A mid to late game power-source, while it may seem complex, the reactor can be thought of as a powerful only slightly more complicated Boiler. Like the boiler, they produce steam when supplied with water, but instead of coal, uranium is used. Visually the reactor has markings on the sides to indicate danger of Radioactivity and has a steam vent on the top. The reactor also has a display on the front that shows the temperature of the reactor, how high the control rods are and the amount of Uranium fuel in the reactor.
The Steam output of a reactor increases as temperature increases, so higher temperatures are better, but most people dont max it out, because they’re scared of it reaching 3200 degrees and exploding. Reactors also need to be above 1200 degrees to turn water into steam.
Fueling
The reactor can be automatically refueled using microcontrollers or delay wires, some example microcontroller refueling code can be found here with the auto-reactor tutorial. For maximum steam output, it must have 4 pieces of uranium inside. Even with fuel inside, reactors dont give off radiation. To remove a fuel rod from the reactor, place a polysilicon set to flip-flop mode and trigger it. This will dispense either uranium or nuclear waste, depending on the fuel rod's time in the reactor before ejection.
Operation
Inputs and Outputs
Water and uranium can be input from any side, similar to other machines. However, it should be noted that steam is output through the top of the reactor and nuclear waste through the back.
Control rods
Reactors have control rods, which manage the reactor's heat gain/loss. To control them, you need two polysilicons with one on mode 0 and the other on mode 1. They can be controlled by having a Button on each one or having a temperature sensor connected to the reactor for each one (Read Automatic Reactor for more details). Raising and lowering the rods controls how much the reactor heats and cools. Control rods become less efficient when the temperatures are higher. Delay wires could also be used to keep the reactor stable, however lag makes them unreliable and will most likely cause a meltdown.
Meltdown
It may appear to be an easy and safe method of power generation, but always proceed with caution! A meltdown will occur if the reactor isn't monitored properly. A warning alarm will issue at ~3100 degrees but 3200 is when you'll meet the inevitable. The meltdown will cause an explosion that can destroy your base or ship.
In-game Description
"Generates steam using water and heat from radiation. Up to 4 pieces of uranium can be inserted into the reactor as fuel. If the temperature is above 1200, it will begin to turn water into steam (rate dependent on temperature). If the temperature exceeds 3200 F, a meltdown will occur. The Reactor fuel status can be acquired through the :GetFuel() method with a microcontroller. Polysilicon is used to control a reactor, and fuel must be ejected manually: Activation lowers the control rods, decreasing reaction rate. Deactivation raises the control rods, allowing fuel to react. FlipFlop will eject fuel or waste from the fuel rod with the least fuel."
Configuration
- Alarm(boolean) - Determines whether the reactor alarm system is enabled for when the reactor is near meltdown temperature.
Trivia
- The reactor's explosion can be blocked by an EnergyShield.
- Reactors have warning alarms that turn on when it goes above 3100F, but only turn off at 3000F.
- This can be disabled by configuring the reactor's alarm property.