How much biofuel does it take to start a steam boiler?

[Davykinz]

I have an automatic biofuel set up pumping biofuel to an iron tank, which will eventually be hooked up to a high pressure, liquid fueled steam boiler (the high pressure blocks are 3x3, 4 high, highest it can be).

Just wondering how much biofuel I should have in the tank before I connect it to the steam boiler. any suggestions?

 

[Yusunoha]

this should help you http://calculator.towerofawesome.org/

 

[Davykinz]

woah lol.
but i dont see biofuel under fuels

this should help you http://calculator.towerofawesome.org/

 

[Yusunoha]

woah lol.
but i dont see biofuel under fuels

that's because it got renamed to Ethanol

 

[egor66]

I have an automatic biofuel set up pumping biofuel to an iron tank, which will eventually be hooked up to a high pressure, liquid fueled steam boiler (the high pressure blocks are 3x3, 4 high, highest it can be).

Just wondering how much biofuel I should have in the tank before I connect it to the steam boiler. any suggestions?

As a basic rule of thumb its take 4 times more for the burn-in, than the normal running cost.

 

[eric167]

max size HP boiler, you need 697 buckets of fuel to heat it up.
then 36 per hour afterward.

probably want the tank to say at least 1,000.000 (tank measures in millibuckets, so thats 1000 buckets of fuel)

 

[Davykinz]

max size HP boiler, you need 697 buckets of fuel to heat it up.
then 36 per hour afterward.

probably want the tank to say at least 10000 (tank measures in millibuckets, so thats 1000 buckets of fuel)

isnt 10000 only 10 buckets lol

 

[eric167]

isnt 10000 only 10 buckets lol

ok, 1000000.
wish those tanks had a better split between buckets and fractions of a bucket.
1,000,000 gets you sometimes when its really 1,000.000

 

[schyman]

Just a quick note, if you don't have a very harsh space issue, having two 36LP boilers will be much more fuel efficient than one 36HP boiler. They close up to each other after a loooong runtime but it's generally more worth to have 2x36LP than 1x36HP. One HP will require about 700 buckets to start up, two LP boilers (which output matches one HP) takes about 350 to start up.

BTW iron/steel tanks show fuel with the decimals separated by a comma, so when you have enough for a 36HP it should say about 700,000.

 

[Shakie666]

Just a quick note, if you don't have a very harsh space issue, having two 36LP boilers will be much more fuel efficient than one 36HP boiler. They close up to each other after a loooong runtime but it's generally more worth to have 2x36LP than 1x36HP. One HP will require about 700 buckets to start up, two LP boilers (which output matches one HP) takes about 350 to start up.

BTW iron/steel tanks show fuel with the decimals separated by a comma, so when you have enough for a 36HP it should say about 700,000.

Technically you're correct, the overall efficiency of two LP boilers is higher than one equivalent HP boiler. However, since the OP is using biofuel (which is renewable), there's really no reason to use LP over HP. Once you have an umlimited fuel supply, space efficiency is more important that wasting some fuel at the beginning.

The tanks show storage capacity in millibuckets rather than buckets (i.e. 1/1000th of a bucket), which is why its listed as 700,000 and not just 700.

 

[DREVL]

Technically you're correct, the overall efficiency of two LP boilers is higher than one equivalent HP boiler. However, since the OP is using biofuel (which is renewable), there's really no reason to use LP over HP. Once you have an umlimited fuel supply, space efficiency is more important that wasting some fuel at the beginning.

The tanks show storage capacity in millibuckets rather than buckets (i.e. 1/1000th of a bucket), which is why its listed as 700,000 and not just 700.

Yep. That is the point that was completely missed in that boiler efficiency debate thread a while back. Sure many smaller or lp boiler are more efficient, but when your talking about renewable energy sources ( charcoal or biofuels) none of that matters and 36 hp ends up being the best of the only variable that really matters at that point, space.[DOUBLEPOST=1375572341][/DOUBLEPOST]And I know this is about bio fuel, but fyi I start my solid hp36 at about 3.5 barrells of charcoal.

