Safe and automated nuclear reactor? (Playing on Infinity evolved)
- Thread starter Zalison
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Just build something like this, but fill in the empty spaces with a cheap component. Then tell AE to insert full fuel cells, and extract empty ones.
Is that an interface mod? I've never used "AE" before lol Looks cool though! Edit: and what do you mean by a cheap component?Just build something like this, but fill in the empty spaces with a cheap component. Then tell AE to insert full fuel cells, and extract empty ones.
That is a screenshot from a java application that allows one to play with reactor designs. It is (sadly) outdated and does not support Ic2exp MOX fuel rods.
I downloaded it from here http://www.talonfiremage.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/v3/reactorplanner.html
AE is Applied Energistics 2 and is my preferred mod to insert/remove items from inventories. Any of the usual insert / remove with metadata mods (EIO, ExU or ThermalWhatever Item ducts with filters) should work too.
A cheap component would be any kind of rector vent that costs the least amount of copper / iron. Just to fill the empty spaces in the design so that the "insert fuel rods" object doesn't try to fill the reactor with fuel rods and blow it up.
I do not know of any mod in 1.7.10 that can "swap" an item in an inventory, in-place, with a different item, and the only mod I know of can insert/remove objects from specific inventory locations is ComputerCraft (perhaps OpenComputers too).
So the most convenient automated IC2exp reactor consists of a no-empty spaces and all-the-same fuel rods design.
Thanks for your help! The only thing I'm still wondering is how the removal and reinserting of the items will work. I've just been using buildcraft pipes this whole time lol I'll have to experiment I guess or just end up putting in stuff manually.
You will need to use thermal dynamics item ducts with filters or ender IO conduits, as these mods pipes both support inserting items, as well as removing items by type that match specific damage values or nbt tags. Buildcraft emerald pipes might be able to extract only spent fuel rods, but the usual mechanism - the wooden pipe - will extract everything.
I now have over 1000 Plutoniums in Expert mode, so trust me when I tell you the easiest and safest nuke you can make is in this thread, second post, second reactor listed in that post. 120 EU/t output and gives 7 Plutoniums every 5.5 hours. Spam em, I started with 1, then 2, then 4, and finally I ran 8 of the little beasts.
http://forum.industrial-craft.net/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=11729
Use each 5.5 hour run of the nukes to power a Quarry so you have enough Uranium ore for the next 5.5 hour run. Every quarry run, take the lead/iron/copper and make more nukes. Easy game!
Edit: Oh, I guess I did "cheat" a bit to get those Plutoniums - I scanned it into my IC2 Replicator and made a lot via UU Matter. But those little nukes will get you to the Big Reactor stage of the game, which is all that matters.
Edit #2: Oh, in case you don't know, the little one-block IC2 nukes won't blow up because the core heat never gets above 0%. That's why I used that version and not a bigger version that makes more power. One of my server-mates tried a larger IC2 reactor, and within seconds of him flipping the "ON" lever, he had lost 2 rooms in his base. LOL One layer of IC2 Reinforced Stone was NOT enough!
http://forum.industrial-craft.net/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=11729
Use each 5.5 hour run of the nukes to power a Quarry so you have enough Uranium ore for the next 5.5 hour run. Every quarry run, take the lead/iron/copper and make more nukes. Easy game!
Edit: Oh, I guess I did "cheat" a bit to get those Plutoniums - I scanned it into my IC2 Replicator and made a lot via UU Matter. But those little nukes will get you to the Big Reactor stage of the game, which is all that matters.
Edit #2: Oh, in case you don't know, the little one-block IC2 nukes won't blow up because the core heat never gets above 0%. That's why I used that version and not a bigger version that makes more power. One of my server-mates tried a larger IC2 reactor, and within seconds of him flipping the "ON" lever, he had lost 2 rooms in his base. LOL One layer of IC2 Reinforced Stone was NOT enough!
