How would you power a large player-run city without the use of Big Reactors and Tesseracts?

  • Please make sure you are posting in the correct place. Server ads go here and modpack bugs go here

RavynousHunter

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
2,784
-3
1
I could never actually get the biodiesel into the generator for it to work. Tried RotaryCraft pipes, Mek pipes, Ender IO, Thermal Dynamics...damn near every method of fluid transport available outside maybe BuildCraft. Never got it to work.
 

Someone Else 37

Forum Addict
Feb 10, 2013
1,876
1,440
168
I could never actually get the biodiesel into the generator for it to work. Tried RotaryCraft pipes, Mek pipes, Ender IO, Thermal Dynamics...damn near every method of fluid transport available outside maybe BuildCraft. Never got it to work.
You were probably trying to pipe the fuel into the wrong block in the generator multiblock. I don't know off the top of my head which would be the right one, though.
 

gold49

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
415
0
0
Could go with the tried and true method of tree farm + railcraft steam boilers. Biofuel and charcoal fueling several dozen (at minimum) boilers. Steam is transported around the city by pipe/s (multiple lines could be run if demand is too great for any type of single line pipe) and citizens are provided with two or three engines by the city, after they need more power than those engines can provide they must make their own engines (still using city power). When demand/distance becomes a issue, buffer tanks could be placed around the city so when there is less demand the tanks will fill. As secondary power a minimum number of solar panels could the required on everyone's roof with a rather basic storage of energy for each house.

Problems with this would be the space needed for massive numbers of boilers and farms to supply them. Then there is the rather low "energy density" of steam, as basically any mod's energy cell can contain more power than what a steam tank could contain in one block. I simply would go with this as it is fairly straight forward and is a simple brute force method of power gen that would likely work and still pose a logistical challenge.

I apologize for the wall of text.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Type1Ninja

RavynousHunter

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
2,784
-3
1
You were probably trying to pipe the fuel into the wrong block in the generator multiblock. I don't know off the top of my head which would be the right one, though.

They looked like valves, and the book said that the corners were fuel input valves. Breaking and reforming the machine did naught.
 

epidemia78

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
1,810
-4
0
You can even pump it in from the bottom or sides:

uFl4leZ.jpg
 

RavynousHunter

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
2,784
-3
1
I'm gonna test that in creative and get back to ya. If that's the case, then either I misread the manual, or the bloody thing outright lied.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Type1Ninja

AdmiralKirov

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
69
0
0
Yeah but solar is quite "boring", having a huge 1800s style "steam plant" with walls crowded by boilers from wich super laminar ducts and power lines would run across the city is much more eye-pleasing :D

Getting more 1920ish I think diesel generators in place of the boilers would be a nice alternative.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Type1Ninja

epidemia78

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
1,810
-4
0
Yeah but solar is quite "boring", having a huge 1800s style "steam plant" with walls crowded by boilers from wich super laminar ducts and power lines would run across the city is much more eye-pleasing :D

Getting more 1920ish I think diesel generators in place of the boilers would be a nice alternative.

you mean something like this?

7XcugkI.png


1lPmDGg.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: rdemay91

AdmiralKirov

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
69
0
0
More like this!
stock-footage-lemmer-the-netherlands-ir-d-f-wouda-steam-pumping-station-steam-engine-room-circa.jpg


Woudagemaal2.jpg

3183_fullimage_wouda%20steam%20gemaal.jpg_560x350.jpg

The Wouda pumping station, 1920.

Now forgive my tech-OT, presuming Railcraft will be used for steam production, it's boilers are fire-tube tipe ones (deduction based on their explosiveness), they are used to produe high volumes of steam at relatively low pressure and temperature, their use in the energy industry has ended almost 100 years ago, so I would stay around 1890-1900s buildings as examples, @Epidemia87 's favoutire style :D (Even though steam engines vould be more realistic)
I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to that kind of buildings :p
 

epidemia78

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
1,810
-4
0
*sighs* I miss PowerCraft. It had lots of cool blocks to give an awesome, factory feel. Plus, it had the only conveyor belts worth using.

Magneticraft has awesome conveyor belts. Awesome because of the way they look and also because you cant accidentally pick up items from them, only the robotic arms that go along with the conveyors can. Lately it seems Magneticraft is all I can talk about.
 
Last edited: