So from what I have read on this thread so far is if you are starting fresh, two 36LP boilers is more efficient than a single 36HP boiler. I already setup a 36HP boiler, would I save more fuel in the long run to take out that boiler and replace it with two 36LP boilers?
The Final Word on Steam Boiler Efficiency
- Thread starter Omicron
- Start date
No, it doesn't really depend on anything... 36LPs heat up much faster and, in 1.6.x packs, are permanently more fuel efficient. So yes, you will save fuel in both the short and long run if you use two 36LPs over one 36HP.
However, @Sidorion is right in saying that if you have a permenant infinite fuel loop, the fuel consumption of your boiler(s) is entirely secondary. Only if the loop cannot supply a 36 HP but can supply two 36 LP does it matter.
However, @Sidorion is right in saying that if you have a permenant infinite fuel loop, the fuel consumption of your boiler(s) is entirely secondary. Only if the loop cannot supply a 36 HP but can supply two 36 LP does it matter.
Well it does depend. The HP boiler already did use a certain amount fuel and you save an amount of fuel per hour with the LP variants (varies with time due to heatup phase). So if you don't run the LP boilers long enough to save that fuel already burnt, it's better to stay with the HP.
But that wouldn't be a >long run< in the first place
But that wouldn't be a >long run< in the first place
Yeah, that's kinda nice, because now you can scale the steam output by demand. Just feed the boiler with less fuel to have it cool down a bit or feed it faster to raise temperature. It should be just a spimple math-task to calculate the required burn/not burn ratio for a given desired steam output. From that you can calculate the timer setting for when to put in a new fuel item.
This could be a job for casilleroatr, our brave computercraft hero
Bonus points for fast cooling (feeding NO fuel) or fast heating (continuous fuel) till the new temperature is reached.
This could be a job for casilleroatr, our brave computercraft hero
Bonus points for fast cooling (feeding NO fuel) or fast heating (continuous fuel) till the new temperature is reached.
For now i produce saplings in a tree farm feeding a fermenter, itself feeding a row of stills. I went from using charcoal to biomass to Ethanol as fuel. I find it quite fun to produce renewable energy this way. Each technological step is rewarding (efficiency and fun). So naturally i thought "What next?". And steam seems the way to go. However...
I'am using Tech world2. I updated Railcraft to 8.3 (8.2 fireboxes refused to accept ethanol) and MineFactoryReloaded to 2.7.8 (biofuel generator were accepting water as a valid fuel in 2.7.5).
Right now with one bucket of ethanol i can produce 50kMJ with compression dynamo and 80kMJ with biofuel generator.
I started to plot curves in MatLab with according to the wiki formulas until i found this thread. It seems the wiki isn't up to date.
I'am looking for the calculation for 1 bucket of ethanol (16kHeat according to NEI) on a already maxed heat boiler (I'm only caring about asymptotic efficiency).
If I'm getting this right, according to the Forecaster calculator i need at least:
-8 tanks (51k MJ per ethanol bucket) to match the efficiency of the compression dynamo (50k MJ/Ebt)
-27 tanks(63k MJ/Ebt) to match the buildcraft engine (60k MJ/Ebt)
however
-36 tanks (71k MJ/Ebt) is still overpowered by the MFR biofuel generator (80k MJ/Ebt)
My own calculation seems quite wrong. Here is what i used in my wrong plot:
n=1:36;
usage=n.*(6.4-x*0.08)/16; (HU usage per tick)
steam = 10*n; (steam produced per tick)
MJ=8000* steam./(usage*5); (MJ per Ethanol bucket)
Forecaster, would you mind sharing your formulas?
At first i thought Boilers were not enough efficient when comparing to what i was actually planing to use. But as I'm writing, I start to realize that Biofuel generator are quite unbalanced.
I don't mind ditching them so my next goal should be to acquire a 36 tanks boiler in order to replace my compression dynamo tower instead.
I'am using Tech world2. I updated Railcraft to 8.3 (8.2 fireboxes refused to accept ethanol) and MineFactoryReloaded to 2.7.8 (biofuel generator were accepting water as a valid fuel in 2.7.5).
