Реактор ядерного распада

Реактор

The central reactor is the heart of the engine, and facilitates the interactions of the rest of the surrounding equipment. While the reactor is technically unable to be deconstructed, it can break and fall into disrepair with unsatisfactory conditions. Always be sure to wear a radiation suit when working with the reactor, as it will output radiation during operation.

Настройка

The reactor requires only two conditions to begin properly operating: Fuel, and coolant. Utilizing standard fuel rods with the starting equipment, it is unlikely that a meltdown may occur so long as coolant is flowing.

For coolant, a gas needs to be injected into the reactor via gas nodes. The amount of gas that enters the reactor is determined by the difference in pressure of the input gas nodes, and the reactors internal gas pressure. Likewise, the amount of gas that exits the reactor is determined by the difference of the internal reactor pressure and the extractor gas node.

Fuel comes in many flavors, however the safest is in the form of Uranium 238 rods. All stations come pre-equipped with enough Uranium 238 rods to facilitate power for the shift. These rods will be placed into the reactor chambers in order to properly generate their power. More fuel rods can be obtained either from the Nuclear Rod Fabricator, or through enrichment of existing nuclear rods. Do keep in mind that each type of fuel has its own neighbor requirements, meaning that a chamber on the north/south/east/west of it will require the type of nuclear rod it demands. Uranium 238 will require at least one moderator rod as a neighbor, which have also been provided in the form of heavy water rods.

Once fuel and coolant have been secured and is cycling through the reactor, it may be started. On the NGCR Monitoring terminal, there will be a large dial. This raises or lowers the control rods within the reactor. At 100%, these rods are fully inserted and the reactor is off. At 0%, the reactor is at full power and is generating as much power as it can. Keep in mind the reactor will require the control rods to be at 90% or lower inserting in order for fission to begin.

Заметки по работе реактора

Once the reactor is online, there are several important features one must be aware of and must be able to address throughout the operation of the reactor.

Firstly, reactor rods have a durability that must be considered during its operation time. All nuclear rods regardless of type have a maximum operating lifetime, which will slowly degrade their statistics until they are finally rendered useless. Fuel rods will generate less power and heat, moderator rods will have less amplification strength, and coolant rods will lose their ability to remove heat. This means that if rods degrade at different speeds, the reactor may operate differently later in its operational lifetime. Keep this in mind if using low-durability coolants!

Secondly, unlike supermatter cyrystals the NGCR does not have a self regenerative laminate and cannot restore its own integrity. In order to restore integrity, plastitanium can be welded to the structure of the reactor to restore it to full functionality.

Finally, one must be mindful of not the heat, but the pressure of the reactor. While generally more gas is very good for cooling, high amounts of pressurized gas can be just as detrimental to reactor integrity. This can cause issues if a large amount of gas is in the reactor safely, but when heated by operation may push the reactor over a safe threshold. Try to find a balance between gas amounts and the necessity of cooling power.

Расплавление реактора

One of the largest issues with reactor operations is the possibity of a meltdown. This can happen for two reasons: the temperature of the internal gas is damaging the superstructure of the reactor, or the gas pressure inside the reactor is straining the reactor housing. Both of these cases will result in a meltdown which will need to be addressed, or the result may cause detonation when integrity fails.

Before any additional steps or diagnosis are taken, the most important action during a meltdown is to simply turn off the reactor. If the reactor control console is available, set all control rods back to full insertion so that the reactor may begin to shutoff. While off, the reactor may not lose integrity or detonate. This is known as a SCRAM.

If the reactor is hot, there are two common reasons. Either gas coolant is not being injected into the reactor, or the current amount of heat generated cannot be sufficiently carried away by the flowing gas. If gas is not flowing, there may be a break in the coolant loop, and it will need to be restored before gas will flow again. Alternatively, check to ensure there is enough gas in the coolant loop to enter into the reactor to cool it. During an emergency, attaching a gas can or opening the atmos gas line can save time while the true issue is diagnosed.

Hot reactors are more complicated to solve and could have a variety of sources. The simplest is that non-standard setups are producing too much heat for the resulting gas coolant to sufficiently carry away. In these instances, the reactor design will require more/better coolant rods. Another reason for hot reactors is coolant rod degredation. As the reactor operates, coolant rods will degrade like all other rods. If low-durability coolant rods are used, they must be replaced more frequently to stay at proper operating conditions. Finally, improper airflow may also be causing a reactor to overheat. Meltdowns are a slippery slope of issues, and as they warm up their internal gas pressure sill rise as it heats up. Since injector/extractor gas nodes rely on pressure differentials to operate, less gas will flow into the reactor as internal pressure gets closer to the injector pressure. There is no one-solution for this issue, and will require case-by-case diagnosis to find the issue. Opening the reactor vent may pose a danger to the immediate environment, however it will also alleviate pressure from the internal reactor.