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It's all done manually. Make the HazMat Suit (which is 2 pieces), along with Rubber Boots and Scuba Helmet. Those 4 pieces will keep you safe when you manually insert and take out Uranium rods.
The only reactor that you would have to automate is the last reactor shown in this video (at around 6:45), with the LZH and RSH Condensators... but if you ever get to that point, you are an expert and do not need our help!!
These are MOX reactors, make note... I did not build any MOX reactors, just plain old Uranium Fuel Rods were sufficient.
Oh, you mentioned "automated".... I put 4 of my one-block 120 EU/t nukes in a row and ran their output into an MFE. 4*120=480 EU/t and the MFE outputs 512 EU/t, so that's a very good match. The MFE will slowly drop to zero under constant power load, but that's fine - it will still output the 480 EU/t from the nukes at that point, which should be close enough that the small power drop isn't even noticed.
Then what you do is run EnderIO Insulated Redstone Conduit from the MFE back to all four of the IC2 Nukes. Right click the MFE and change the Redstone settings on it (upper right corner, I believe) so that the MFE outputs a redstone signal when it is full. Voila! You've just created a fully automated power supply on the EU side. The only thing you need to do is monitor the fuel cells and replace them when they are depleted. If they run non-stop, it takes 20,000 seconds for a Fuel Cell to run out, which is approximately 5.5 hours. With the redstone feedback loop, it is highly likely that the time to deplete will be longer, since the reactors will constantly be turning on and turning off as needed.
Then what you do is run EnderIO Insulated Redstone Conduit from the MFE back to all four of the IC2 Nukes. Right click the MFE and change the Redstone settings on it (upper right corner, I believe) so that the MFE outputs a redstone signal when it is full. Voila! You've just created a fully automated power supply on the EU side. The only thing you need to do is monitor the fuel cells and replace them when they are depleted. If they run non-stop, it takes 20,000 seconds for a Fuel Cell to run out, which is approximately 5.5 hours. With the redstone feedback loop, it is highly likely that the time to deplete will be longer, since the reactors will constantly be turning on and turning off as needed.
Few things:
1) I don't really recommend you do an actively-cooled IC2 setup. I have one, but they're a bit finnicky to get running without steam explosions. Stick with an old-fashioned magically-outputs-eu reactor.
2) asb3pe references a MOX reactor above. You'll need plutonium to get into MOX (which means running a uranium reactor for a while) but once you get one running its a viable alternative (and safer and way less finnicky)
3) I totally agree that all-of-same-type rods are a good thing if you want to automate. For automation, I often get by just using ender IO item conduits with item whitelisting. That said, I forget how nasty the recipe is for those on this pack.
4) Chris Becke's layout's actually not bad. Especially if you want a low-efficiency reactor that will output plutonium more quickly.
5) That said (about #1), that same reactor will probably output around 825 eu/t if you run it in an actively-cooled setup. Buuuuut. Ignore the temptation
1) I don't really recommend you do an actively-cooled IC2 setup. I have one, but they're a bit finnicky to get running without steam explosions. Stick with an old-fashioned magically-outputs-eu reactor.
2) asb3pe references a MOX reactor above. You'll need plutonium to get into MOX (which means running a uranium reactor for a while) but once you get one running its a viable alternative (and safer and way less finnicky)
3) I totally agree that all-of-same-type rods are a good thing if you want to automate. For automation, I often get by just using ender IO item conduits with item whitelisting. That said, I forget how nasty the recipe is for those on this pack.
4) Chris Becke's layout's actually not bad. Especially if you want a low-efficiency reactor that will output plutonium more quickly.
5) That said (about #1), that same reactor will probably output around 825 eu/t if you run it in an actively-cooled setup. Buuuuut. Ignore the temptation
That was the most efficient reactor with homogeneous fuel cells I could find that didn't require some kind of CC program to shut it down periodically, or coolant cell insertion infrastructure, the first of which I don't trust, and the 2nd requiring more sophistication with the insertion and removal of different things at different locations than I (certainly) know (or could be arsed to learn) how to do.