Right now with one bucket of ethanol i can produce 50kMJ with compression dynamo and 80kMJ with biofuel generator.
I started to plot curves in MatLab with according to the wiki formulas until i found this thread. It seems the wiki isn't up to date.
I'am looking for the calculation for 1 bucket of ethanol (16kHeat according to NEI) on a already maxed heat boiler (I'm only caring about asymptotic efficiency).
If I'm getting this right, according to the Forecaster calculator i need at least:
-8 tanks (51k MJ per ethanol bucket) to match the efficiency of the compression dynamo (50k MJ/Ebt)
-27 tanks(63k MJ/Ebt) to match the buildcraft engine (60k MJ/Ebt)
however
-36 tanks (71k MJ/Ebt) is still overpowered by the MFR biofuel generator (80k MJ/Ebt)
My own calculation seems quite wrong. Here is what i used in my wrong plot:
n=1:36;
usage=n.*(6.4-x*0.08)/16; (HU usage per tick)
steam = 10*n; (steam produced per tick)
MJ=8000* steam./(usage*5); (MJ per Ethanol bucket)
Forecaster, would you mind sharing your formulas?
At first i thought Boilers were not enough efficient when comparing to what i was actually planing to use. But as I'm writing, I start to realize that Biofuel generator are quite unbalanced.
I don't mind ditching them so my next goal should be to acquire a 36 tanks boiler in order to replace my compression dynamo tower instead.
40 mB of steam produce 80RF (each HP boiler block produces 20mb/tick, a dynamo produces 80 RF/tick and uses two HP blocks' production).
A steam oven uses 8 Buckets to cook nine coal. So this would be 200 ticks worth of steam produced by two boiler blocks equaling 16k RF for nine coal. or 1778 RF per coal produced in a steam oven.
A redstone furnace uses 1600 RF for 'other' and is therefor more efficient.
edit: Most efficient would be a coke oven. This one produces charcoal without extra energy usage (but takes extra time). As a bonus you get creosote, which you can burn in compression dynamos or a liquid fueled boiler.
A steam oven uses 8 Buckets to cook nine coal. So this would be 200 ticks worth of steam produced by two boiler blocks equaling 16k RF for nine coal. or 1778 RF per coal produced in a steam oven.
A redstone furnace uses 1600 RF for 'other' and is therefor more efficient.
edit: Most efficient would be a coke oven. This one produces charcoal without extra energy usage (but takes extra time). As a bonus you get creosote, which you can burn in compression dynamos or a liquid fueled boiler.
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With a barrel of steam i was able to produce 279 coal in a steam oven
With a steam turbine and a redstone furnace i was able to produce 318 with the same amount of steam(51138 MJ)
edit: With the information provided by Sidorion, you can calculate exactly the efficiency.
The ratio of a coken oven is 9/8 coal per Steam bucket and 10/8 for the redstone furnace.
The differences in the experiment come from steam and RF leftovers in machines.
With a steam turbine and a redstone furnace i was able to produce 318 with the same amount of steam(51138 MJ)
edit: With the information provided by Sidorion, you can calculate exactly the efficiency.
The ratio of a coken oven is 9/8 coal per Steam bucket and 10/8 for the redstone furnace.
The differences in the experiment come from steam and RF leftovers in machines.
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Given its only a small difference (9/8) I may go the steam oven route just for a change -- Thank you both for the analysis!
M
Moonlit Sparkle
Guest
That is correct, I'm afraid. People generally underestimate combustion engines because of the instant association of "it can blow up, therefore it is a terrible engine". But as a matter of fact, they are extremely efficient energy producers.
Not to mention that boilers, too, blow up if their water supply fails
it also doesnt help the boilers case on the fronts of explosions cause if you do indeed run out of water you cant just add some more and keep going you have to let it cool down then add otherwise you get instant explosion besides combustion engines never blow up if you keep them properly cooled
on a side note i personally use 36 lp boilers to power my base any power not being used goes into energy storage so its not wasted