While we can’t always implement all of the ideas we receive, we’d like to let you know that your feedback and passion for Space Engineers hasn’t gone unnoticed.


Kind regards,


The Space Engineers Team

photo
4

Definitely B - sound based on % output.

In fact all blocks should be changed based on whatever they output or the internal speed, range etc, of the block itself. the only thing that should change based on grid/player speed is, wheels, wind noise, and doppler effects.

  • Refinery/Assembler - based on % of max speed with 4 speed modules
  • Gravity Generators/mass - based on % of min/max power consumed or strength/polarity of Field direction.
  • Thrustrers - based on % of min to max thrust force.
  • Wheels/rotors - speed of rotation (coasting) additional sound if braking or accelerating under power and not accelerating/decelerating due to gravity while coasting.
  • Pistons - Altered (distorted) if under/overdriven by slider change.
  • Suspensions - Squeaking/creaking on bumps.

photo
4

I think this is a great idea, and would add a lot to the game's immersion.

Also, perhaps cryo chambers could produce a slightly louder noise when occupied.

photo
4

This power generator has cool modeling and sound.

It just needs to be adjusted to behave like a conventional power generator (which is what it is).


My idea:

1 - Remove this internal tank that serves only to confuse the H2 bar of the cabin. If it worked to start a network, I'd even agree to this tank. But that does not work for that.


2 - Has power cell component, ie has its own battery to start itself. Making it useful as an emergency power generator.


3 - Prerequisite for him to start alone on an offline grid and be connected directly to a tank with some hydrogen. Because obviously the conveyors are not working.

Replies have been locked on this page!