IC2 Power Suggestions

[Ganoly3]

I have recently started a lot of work on an IC2 setup using Generators. So far, I have 29 Generators that are supplied with the surplus of fuel that I use to power my 36LP boiler. I am able to keep 3 MFSUs running(1 being dedicated for UU-Matter production), but I find that my system is not fully automated. I must constantly turn on and off my Sorting Machine to send things to the Generators, and sometimes there is not enough fuel available. In the end, I have 2 questions.

1. What other fuel source can I use to power these Generators(besides Blaze Rods and Logs)? I am willing to add MANY more Generators if needed.
2. Is there a better way of automating the system?

Here are some pictures of my setup:

My Sorting Machine sending the items to the Generators.


Some piping from the Sorting Machine


My 29 Generators inputting to 3 MFSUs(can only see 1 in this picture).

 

[Hitmaniac]

There are good ways of powering generators. If you create a Steve's Cart Tree Farm, saw the logs with a Sawmill, you'll be able to power a HP Boiler(max size) and a good amount of generators.

 

[Ganoly3]

There are good ways of powering generators. If you create a Steve's Cart Tree Farm, saw the logs with a Sawmill, you'll be able to power a HP Boiler(max size) and a good amount of generators.

I already have a Steves cart tree farm sending logs to the boiler, but I never thought about using a sawmill. Will have to try that. Don't really know how I would work out the piping though?

 

[Sir_Moodz]

use fuel buckets, they give massive energy, and you get it realy fast and cheap

 

[AlanEsh]

Get rid of the generators and fire another boiler up, which will supply a steam turbine for EU. (edit: my SC tree farm with sawmill was supplying two LP36 boilers for me, with a massive surplus of logs and a diamond buffer chest of planks. I was using saplings to fire a single generator which ran a compressor to turn the sawdust into wood plates as well, but you could just void the sawdust. This was all automated with Relays fed through redstone tubes and controlled by autarach gates. It was reliable and never spilled logs/planks/etc on the floor)

 

[Byte Templar]

36LP boiler or 10 Generators, which is resource wise easier (same 100EU/t output)and how about running costs in the long run? Trying to think different ways to produce energy than boring solars in the beginning of a new map.

 

[AlanEsh]

IMO 10x generators would be a PITA to keep fueled cleanly, but maybe that's just me.

 

[Affex]

Solar Panels FTW......

 

[brujon]

36LP boiler or 10 Generators, which is resource wise easier (same 100EU/t output)and how about running costs in the long run? Trying to think different ways to produce energy than boring solars in the beginning of a new map.

Definitely the generators. You'll end up using about the same amount of iron, but for the LP Boiler you'll have an upfront cost of a LOT more fuel than what the Generators will consome, AND you'll have to replace the Turbine every now and then, which adds up.

 

[Ganoly3]

Definitely the generators. You'll end up using about the same amount of iron, but for the LP Boiler you'll have an upfront cost of a LOT more fuel than what the Generators will consome, AND you'll have to replace the Turbine every now and then, which adds up.

I invested in some more Generators, and now the system seems to work fine. I might need to increase the size of my farm though, because there is not alot of wood coming in. Thank you all for the suggestions!

 

[brujon]

Use the Sawmill suggested earlier in the thread to make a log into 6 planks, it will give you more energy generation per log than just using the logs. Another idea would be to then use the planks to make scaffolding. 4.5 planks make 16 scaffolds, which can be burned for far more than 4.5 planks worth.

 

[Slaagathor]

Use the Sawmill suggested earlier in the thread to make a log into 6 planks, it will give you more energy generation per log than just using the logs. Another idea would be to then use the planks to make scaffolding. 4.5 planks make 16 scaffolds, which can be burned for far more than 4.5 planks worth.

brujon: What pack are you running? I could swear that in my Mindcrack 8.2, the recipe for scaffolds only yields 4. I remember in FTB Beta A it was 16.

OP: I use two BC sawmills, and use planks (with a huge excess) in my HP boiler, and take the sawdust output, autocraft it to compressed sawdust, then burn that in furnaces to make charcoal which goes to generators on my MFSU. I have a dislike of voiding things if I can avoid it (pun?)! I don't have any automated IC2/GT processing yet though, so its adequate enough for my manual processing needs.

