A couple of days ago, on GT topic Nuclear power plant
simulator was introduced. Since so many people wanted something like this to be
implemented in GT, I decided to make a design that would be fun to make, and
presented some kind of challenge in running it. I presented a quick idea which
was confusing at best. After giving it more thought, I think I now have figured
out its problems and can present a proper suggestion now.
Goal of this creation is to make a modular nuclear power
plant, where every component does something else and all components are connected
with each other through coolant loops.
Since this idea contains so many different components, it
could as well be made as separate GT add on.
Quickly about heat and temperature. Temperature of a
structure is determined by amount of heat actually residing inside it. Different
structures convert heat into temperature at different rate. For example: 2000
heat inside reactor might result in a temperature of 300 degrease C, but the same amount of heat in
a boiler might give 500 degrease C.
Also, all reactor components, structures and items are affected
by temperature and have different temperature tolerance.
Cooling ports. Those are basically plugs for your cooling
loops. Every structure that can be affected by coolant has both in side and out
side. So, when you build your coolant line it can be closed in a loop. Coolant
ports will exchange heat between structure and coolant flowing through it at a
fixed rate and with help of reactor heat exchangers residing inside proper
slots. Heat exchange speed is affected by difference of temperatures between
coolant and structure. Bigger the difference, faster heat exchange. Coolant
ports are integrated part of the structure.
Structures
Nuclear reactor. This is a core of the plant. In this
structure fuel rods react with each other to generate heat. Heat is directly
applied to reactors hull. With applied heat, hulls temperature rises and heat generated by fuel cells fall down
the hotter hull is. Reactor core is a multiblock structure that can be expanded
in order to contain more fuel rods and coolant ports. And reactors size
determines the amount of heat radiated in to the environment as passive
cooling.
Boiler. Boiler is a structure where water is converted to steam
by applying heat. Known to us all boilers would use solid fuels like coal or
liquid ones like creosote oil to create heat. But this boiler uses heat from
coolant running through it. Coolant brings heat from reactor. Coolant ports
exchange that heat with boiler which than uses it to warm up water.
Coolant pump. This structure moves provided coolant through
the coolant loop.
Emergency heat dissipation structure. This structure is
supposed to cool down coolant if its temperature rises too high using reactor
vents.
So, those are the basics, but how is this all supposed to
work?
Heat generation from fuel rods. IC2s mechanics are very nice
and we can use them here. Basically, fuel rods react with each other as they
usually would and depending on those reaction they generate heat. To turn
reactor on, you have to apply redstone signal. Strength of that signal determines
how deeply you lower fuel rods into the core. Depth of rods affect heat
generation and lifetime of fuel rods. Basing on signal strength form 0-15: 0,
10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100% So, now we can
regulate reactors work load without changing fuel rods position. Generated heat
goes to the buffer, which amount is further shown as hulls temperature. Depending
on material used to make reactor heat toleration is affected. When redstone signal is set to 0, fuel rods
will attempt to rise from reactor core. Since all components are affected by
temperature, fuel rods might be damaged and even malfunction, preventing them
from leaving core. Fuel rods that are inside reactor core work regardless of
redstone signal provided. To repair them, reactor hull has to be cooled down
first. In extreme case, you can end up with situation when you will not be able
to rise rods from core, nor cool it down. Situation like that will result in a
meltdown.
I think there is no need to go in depth about how boiler
works. Just imagine RC boiler where heat from fuel is replaced by heat from
flowing coolant. The main difference will be again temperature toleration of
used material. RC boiler will reach it's max temperature and use less fuel to
maintain it. In our case, you can keep rising temperature without limits until
boiler explodes from material weakening down. You have to monitor temperatures
at every point, as well as components status.
Emergency heat dissipation structure. This structure will very
effectively cool down flowing through it coolant. You have to provide it with
reactor vents. And strength of redstone signal will determine vents usage. Differently
from all other components, reactor vents are not only affected by temperature,
but also by their speed and time they were constantly used. Running them at
full speed for a long time in high temperature will result in eventual
malfunctions. Also, there is no need to provide coolant port with heat
exchangers, because cooling is provided directly to the coolant. And reactor
vents just take place of heat exchangers.
Coolant pump to work needs a couple of things. First, it
needs to detect a correct loop. it'll check coolant line through all connected
structures and back to the pump. Than you have to provide it with coolant. Next
thing is power supply. Pump needs EU to work. Last thing is redstone signal.
Again, strength of signal affects pumps speed. Pump not only exchanges heat
with coolant like other structures but also provides that heat by itself. So a
pump working at high speed can malfunction even with cold coolant flowing
through it. The sole purpose of pump is to push that coolant through the line
as a flow rate. Coolants flow rate is affected by pumps speed, amount of
coolant in the loop, coolants flow ratio. Important, flow rate and flow ratio
are different things.
All parts and components can get damaged and malfunction from high temperature. Temperature tolerance and overall endurance of components is affected by materials they are made of. Any damages can only be repaired when component is cool enough to safely touch, which means a complete shot down of coolant loop. Also, all Structures radiate some heat in to environment as passive cooling determined by a difference of temperatures.
Coolant itself.
Coolant is determined by a couple of things. Temperature
tolerance (everything has temperature tolerance), its mass and flow ratio.
Temperature tolerance determines to what temperature you can heat it up before
it changes properties and clogs up the loop. This is extremely important. Mass
affects how quickly it changes temperature. Light coolant can be quickly heated
up but will also quickly cool down going through the loop, so it's not good for
long loops. Heavy coolant is harder to
heat up but can maintain temperature at longer distances. Flow ratio determines
how easily it is for a pump to move this coolant through the loop. Because all
heat exchanging is affected directly by coolant flow rate. There are no
downsides to having a high flow rate other than stressing your pumps. While
coolant temperature is different at every part of loop, flow rate is identical
being affected only by pumps speed. Before coolant goes in to the pump, it's no
different from any forge fluid. You can move it with pipes, store in tanks
etc... However, simulating forge fluids in a coolant loop would be just ridiculous.
So, coolant in a loop works more like blood in human body. it goes through
whole body visiting its various parts and ends up where it started.
This gives us room to having many different coolants of
various properties. so why not go further?
Coolant Mixer! This is a machine in which you can mix
different coolants to mix their properties so you can create coolant that would
be best for your needs. i wonder if it's even possible to make.
Coolant is a rope that connects all of the Nuclear plant
parts together without limits. It's up to you, what you connect to the loop and
in what numbers. So why not make coolant powered blast furnace? Furnace uses
heat to smelt things and coolant moves heat from reactor, join them together
and we have nuclear powered furnace, or thermal centrifuge.
Since you can connect multiple coolant loops with one reactor, you can even connect multiple reactors with one loop creating complicated systems you can connect different structures with in different loops. The only structure that has to be in all loops is a pump.
I'm posting this wall of text now. Soon I'll provide some
images to better explain how this would look and work in practice.
Oh, i completely forgot. I named this thing
"Rwactor". Why "Rwactor"? Once I created a text file which
I wanted to name "Reactor" but I made a typo 
I actually like that
name so I'm using it now.
Again. I'm no modder and I will probably never make this
idea a reality, so anyone is free to take from it. All discussion welcome!
