Fuel Efficiency and Engine Sizes

[Hydrofoil (OP)]

Ive been playing from a conventional start (I find it easier to keep track of things starting from scratch) How ever my ships never seem to be very good when it comes to fuel efficiency, this is becoming especially troublesome when trying to explore other solar systems other than SOL.  im currently at the Nuclear Pulse Engine level and I was wondering how I can make my military engines more efficient?

[Steve Walmsley]

Ive been playing from a conventional start (I find it easier to keep track of things starting from scratch) How ever my ships never seem to be very good when it comes to fuel efficiency, this is becoming especially troublesome when trying to explore other solar systems other than SOL.  im currently at the Nuclear Pulse Engine level and I was wondering how I can make my military engines more efficient?

1) Research the fuel efficiency technology line

2) Bigger engines = more fuel efficient

3) Adjust the power vs fuel efficiency on the engine design window. The military engines on my survey ships are generally designed with about 70-75% normal power output in order to boost fuel efficiency

[Maltay]

Research Fuel Consumption Modifier.  Lower values reduce the amount of Fuel needed per Engine Power Hour.  This increases Fuel Efficiency.

Play with the Engine Power/Fuel Consumption Modifier.  You can make your Engine more or less Powerful at the cost of more or less Fuel Efficiency.

Make a larger Engine.  You get about 1% more Fuel Efficiency for every HS of size.

For example, play with the following spreadsheet.  It has two examples already populated.  Note, the spreadsheet might have some errors.  I made it pretty quick.  Any Engine smaller than 25 HS or with Engine Power/Fuel Consumption Modifier greater than 1.5 is a Military Engine.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgENw_Q7xKRndHBrU0FhZzQwcjlST1U0SVRSTjJxVkE&usp=sharing

[joeclark77]

I usually use commercial engines of size 40 or 50 (2000-2500T) and 0.25 or 0.30 power multiplier.  This is dramatically more efficient than what the game seems to recommend for a commercial engine (size 25, 0.50 power).  One of my big commercial engines with a single fuel tank (+ jump drive + sensors) is usually adequate for a *very* long range survey vessel.  Your freighters will be a bit larger and slower than otherwise, but the fuel savings will be profound.

For military ships, I have sometimes used 0.80 power to get much longer range.  Nowadays I prefer to use 1.0 power and have fuel tankers to extend my attack range.  From there, I'll try increasing the engine size and increasing the power so that the efficiency ratio (aka fuel per engine power hour) stays about the same.  So instead of a size 5, power 1.0 engine I might make a size 20, power 1.10 engine and get higher speed for the same fuel.