I got an 11 x 11 x 9 (which is enough for 25 rods) that outputs almost 60k RF/tick. The problem is it is around 2000 degrees with liquid ender to cool it. Is there a way to get that down to a safer level, around 800-900 degrees perhaps ?
Big Reactor Question ... Better Cooling?
- Thread starter Brian Cherrick
- Start date
-
The FTB Forum is now read-only, and is here as an archive. To participate in our community discussions, please join our Discord! https://ftb.team/discord
That would be the obvious answer. But assuming I need to, which at times, I do, I need a better way to cool it.
Cryotheum should allow it to run cooler. Bit of a pain to "install". You'll need a bucket of cryotheum fo reach "air" block inside the reactor. Cryotheum source blocks sink so just drop one in at the top, wait for it to sink, drop another, etc. until you've filled it. I did it a row at a time.
Cryotheum and liquid ender don't differ that much in cooling. Not 1200 degrees anyways
Cryotheum and liquid ender don't differ that much in cooling. Not 1200 degrees anyways
Hard to say how much difference it will have until he tries it. Running 7x7x5 reactors to power turbines I almost halve the core/casing temp required by using cryotheum instead of liquid ender. In that example it isn't really worth the pain though since all I'm gaining is slower fuel usage and and I produce far more yellorium with one laser drill than I need for 3 reactor/turbine combos.
In his case I'd split that reactor into 2-3 individual reactors and add some turbines. Lots more power, lots less heat, much slower fuel burn rate or just pull some rods out until he reached a temp he was comfortable with.
keep the edges of the reactor clear of rods, in other words don't put any rods at the edge of the reactor
There's actually a row of empty blocks between the outer wall, and the first set of rods, with an empty column in between each.
The coolant helps balance the core & casing temperatures. Use the control rods on top to lower your core temps. I run a 7x7x4 with a 3x3x2 fuel rod core. Of the 9 control rods, I think 6 are set to 90 or 95 and 3 set to 100. My fuel use is down to 0.017.
As far as I know there is no actual risc involved is there? I mean Big Reactors can't explode or anything.
The efficient layouts i have seen use cyrotheum in spaces between fuel rods and enderium for outer ring. These are also easier to build than layouts that have the two liquids next to eathother.
The author called them 'dotted layouts':
21x21x3
http://imgur.com/COXLH9z
9x9x3
http://imgur.com/tbHJjoh
Source:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1df7-8OqdOeWppfr1xZsV5eFqBWUeGGvtyQ6e1agJN2s/edit#gid=0
The focus of the sheet is on steam output, but i built the 9x9x3 and tested it in both passive and active mode. The active cooling mode runs at less than half the temperature.
Passive is ~9.2k RF/t. ~1300 temp
Active is >6000 steam = 3 2000mb/t turbines = ~72000 RF/t and ~520 temp
Pics: http://imgur.com/a/9uvP0
A lot more power and a little more fuel efficiency in a simple 9x9x3. Can use 4 enderium source blocks (in the corners and let flow) and 4 cryotheum buckets.
The author called them 'dotted layouts':
21x21x3
http://imgur.com/COXLH9z
9x9x3
http://imgur.com/tbHJjoh
Source:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1df7-8OqdOeWppfr1xZsV5eFqBWUeGGvtyQ6e1agJN2s/edit#gid=0
The focus of the sheet is on steam output, but i built the 9x9x3 and tested it in both passive and active mode. The active cooling mode runs at less than half the temperature.
Passive is ~9.2k RF/t. ~1300 temp
Active is >6000 steam = 3 2000mb/t turbines = ~72000 RF/t and ~520 temp
Pics: http://imgur.com/a/9uvP0
A lot more power and a little more fuel efficiency in a simple 9x9x3. Can use 4 enderium source blocks (in the corners and let flow) and 4 cryotheum buckets.
Do all reactors output steam for turbines? I know some have steam, just not sure how to squeeze every last ounce of RF out of my reactor. Also not real familiar with reactors I have to actively cool, and pump in/out liquids and such.
Any standard reactor can also produce steam, with a small modification in the casing.
No bonus for having the coolants next to eachother. I was just commenting it is difficult to place these fluids next to eachother becuase one teleports you and the other has a falling source block and damages you on contact.
The two types do different things in the reactor. Ender fluids stops the particles from hitting the casing and heating up the casing. While cryotheum provides cooling and some stopping power.
The ideal coolant between cells would not stop the particles as you want the particles to hit other fuel cells for more power production. Cryo is just so good at cooling it helps to have some to keep core temps down.
Ender stats are 90% blocking and 2x cooling.
Cryo is 66% blocking and 6x cooling.
Big reactors can be configured to output RF/t or Steam. For RF use at least one power tap block in your reactor.
In most cases going from RF output to steam should allow ~8x more Rf/t. The turbines are expensive though.
To output steam replace the power tap with at least two coolant ports. Right click one with an empty hand to set it to red (steam output). The reactor will now consume water on the blue port(s) and provide steam on red port(s). The reactor can consume and provide up to 50,000 mb/t of water/steam, which most fluid transfer methods cannot keep up with.
Direct contact or tesseracts are a good uncapped transfer method.
The steam when run through a big reactor turbine will be turned into water 1:1, so you can form a closed system with a reactor + turbine(s). You will need one port to initially fill the system/refill it if you make changes.
Turbines at most can use 2000mb/t (each turbine blade uses 25mb/t - so max you should ever use in a turbine should be 80). Directly lining up reactor coolant ports and turbine ports will have uncapped transfer and bypass any pipe limits. They match up blue reactor input to blue turbine output and red reactor output to red turbine input.
Last edited: