Help With Actively Cooled Reactors

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Robi2601

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Ok so I have a lot of experience with passively cooled reactors however, I have no experience with actively cooled reactors. Im playing Sky Factory 2.5 and I have reached the point of automating yellorite (yellorium) ingots. Im producing about 32.6K RF/T with my current Gelid Cryotheum Cooled reactor. But I have a few questions. First off does it matter how big the coil is (I have done a bit of research and never have had this question answered) I am going to be making it out of Ludicrite (I have the resources dont worry) and if so, what does it change? Also I dont really care about efficiency because i can easily, make another automated yellorite seeds farm and use an autonomous activator with a reinforced watering can (again i have the resources to do it). What i really care about is power output also i want a single turbine if possible (as long as i make more power (even if its like 36.21 RF/T it would be fine)). So with that amount of power 32.6K RF/T which would be the biggest and most ideal setup for my needs? And what would be the dimensionsof the turbine.

-Thanks (also sorry for any errors im writing this on my Ipad (auto corrector is a b***h)) (also sorry for the long ass thread)
 
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MacAisling

Popular Member
Apr 25, 2013
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A max turbine can use 2000 mb/t of steam. This is 80 blades and, for ludicrite, a 32 block coil. I like to put it together as 7x7x16, and it can be oriented either vertically or horizontally. Producing that amount of steam requires a reactor with 8 fuel cell blocks, I like a 7x7x3 design with the 8 fuel cells in a ring. Transferring the steam fast enough works best if you build them with the ports in direct contact. Fill the reactor with water once, set the venting to closed, and you should be good to go. Should produce around 28,000 RF/t, unless SF2.5 has adjusted the configs for it.
 
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MacAisling

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Apr 25, 2013
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To equal or better your current output, you would need to build 2 turbines, which you could still run with 1 much smaller reactor than you are currently using. Coil size and material does matter, but it gets complicated pretty quickly unless you really love doing the math.
 
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B00MSPL4T

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Hey Robi,

This was the plan I used for my original actively cooled reactor: http://br.sidoh.org/#reactor-design...XCX2OGCG2OXCX2OGCG2OXCX2OGCG2OXCX2OGCG2OXGX6O

It creates 6,279 MB/t of steam which is enough to power 4 turbines. For the turbines I have them 7 wide x 7 high x 15 length with 10 layers of 8 blades and 3 layers of 8 Ludicrite and they run at 1800 RPM with 1516 MB/t of steam. The entire power system uses 1 Yellorium ingot every minute and produces 84672 RF/t (21168 RF/t per turbine).
 
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NerpyDerpston

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With active cooled reactors their sole purpose is to output steam. This steam can be used for anything, but generally it is used to fuel a turbine.

With a passively cooled reactor you want to keep it relatively cool, but with an actively cooled reactor you want it to output as much heat as possible. Active reactors are less efficient on the reactor side, but the turbine makes it more efficient than a passively cooled reactor, if at a lower output of RF/tick.
 
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Robi2601

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Hey Robi,

This was the plan I used for my original actively cooled reactor: http://br.sidoh.org/#reactor-design...XCX2OGCG2OXCX2OGCG2OXCX2OGCG2OXCX2OGCG2OXGX6O

It creates 6,279 MB/t of steam which is enough to power 4 turbines. For the turbines I have them 7 wide x 7 high x 15 length with 10 layers of 8 blades and 3 layers of 8 Ludicrite and they run at 1800 RPM with 1516 MB/t of steam. The entire power system uses 1 Yellorium ingot every minute and produces 84672 RF/t (21168 RF/t per turbine).
I think this is a very useful reply but I already have an passively cooled reactor producing 32.6K RF/T (Im not sure if the dimensions are 10 length 7 height 10 width or 8 length 5 or 6 height 8 width(im on vacation)) I just want to know the appropriate number, length, height and width of my turbine. NerpyDerpston kind of explains how actively cooled reactors work but I did some research and figured out how they work but not with my specific power output. I failed to mention that getting an actively cooled reactor (and turbine) is an achievement in SkyFactory 2.5 so instead of making a new passively cooled reactor I wanted to use my current one. Also MacAisling said that coil size was complicated but nobody has explained exactly what coil size does. Again I wouldnt mind compromizing efficiency for power output so what coil size, width, height and length should I use? I also want the least amount of turbines possible.
 
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Robi2601

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BOOMSPL4T's reply is not necessarily the most helpful but he did say the measures which no other reply has done which is very important. Also I forgot to say thanks so ah umm thanks.
 
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B00MSPL4T

Guest
Sorry Robi, I re-read your question.

The amount of blocks used in the coil increases friction, which increases the amount of power a turbine produces. However, it in tern increases the amount of steam required to get your turbine up to 1800 RPM (which is where you get the most energy production). Basically:

More coils > More Energy

But...

More coils > More friction > More steam > Less turbines per reactor > Less energy

A 5 x 5 x 15 turbine with 3 layers of 9 Ludicrite (27 blocks of Ludicrite) is in my opinion (and from my own testing) the best turbine you can build. If you want just 1 turbines, you can seriously downsize your reactor... However you won't get the amount of power you want from 1 turbine. If you want lots of power, you will need multiple turbines.

My current reactor layout is this: http://br.sidoh.org/#reactor-design...XCX2OGCG2OXCX2OGCG2OXCX2OGCG2OXCX2OGCG2OXGX6O

It powers 12 turbines in a vertical position with a spacing of 5 block between them, I have them position 6 either side of my reactor in a grid that takes a total room size of 41 x 65. The turbines require 18204 MB/t of steam and produce a total of 254016 RF/t while only using 0.36 Yellorium Ingots per min (and I produce 4.2 ingots per min with my Yellorium Bees).
 
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B00MSPL4T

Guest
I did a little test for you with a 5 x 5 x 16 turbine with 4 layers of 9 Ludicrite (36 blocks of Ludicrite) and the result is below.

qR6sVbm.png


At 2000 MB/t the turbine gets up to just below 1800 RPM, but it is just about in the sweet spot. With 12 of these it would bump it up to 337356 RF/t from 254016 RF/t. With the reactor I linked you would need to take change the core control rod insertion to 45% to cover the extra steam, but you would an additional 158.4 yellorium ingots per 24 hour period to run it.

If you wanted just 2 of these turbines, you could pair them with this reactor: http://br.sidoh.org/#reactor-design...ntrolRodInsertion=10&layout=6OXGX2OGCG2OXGX6O

This would produce enough steam for 2 turbines creating 56226 RF/t, and only consume 187.2 yellorium ingots per 24 hour period.
 
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Robi2601

Guest
I did a little test for you with a 5 x 5 x 16 turbine with 4 layers of 9 Ludicrite (36 blocks of Ludicrite) and the result is below.

qR6sVbm.png


At 2000 MB/t the turbine gets up to just below 1800 RPM, but it is just about in the sweet spot. With 12 of these it would bump it up to 337356 RF/t from 254016 RF/t. With the reactor I linked you would need to take change the core control rod insertion to 45% to cover the extra steam, but you would an additional 158.4 yellorium ingots per 24 hour period to run it.

If you wanted just 2 of these turbines, you could pair them with this reactor: http://br.sidoh.org/#reactor-design...ntrolRodInsertion=10&layout=6OXGX2OGCG2OXGX6O

This would produce enough steam for 2 turbines creating 56226 RF/t, and only consume 187.2 yellorium ingots per 24 hour period.
This is a very helpful response and I really appreciate the time and effort and genuene care that went into this
reply. Also, thanks for explaining what coil size does. But, first off you said at the first paragraph below the tuebine control image that I would have to change the core control rod insertion to 45% BUT it would use an additional 158.4 yellorium ingots. Again guys I really dont care about how much yellorium it uses so long as the turbine(s) produce more than 32.6K RF/T (I want the least amount of turbines(I want each turbine to produce the most power (per turbine) possible)). Also there were links to reactors all of which were very interesting but does that mean I have to change my reactor? Preferably I want to keep my reactor but I can change the core control rod inertion to the appropriate amount. Now i know the appropriate coil size, 3 (27 blocks of Ludicrite) so thanks for that dude. (I thought that it was very complicated but not really(at least how you explained it it wasnt)) but anyway, Thanks.
 

