Recharging Vehicle Batteries Faster

[GrayV-Horse]

When it takes 2 hours to charge your ship to full capacity and in about 30-45 minutes to deplete that charge, life becomes a bit strenuous. Is there a way to increase charge speed as to reduce this wait time?

As of right now, I am charging through the use of a connector-connector docking. I thought of using more connectors, but atmospheric aircraft design only allows for one.

[Nightwing]

When your batteries are charging, how much power does it say they're getting?
iirc, batteries max out at 300MW of input power. If you're at that limit, then no, there is no way to speed up the charging.

Another factor to the charge/discharge discrepancy is power draw FROM the battery when the vehicle is in use. If your equipped blocks draw too much power, the only way to counteract that, would be to turn extraneous blocks off.

[GrayV-Horse]

My aircraft is equipped with 4 batteries. Another aircraft I have is equipped with 1 battery. Each battery maxes at 100 MW. Both however, charge at the same rate of 289 KW/(seconds I think?). My ship uses about 11 KW/s when charging, still giving a net gain of 278.

I didn't know if there was a utility block that increases electricity current into the vehicle to charge batteries faster.

[Nightwing]

If the charge rate is already maxed out, then no, there is no way to increase it.

Think of it like this: Imagine the batteries had a fuse that prevented too much current from going through them. The maximum charge rate would be the rate that the fuse is rated for. Any higher, and the fuse would blow, cutting off power. Except in this case, instead of cutting all power, the system just implements a current limiter.

[GrayV-Horse]

Originally posted by Nightwing:

If the charge rate is already maxed out, then no, there is no way to increase it.

Think of it like this: Imagine the batteries had a fuse that prevented too much current from going through them. The maximum charge rate would be the rate that the fuse is rated for. Any higher, and the fuse would blow, cutting off power. Except in this case, instead of cutting all power, the system just implements a current limiter.

Yeah, I work on vehicles and houses in real life so I know a bit about currents n such. But there are batteries capable of intaking a greater current depending on the materials used to make em. So, I thought, that would be nice in this game. But still, it is agony waiting for my mining vessel to charge, I will just make multiple of them.

[Ásbjǫrn the Unhinged]

Only way to help with this is to have a power creation source on your ship. (Solar Panel or Hydrogen engine) Hope that helps bud. Only 50 hours in the game and I'm still learning how to even get a ship off the ground. LoL Hope that helps bud.

[Darkaiser]

Originally posted by GrayV-Horse:

Originally posted by Nightwing:

If the charge rate is already maxed out, then no, there is no way to increase it.

Think of it like this: Imagine the batteries had a fuse that prevented too much current from going through them. The maximum charge rate would be the rate that the fuse is rated for. Any higher, and the fuse would blow, cutting off power. Except in this case, instead of cutting all power, the system just implements a current limiter.

Yeah, I work on vehicles and houses in real life so I know a bit about currents n such. But there are batteries capable of intaking a greater current depending on the materials used to make em. So, I thought, that would be nice in this game. But still, it is agony waiting for my mining vessel to charge, I will just make multiple of them.

Build a Hydrogen Engine, hook it to two Hydrogen Generators, fill those with ice and turn the whole thing on.

The Hydrogen Engine puts out roughly as much power as 15 wind turbines or 5 Mw. You can recharge batteries FAST that way

[Ásbjǫrn the Unhinged]

Originally posted by Darkaiser:

Originally posted by GrayV-Horse:

Yeah, I work on vehicles and houses in real life so I know a bit about currents n such. But there are batteries capable of intaking a greater current depending on the materials used to make em. So, I thought, that would be nice in this game. But still, it is agony waiting for my mining vessel to charge, I will just make multiple of them.

Build a Hydrogen Engine, hook it to two Hydrogen Generators, fill those with ice and turn the whole thing on.

The Hydrogen Engine puts out roughly as much power as 15 wind turbines or 5 Mw. You can recharge batteries FAST that way

Thanks for the info man.

[Fizzgig]

Batteries need to be put in recharge mode to charge fast, it takes 10-12 min for a small ship large battery to charge when its in recharge mode. If left on auto and connected to a connector it actually helps power your whole station, that is why you have a slow recharge time. Its discharging and recharging at the same time on auto mode.