 

[Guswut]

Use the Sawmill suggested earlier in the thread to make a log into 6 planks, it will give you more energy generation per log than just using the logs. Another idea would be to then use the planks to make scaffolding. 4.5 planks make 16 scaffolds, which can be burned for far more than 4.5 planks worth.

I see the three planks three sticks recipe only giving four scaffolding per craft, currently.

And to confirm, that is a GregTech change (http://forum.industrial-craft.net/index.php?page=Thread&postID=90064) to remove this extremely easy way to increase the energy density of planks.

 

[Ganoly3]

brujon: What pack are you running? I could swear that in my Mindcrack 8.2, the recipe for scaffolds only yields 4. I remember in FTB Beta A it was 16.

OP: I use two BC sawmills, and use planks (with a huge excess) in my HP boiler, and take the sawdust output, autocraft it to compressed sawdust, then burn that in furnaces to make charcoal which goes to generators on my MFSU. I have a dislike of voiding things if I can avoid it (pun?)! I don't have any automated IC2/GT processing yet though, so its adequate enough for my manual processing needs.

Ill try using the sawdust. As of now, I'm just voiding it. I didn't know you could turn it into charcoal.

 

[brujon]

brujon: What pack are you running? I could swear that in my Mindcrack 8.2, the recipe for scaffolds only yields 4. I remember in FTB Beta A it was 16.

OP: I use two BC sawmills, and use planks (with a huge excess) in my HP boiler, and take the sawdust output, autocraft it to compressed sawdust, then burn that in furnaces to make charcoal which goes to generators on my MFSU. I have a dislike of voiding things if I can avoid it (pun?)! I don't have any automated IC2/GT processing yet though, so its adequate enough for my manual processing needs.

DW20. Which doesn't use Gregtech, which Guswut already pointed out as the origin of the nerf...

I don't like the way Gregtech nerfs other mods. I think it's cool that it has it's own advanced stuff, but i frown upon it actually interfering with other mods.

 

[Chocorate]

Probably any other power source with energy bridges.

If you don't feel like using that, just use a few advanced solars. They'll power your base forever.

 

[whizzball1]

Dude. First of all. WHY THE HECK ARE YOU USING GENERATORS?! That aside, Steve's Carts Tree Farms!

 

[Milaha]

Screw Steve's Carts tree farms, MFR tree farms. One fertilized MFR farm growing redwoods (I did have to do a minor tweak to the configs to allow it to see the top of them) is producing enough wood and saplings to easily run 10x 36HP boilers for me. And even if you include the animal pen I have for sewage production it is a fraction of the size of my old Cart farm.

That said, I would not chuck your generators out the window. While they are less efficient than a boiler even using turbines (much less power converters) the issues you are having should also be easily solved with a router (using a router to feed planks into the generators instead of doing it directly with RP). Since you already have all that infrastructure, there is no reason to simply throw it out for a slightly more efficient solution, especially when we consider that the resource in question is unlimited.

 

[2122000nrm]

Use cobblestone. Get a bunch of igenous extruders, then pipe them all in into recyclers, and pipe the scrap into the generators. Each scrap is worth 870 EU/t
Another option would be to sawmill your logs, and turn them into scaffolds and then put them into the generators, you get more EU by doing this.

 

[brujon]

Screw Steve's Carts tree farms, MFR tree farms. One fertilized MFR farm growing redwoods (I did have to do a minor tweak to the configs to allow it to see the top of them) is producing enough wood and saplings to easily run 10x 36HP boilers for me. And even if you include the animal pen I have for sewage production it is a fraction of the size of my old Cart farm.

That said, I would not chuck your generators out the window. While they are less efficient than a boiler even using turbines (much less power converters) the issues you are having should also be easily solved with a router (using a router to feed planks into the generators instead of doing it directly with RP). Since you already have all that infrastructure, there is no reason to simply throw it out for a slightly more efficient solution, especially when we consider that the resource in question is unlimited.

I believe there's a way of recycling Generators. I might be wrong.