 

[schyman]

Technically you're correct, the overall efficiency of two LP boilers is higher than one equivalent HP boiler. However, since the OP is using biofuel (which is renewable), there's really no reason to use LP over HP. Once you have an umlimited fuel supply, space efficiency is more important that wasting some fuel at the beginning.

The tanks show storage capacity in millibuckets rather than buckets (i.e. 1/1000th of a bucket), which is why its listed as 700,000 and not just 700.

Just like space, biofuel comes in an infinite amount at a finite pace. They're both practically infinite, the question is just which you want to prioritize. Also note that it can be very useful to be able to start up your first boiler at just ~150 fuel instead of having to wait to get ~650 (assuming some will be produced during startup time); that's less of a priority when slapping down your fifth boiler setup, but for the first it can make a real difference in how early you get stable high power. When your first 36HP boiler is fully started, you could instead have had two LP's running for quite some time and an additional two just getting ready (of course drain per hour will be higher after that, but w/e).

It's a trade-off, but for me, making the first two boilers LP is the clear winner, because it gives power earlier and cheaper, allowing you to more quickly expand your biofuel production to easier get up boilers 3-10, if you want a huge boiler array that is. I find the space difference quite neglible, but of course, if I wanted a 2000 MJ/t setup I'd go with 14HP boilers rather than 28LP's...

 

[Airship]

Just to add my few cents here; isn't 1000 buckets of ethanol a bit on the high side to accumulate before starting the boiler? Considering the fact that it will take quite some time before the boiler has consumed the 700 buckets needed to reach max temp, and the fact that OP will continue making ethanol during this heatup phase, wouldn't it be better to start with a much lesser buffer, say, 400 buckets or so? (That is, if he's impatient)

 

[mushroom taco]

Believe it or not, i ran a 12lp boiler off 300 buckets of creosote oil for about a real life week.

 

[Davykinz]

Hey guys thanks for all of your input, its really helpful.
I remember the LP/HP debate a while back and thought itd be important to say that space isnt really a big deal for me but i do prefer the 1 36HP over the two 36LP, just personal preference. I enjoy the long run benefits of the 36HP over the short term benefits of the two LP's

also, Ive accumulated a little over 100,000mB of biofuel into my tank, but its taken a LONG time. I have a chunk loader so its been going nonstop for a couple days real life time. been thinking about adding a few more stills/fermenters but yea this is taking quite some time. even when it reaches the buffer point idk if the rate biofuel is being produced will be able to handle a boiler.

any other ways of making biofuel? (im quite new in the whole biofuel production)

again thanks for all ur input

 

[mushroom taco]

Hey guys thanks for all of your input, its really helpful.
I remember the LP/HP debate a while back and thought itd be important to say that space isnt really a big deal for me but i do prefer the 1 36HP over the two 36LP, just personal preference. I enjoy the long run benefits of the 36HP over the short term benefits of the two LP's

also, Ive accumulated a little over 100,000mB of biofuel into my tank, but its taken a LONG time. I have a chunk loader so its been going nonstop for a couple days real life time. been thinking about adding a few more stills/fermenters but yea this is taking quite some time. even when it reaches the buffer point idk if the rate biofuel is being produced will be able to handle a boiler.

any other ways of making biofuel? (im quite new in the whole biofuel production)

again thanks for all ur input

I learned recently that stills are more efficient, but painfully slow when making biofuel, even with a high fermenter:still ratio. (in my past world i had about 5 fermenters running with about 15 stills. It didn't work well.)
Always use refineries. They're fast.

 

[Davykinz]

read up on bioreactors and they seem pretty overpowered lol..
one bioreactor can power multiple steam boilers with a constant flow of bone meal which is relatively easy to have. will probably invest in that later

 

[Tetraides1]

In the most recent version of unleashed, I have a tree multifarm setup that makes charcoal and biofuel that currently can easily fuel 15 combustion engines. But I am working on changing to steam power and having one or two (probably one) liquid-fueled HP boilers and one solid-fueled HP boiler