[Ásbjǫrn the Unhinged]

Originally posted by Fizzgig:

Batteries need to be put in recharge mode to charge fast, it takes 10-12 min for a small ship large battery to charge when its in recharge mode. If left on auto and connected to a connector it actually helps power your whole station, that is why you have a slow recharge time. Its discharging and recharging at the same time on auto mode.

I didn't even know that was a thing. Cheers.

[GrayV-Horse]

Originally posted by Unhinged Russian:

Only way to help with this is to have a power creation source on your ship. (Solar Panel or Hydrogen engine) Hope that helps bud. Only 50 hours in the game and I'm still learning how to even get a ship off the ground. LoL Hope that helps bud.

You and I are on the same boat then!

I have finally perfected my design of my first flying atmospheric aircraft. It is equipped with 4 grinders and 4 batteries. My first atmospheric aircraft... it looked cool... didn’t fly cool.

Originally posted by Darkaiser:

Build a Hydrogen Engine, hook it to two Hydrogen Generators, fill those with ice and turn the whole thing on.

The Hydrogen Engine puts out roughly as much power as 15 wind turbines or 5 Mw. You can recharge batteries FAST that way

My design does not allow for that, but that was an idea I was considering. For my space vessel, I will certainly build on board power sources.

[GrayV-Horse]

Originally posted by Fizzgig:

Batteries need to be put in recharge mode to charge fast, it takes 10-12 min for a small ship large battery to charge when its in recharge mode. If left on auto and connected to a connector it actually helps power your whole station, that is why you have a slow recharge time. Its discharging and recharging at the same time on auto mode.

I saw the recharge and charge option. I left it auto thinking it would just do its thing, thank you for information.

[Ásbjǫrn the Unhinged]

Originally posted by GrayV-Horse:

Originally posted by Unhinged Russian:

Only way to help with this is to have a power creation source on your ship. (Solar Panel or Hydrogen engine) Hope that helps bud. Only 50 hours in the game and I'm still learning how to even get a ship off the ground. LoL Hope that helps bud.

You and I are on the same boat then!

I have finally perfected my design of my first flying atmospheric aircraft. It is equipped with 4 grinders and 4 batteries. My first atmospheric aircraft... it looked cool... didn’t fly cool.

My design does not allow for that, but that was an idea I was considering. For my space vessel, I will certainly build on board power sources.

LoL I flew my first ship out of my hanger and went about 700 meters about the ground, and then the battery died. I about cried when that thing smacked the ground and exploded. Welp, it's time to start a new ship.

[GrayV-Horse]

Originally posted by Unhinged Russian:

Originally posted by GrayV-Horse:

You and I are on the same boat then!

I have finally perfected my design of my first flying atmospheric aircraft. It is equipped with 4 grinders and 4 batteries. My first atmospheric aircraft... it looked cool... didn’t fly cool.

My design does not allow for that, but that was an idea I was considering. For my space vessel, I will certainly build on board power sources.

LoL I flew my first ship out of my hanger and went about 700 meters about the ground, and then the battery died. I about cried when that thing smacked the ground and exploded. Welp, it's time to start a new ship.

My very first model didn’t have side thrusters and not enough thrusters in general.

What are the specs of your vessel? My tweaked first model has 4 forward thrusters, 2 reverse, 4 up, 1 left, and 1 right, all small atmospheric. And 1 battery with a few doodads. Did you amass yours up with loads of power... in the thrusters I mean.

[Pembroke]

"Auto" means it will give power out as well assuming something needs power. However, if input is more than output the battery will get a net inflow and recharge. The "but" is that this net inflow might be quite small and thus take long time to recharge to full.

Basically:

Recharge = "Docked-mode". Don't need the ship's power for anything important. Recharges as fast as possible given your power production (up to max the battery can take in)

Auto = "Fly-mode". Gives power when-ever more is needed. Recharges when demand is less (and there's a generator giving power, of course).

Discharge = "Heavy-duty". There's more important stuff going on than worrying about fuel levels, like getting blown up to pieces! Give me more power you dumb piece of machine!

However, note: Your ship's connector needs power to function and it won't let power through from outside if it's not itself powered. So, when docked and setting batteries to recharge either leave one of them to "auto" or have an alternative small source of power. Usually, I have a solar panel in the ship to maintain a minimum power to keep the connector on.

[GrayV-Horse]

@pembroke, if my aircraft loses power, it is usually near the base and I just build a new battery for it and connect it to the connector. I will try a few things and go from there. Maybe when I can get back on, I will get a few pics of my things.