Fuel consumption

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Having to abandon going through the Channel of Death the long way around England to get to the West Coast seem daunting in relation to fuel. I managed to go on standard speed and have only half of the fuel. Which leaves me without enough fuel to make a decent patrol in designated areas. Question is what is the best speed to use to go almost all around England?

[SteelViking]

Wikipedia says maximum range was attained going at 10kn. Whether or not the game models that correctly, or if wiki is correct, who knows. Worth a try I suppose.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Wiki? Urgh! Don't you know they hang students at the University for using them as a reliable source of information?:D

But thanks anyway. 10knts? The war might be over before I reach.:D:D

[Sailor Steve]

Wiki? Urgh! Don't you know they hang students at the University for using them as a reliable source of information?:D
:rotfl2:

One of the more interesting observations that has been made from time to time is that in the case of submarines, Wiki actually seems to have the best information. Go figure. :sunny:

[CaptainMattJ.]

:rotfl2:

One of the more interesting observations that has been made from time to time is that in the case of submarines, Wiki actually seems to have the best information. Go figure. :sunny:
Wiki should still be regarded as a pretty reliable source of immediate information. no article is Seriously screwed up with wrong info, only little bits.

when they tell you to go research something not using wiki, it takes 1000 years. Wiki has everything on everything.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Having to abandon going through the Channel of Death the long way around England to get to the West Coast seem daunting in relation to fuel. I managed to go on standard speed and have only half of the fuel. Which leaves me without enough fuel to make a decent patrol in designated areas. Question is what is the best speed to use to go almost all around England?

In SH5 (and in SH3 by the way) the most fuel efficient speed is about 7.5 knots. There are slight differences between various types, but it's always somewhere between 7 and 8 knots for type VII boats (I only don't remember value for SH3 Type II, which was somewhat lower than Tpe VII, like 6.7 or so).

It is relatively slow compared to 15 knots which you probably would prefer to use as your cruise speed. But it's really very fuel efficient. 7.5 knots let you travel 15 thousand kms and more, while 15 knots will leave you dropless after I think 6-8 thousand.

Unless I'm in chase of a target I always travel using 7.5 knots. Right now, February 21st 1940, I'm on my 22nd day of patrol just North of Ireland, I've chased various targets at flank speed about 6-7 times (caught only 2) and I still have 60% fuel left.

Yesterday TheDarkWraith updated his "Multiple UIs" mod to version 4.2. This version, among other options, implements a user setting for optimum (fuel efficient) speed, and a keyboard shortcut to order the fuel efficient speed (works only when surfaced). You might consider using this mod - it really changes the gameplay a lot (hard to compare it to GWX, as GWX was much, much, much more than just a UI + game fixing mod, BUT they both have something in common: they make a so so gameplay experience a MUCH better one).

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Thanks for the info.:)

[Karasunx]

Are you also using the U-Boat Historical Specifications mod? I know with it fuel consumption is a lot less merciful. I usually always take the Straight of Dover just because it's faster, and I dive to avoid the majority of the patrols in the straight. Another thing I noticed (and this might just be my game) but going north of England I encounter a lot more choppy seas and that also puts a drain on my fuel.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Are you also using the U-Boat Historical Specifications mod? I know with it fuel consumption is a lot less merciful.

I didn't realize we had one. Installing now. Found it here:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=168012

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

I also installed UBHS.

[Threesixtyci]

Games rarely model the earth correctly. They usually base everything off a squared earth and not a round one. So the fuel consumption gets all out of whack, between distances close to the equator from those near the poles.

In that they treat the distances near the poles as if it were on the earth's equator.

[StarFox]

Wiki should still be regarded as a pretty reliable source of immediate information. no article is Seriously screwed up with wrong info, only little bits.

when they tell you to go research something not using wiki, it takes 1000 years. Wiki has everything on everything.


That's why they don't want you to use it, its too easy. At least that's my theory.

Set your boat at ahead 1/3, that should do the trick. That's the speed I've always used in both SH3 and SH5 to go on my patrols, its the most economical speed

[CaptainMattJ.]

That's why they don't want you to use it, its too easy. At least that's my theory.

Set your boat at ahead 1/3, that should do the trick. That's the speed I've always used in both SH3 and SH5 to go on my patrols, its the most economical speed
it may be economical, but its gonna take you about a year to get to your destination.

[Takeda Shingen]

it may be economical, but its gonna take you about a year to get to your destination.

Well, you can either take time getting there and have fuel to patrol or you can get there really fast and head right back to port.

[Highbury]

In truth the "optimum" speed for fuel economy changes with every boat. In no incarnation of SH can I recall any pre-set speed (1/3 for example) was the sweet spot, it has usually been between 7 - 10 knots and has required setting it manually. Simply start at a given speed and have your Nav tell you range to end. Speed up by one knot and repeat. Do this until your range to end is the best possible for your boat and viola!

[Ducimus]

The optimum fuel efficient speed, in reality, is what you tell it to be. Though you may have to do some research to get the historically correct cruising speed (if your unhappy with the standard regurgitation of 10 kts).

- In the sub's cfg file change your throttle settings to 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 0.9 and 1.0. Thats 1/3rd through flank, with ahead standard being 0.75. Or whatever is historically correct for Uboats. ( The settings I cite are fleet boat numbers. Which cruised at "3 engine speed" , or 75% of their engine capacity, hence ahead standard being 0.75. )

- Then take your boats top speed, mulitply that by whatever throttle setting percentage you have set for Ahead standard. Take that number and put it into your boats range in the sim file. This is because when resuming course, the game defaults to ahead standard.

So for example, if you set your throttle settings to be 75% at ahead standard, and your boats top speed is 17.7 knots:

0.75 * 17.7 = 13.275

So take 13.275 and put it in your range. So 8400 NM @ 10 knots becomes 8400 NM @ 13.275 knots. Thus, 13.275 becomes your most fuel efficient maximum speed. Since it is exactly 75% of your top speed, which you have specified for "ahead standard", you will never have to manually set your cruising speed. Just tell your navigator to resume course, ahead standard rings up, and off you go.

Will you get a helluva lot more (unrealistic) range if you cruise at lower speeds? Yes.The game isn't perfect, but the alternative is cruising to your patrol area at what may as well be harbor speeds. If it makes you feel any better, the game world is 20 to 25% larger then in real life due to flat map projection.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Thanks for that info.:salute:

[jwells0504]

I feel like I'm the only one who reads this but in the loading screen it says

you can run one diesel engine coupled to a generator that powers an electrical motor on the other proppeller essentially letting you use both proppellers on one diesel engine. (something like that)

It never really explicitly said that you could use it or how but can't you? Sounds like something the game designers could easily do and they obviously knew about it so why not incorporate it into the game?

But then again they also mentioned the snorkel and that obviously isn't in the game so I guess you can't use the above method. Bummer.

[Farinhir]

Sorry for the raising of dead threads but I have something to add to this.

Economical Diesel-electric speed is about 6 knots.

source (http://www.uboatarchive.net/KTBNotesPropulsion.htm)

Feel free to make of this what you will. I am not an expert on the subject, and I do not know the reliability of the source page. I do know that I avoid wiki for anything technical. I find it is alright for general information, but for exact figures I prefer something more substantive.