Overview
All you need to know about the atmospheric mechanics in Ostranauts.
Introduction
– All you need to know about atmospheric manipulation in Ostranauts
So you wanna be a Space Cowboy? Then you might wanna know a thing or two about the Lungstuff you’re gonna be gasping for all day. In this here little Guide I’ve compiled all the latest knowledge gathered by OKLGs ARC (Atmoshperic Research Center). Lot of D-Class got decommisioned during these tests, so make sure you heed the results to avoid the same fate.
Allowed myself to add some comments as well.
Gases
– O2 –
That’s the good stuff as far as your Lungs are concerned.
O2 Pressure is kept at a standard ~20kPa under monitored atmosphere.
At O2 Pressures below 15.5 kPA test subjects invariably suffer from hypoxia, resulting in Nausea and severe Headaches.
Hypoxic subjects invariably expire within 50-60 minutes, unless exposed to an atmosphere at or above 20kPa O2 until the symptomes subside.
O2 pressure in a standard issue pressure suit decreases by 3.75kPa per 10 Minutes according testing with average D-Class subjects.
This means you got 12 minutes if you start from normal, 12 more for every 5kPa O2 on top of that.
Hyperoxia has not [yet] been observed in any subjects, regardless of the O2 content in the atmosphere. Can’t have to much of that sweet O2!
– N2 –
N2 Pressure is kept at a standard 80kPa under monitored atmosphere.
No negative effect has been observed by lack of N2 in the atmosphere, as long as generall pressure levels are at 51kPa or higher.
General atmospheric pressure below 50kPa will have subjects gasping for air, this results in decreased work efficiency and might lead to Hypoxia.
– CO2 –
ARC research suggests, exessive amounts of CO2 are not [yet] a factor expediating D-Class turnover.
So you can have as much CO2 in the Lungstuff as you like, as long as you have your O2 pressures straight.
ARC was [as of yet] unable to determine any use for CO2, aside from being used in mixed RCS fuel.
Components
2. Components
There’s some handy equiment allowing you to manipulate the lungstuff within your trusty death trap.
– Gas Cannisters –
Gas Cannisters have a dry weight of 115kg. They are used for storage and transport of large quantities of atmospheric gases.
Gas Cannisters are found containing ~375kg N2 or 428kg O2 at a standard pressure of ~41kPa and are clearly labeled for the gas they contain.
Any cannister may contain any amount of one or multiple gases. During testing, no cannister has ruptured [yet]. Affiliated researchers confirmed stable internal pressures of up to 400.000kPa
Note: D-Class personel placed directly on top of a loose gas cannister has displayed the urge to breathe directly from the bottle within a couple of seconds, leading to bouts of sudden Hypoxia in the case of N2 cans. Supervisor discretion is advised.
– Atmospheric Sensors –
Atmospheric Sensors are specialized in measuring either O2 or N2 pressure. Either sensor can be connected to an airpump to allow monitoring of atmospheric contents and establishment of a standard atmosphere (20kPa O2 to 80kPa N2).
O2 sensors will also sound an alarm if O2 pressure falls below 20kPa.
Note:ARC does not recommend uninstalling active sensors for security reasons.
I disagree, we’re all adults here and can read our own pressure gauges. Also that alarm is really annoying!
– Compartments –
A compartment is any single space fully enclosed by floors, walls and doors as to be airtight. Don’t forget to put floors below the walls as well.
– Air Pumps –
An air pump moves gas from the rectangular intake section to the toothed output section.
Red arrow goes in, green light puts out, easy!
The pump will draw from cannisters placed on the input square, regardless of wether they are installed there or not.
It will pump into any cannister on the Output square in the same manner.
If no cannister is placed underneath, the pump will take in from and/or put out into the compartments atmosphere.
Pumping to a cannister will always deposit gases in the same ratio as they are drawn from the source.
Air pumps have three modes wich can be set by accessing the control panel:
Off – the air pump does nothing, regardless of sensor input
Auto – if linked to a sensor, the airpump will try to maintain the standard level of the gas the sensor is measuring for.
On – the air pump works at full capacity, regardless of sensor input
Activating your O2 pump manually is how you supercharge your lungstuff with oxygen to allow for longer stints in pressure suits!
Air pumps may be linked to one sensor by accessing the control panel, loosening the screws [left klick] interacting with the contact [left klick] on the right side of the panel and choosing the sensor to connect to afterwards [left klick again].
If a pump on Auto is connected to a sensor, it will try to maintain the standard kPa of whatever gas the sensor is monitoring, regardless of the gases at it’s source.
This means putting a N2 can into the pump connected to your O2 sensor will throw out a lot of N2 attemting to level your O2 out
– RCS Intake –
While not actually a component of the atmospheric control systems, ARC feels compelled to note, that any gas will be accepted by the RCS system, as long as a cannister containing it is placed below the intake. It need not be installed. This allows for excess CO2 to be made usefull in a small way.
Exploiting new gas supplies
As of now no method of creating new or recycling old gas supplies has been indentified.
It’s possible to refill your empty containers at the stations air pumps. Right’s for N2, left for O2. But the station does not [yet] have infinite supplies, so you might wanna hold off on that, until you have scoured the derelecits.
[Outdated] ARC associate researcher Çhiko has identified an insect shaped quantum effect, that leads to air pumps taking more gas from a compartments atmosphere, than is actually in it. Thus by filling a compartment with any (mixture of) gas and subsequently draining it, a mass surplus of at least 10% can be drawn from the void at comparatively low cost in energy and time. [/outdated]