I've come across several which are higher efficiency. I'm not at home so I don't have my preferred ones close to hand, but just as an example:
http://www.talonfiremage.pwp.blueyo...k2pp6b8266i8bj55g1m8adh05nlzbpykw84kwczan05q8
According to the simulator it runs a full cycle, requires no cooling/replacements, and takes uranium.
Awesome! See the whole reason I wanted to start this is because my Mass fabricator is draining power from my MFE faster than my 10 geothermals can in put power. So I thought maybe a nuke could keep the power up while I constantly run the fabricator.
Yeah - but it has empty spaces and non homogeneous fuel rods (duals and quads) so its impossible to automate without mods that can do swaps or target inventory slots. One could drop one of the duals and replace the other with a quad, and fill in the blank spaces with Component Heat Vents to get a reactor with a total output of 52MEU@260EU/t with the same fuel commitment. Not quite as good, but can be automated.
(http://www.talonfiremage.pwp.blueyo...plryjeoqf2evatqf0mtqop5t7o94ie8sfgvqvnxbdmo00)
Empty slots aren't an issue, you just throw plating in there. YEah, sorry, its a bad example because of the rods, I forgot that part. But honestly there's a lot of 4+ efficiency reactors out there that fit the bill. I had a hard time finding one that was <= 3 in fact.
edit: also, incidentally, one of my reactors was using this reactor you posted until two nights ago
I switched it for a lower-efficiency reactor in order to get plutonium more quickly. But yeah this is a solid example.
I don't recall seeing that one before. Its pretty good as a balance between efficiency and pure output.
With a superheated steam setup and a single stirling generator, you'll get a flat-even 1000 eu/t from it. I'd consider this one for sure if I weren't primarily interested in the plutonium atm.
edit: sorry, mathfail. You'll get 940 eu/t from it. I double-dipped 80 hu/s.
If anyone cares, here's how to calculate/estimate your power from those planners. Its mostly reliable. It worked for the last 10 or so reactors I assembled but I'm thinking I ran into one once where doubling the "heat generated" value did not produce reliable hu/s.
1) Take the "Heat Generated" value and double it. That will be how much heat-units per second your reactor generates. In this case, 1280 hu/s. Its also the number you'll see in the GUI when its in 5x5 fluid mode.
2) Get the highest number from that that divides cleanly by 200. You can feed Superheated steam setups in increments of 200 hu/s. In this case we can generate SHS with 1200 hu/s.
3) Every SHS setup (SHS + Steam) can produce 150 eu/t for every 200 hu/s it gets.
4) Everything that you cannot SHS you might as well just transform the heat directly into power. Stirling generators. You get the equivalent of 50 eu/t for every 100 hu/s (but 100 increments not required)
5) Add 3 and 4 together.
SHS power = 1200 * 150 / 200 = 900
Stirling = 80 * 50 / 100 = 40
Total = 900 + 40 eu/t (or 3760 RF/t if transformed at nominal 4:1 rate)
1) Take the "Heat Generated" value and double it. That will be how much heat-units per second your reactor generates. In this case, 1280 hu/s. Its also the number you'll see in the GUI when its in 5x5 fluid mode.
2) Get the highest number from that that divides cleanly by 200. You can feed Superheated steam setups in increments of 200 hu/s. In this case we can generate SHS with 1200 hu/s.
3) Every SHS setup (SHS + Steam) can produce 150 eu/t for every 200 hu/s it gets.
4) Everything that you cannot SHS you might as well just transform the heat directly into power. Stirling generators. You get the equivalent of 50 eu/t for every 100 hu/s (but 100 increments not required)
5) Add 3 and 4 together.
SHS power = 1200 * 150 / 200 = 900
Stirling = 80 * 50 / 100 = 40
Total = 900 + 40 eu/t (or 3760 RF/t if transformed at nominal 4:1 rate)