MacAisling

Popular Member
Apr 25, 2013
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Most of the point of actively cooled reactors is fiddling with better fuel efficiency. As best as I can estimate without knowing your exact reactor design, you could run 13 maxed out turbines with your current reactor. You need 2 turbines to equal or better your current output. The point of adjusting your control rods is to minimize the amount of excess yellorium you are wasting.

Turbine output is dependent on material and # of blocks in the coil and the rpm, with 900 and 1800 being the efficiency sweet spots. Rpm is dependent on the resistance of the coil (based on material and # of blocks) and the steam throughput (adjustable control, soft cap dependent on # of rotor blades, hard cap at 2000 mb/t).

A ludicrite coil of 32 blocks (4 rows of 8) will hit 1800 rpm with 2000 steam to generate a little over 28k rf.
An enderium coil of something like 36.5 blocks will run at 1800 rpm with 2000 steam to generate around 25k rf.
 
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Robi2601

Guest
Most of the point of actively cooled reactors is fiddling with better fuel efficiency. As best as I can estimate without knowing your exact reactor design, you could run 13 maxed out turbines with your current reactor. You need 2 turbines to equal or better your current output. The point of adjusting your control rods is to minimize the amount of excess yellorium you are wasting.

Turbine output is dependent on material and # of blocks in the coil and the rpm, with 900 and 1800 being the efficiency sweet spots. Rpm is dependent on the resistance of the coil (based on material and # of blocks) and the steam throughput (adjustable control, soft cap dependent on # of rotor blades, hard cap at 2000 mb/t).

A ludicrite coil of 32 blocks (4 rows of 8) will hit 1800 rpm with 2000 steam to generate a little over 28k rf.
An enderium coil of something like 36.5 blocks will run at 1800 rpm with 2000 steam to generate around 25k rf.
Thanks for your reply, you can check my reactor's dimensions (aproximately) (im on vacation) right below NerpyDerpston's reply. How much RF/T would I produce per turbine? Also you havent said the turbine's length, width and height. The Coil(which is going to be made out of Ludicrite) is going to be 3 or 4 (24 or 32 blocks of Ludicrite). What size do I do 3 or 4 (in the coil)? Anyways thanks.
 
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Robi2601

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Also my reactor has a checkerboard pattern with half of the space in the reactor is gelid cryotheum and half the space is fuel rods so the gelid cryotheum has the most contact with the fuel rods. Also MacAisling, I know half the purpose of making an actively cooled reactor is to mke it more efficient but making an actively cooled (and turbine) is an achievement so rather than making a new one I decided to use my current passively cooled reactor (read this entire page and you will see that I told that to BOOMSPL4T too) thanks.
 
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Robi2601

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By the way which are the measurments for the max size turbine?
 
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NerpyDerpston

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30x30x46 by default, I believe. If that's too big it will tell you when you right click it.
 
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pmfman

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essentially it is all about balance. in general you want as many coils as possible WHILE staying within optimum RPM (more coils = lower RPM)
 

Inaeo

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
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There is no point in making a Turbine larger than 7x7x16. If you use 80 blades and 32 blocks of Ludicrite as a coil, it's just over 28kRF/t. Anything larger is just a waste of Turbine Housing. A Turbine can use 2000mb/t Steam, so (as stated by @MacAisling ) you can run many of them with the amount of steam your Reactor is capable of outputting. In order to exceed the power generated in passive mode, you would need at least two. If that is all you are interested in (just enough to get your achievement) you can use rod insertion to generate less steam (aiming for at or just over 4000mb/t) which would in turn increase your Reactor's fuel efficiency. If you don't care about reducing fuel consumption, go ahead and build a half dozen Turbines and easily triple your current power generation.