Угрозы, приводящие к расплавлению реактора

Meltdowns are more dangerous than the threat of simply exploding. As the reactor loses durability, different aspects of the reactor may begin to fail. One must be cautious of these dangers while working with a melting down reactor.

Coolant Ejections

Internal pressures within reactor chambers may cause a violent ejection of a coolant rod. The resulting coolant rod will obliterate most objects in its path, and may severely injure any engineers caught by it. While removing coolant is not a very good idea during a meltdown, the chances of this occuring can be mitigated significantly by welding the reactor chambers containing coolant rods closed.

Control Rod Failure

Control rods may detach or disentegrate during a meltdown, causing the minimum operating temperature of a reactor to raise. For every missing control rod, the minimum operating level of the reactor goes up by 20%. For an engineer attempying to shut down a meltdown, this can be dangerous as it forces a reactor to remain online. To fix this, simply use any sheet of metal and a wrench to attach a new control rod into place to restore functionality.

Vent Failure

The vent, while a useful tool, may be forced open during a meltdown due to pressure and high temperatures. In this case, hot pressurized gas may be ejected from the reactor, causing burns and other asphyxiation hazards. To mitigate this, simply utilize a crowbar to force the vent back into a closed position.

Реакторная камера

The reactor chamber is responsible for housing the three different types of nuclear rods for the reaction. Using a multitool on these chambes will provide adetailed information of the rod within.

Эксплуатация

Clicking on a chamber in the floor will raise it out of its casing. This will disable the rod from generating power, however, it will not prevent it from generating heat, the rod must be physically removed from the chamber to prevent heat generation. If the reactor is in operation, pulling up a chamber in this way will result in burns to ones hands, though it can be lessened with heat protection. A ripley or firefighter mech equipped with a crate clamp module can also safely raise the chamber. Additionally, while the chamber is raised it will bleed out heat into the surrounding area based on how much heat the rod is generating for the reactor.

Alt-clicking on the chamber while it is raised will open/close the protective casing, exposing the rod or allowing a new rod to be placed into the chamber. If the reactor is on when it is opened, take care as the rods will be highly radioactive regardless of type, and the rods will remain radioactive even once removed.

For several reasons, one may wish to keep a chamber from opening. All chambers may be semi-permanently sealed with a welder, forcing the chamber into a closed state until it is unsealed with a welder.

Rod chambers also display several important informational signals on them during operation. The most important of which is the chamber state. The color of the ring along the base of the chamber reflects the current operational state, and comes in five colors:

• Black - The chamber is empty.
• Red - There is a rod in the chamber, but the rod's operational requirements have not been met. Fuel rods will still create heat in this state, but not power.
• Green - The chamber has its needs met, and is currently providing its full effects.
• Orange - This is an intermediary state, caused by either the rod starting up once its requirements are met, or when turning off because its requirements are no longer valid.
• Blue - The chamber is currently fully operational, and contains a fuel rod that is actively being enriched.

There are two more displays on the base of the chamber, the leftmost being a blue bar. This represents a general summary of the rod's durability, and will lower as it operates. The right disolay will be one of three lights depending on the type of rod inside. A green light represents a fuel rod, an orange light represents a moderator, and a blue rod represents coolant.

Стержни

Rods come in three flavors: Fuel rods, moderators, and coolants. Each rod also has neighbor requirements, which can be seen by examining the rod. If their requirements are not met, their effects will be nullified regardless of type. As rods lose durability, they become less effective. They generate less power and heat, and provide less amplifier stats to its neighbors.

Fuel rods produce power, and lots of heat. The heart of the power reaction. Manage their heat properly and you'll get lots of power. Fuel rods typically have high heat amplification to other nearby rods

Moderator rods amplify fuel rods power and heat stats, directly strengthening them. They amplify nearby power generation, while also increasing heat generation.

Coolant rods fall into one of two categories: Heat removers, or heat suppressants. Heat removers are simple, they remove a flat amount of total heat from the reactor. Power suppressants prevent rods from creating heat in the first place, acting as a fractional multiplier to their heat generation. A mixture of both is needed for a healthy reactor.

Fuel rods may be enriched by surrounding them with rods that either amplify their power modifier or their heat modifier. Not all rods can be enriched, consult the rod fabricator or nuclear rod spreadsheet for more information on possibilities.

In order to unlock more powerful rods, there are several sources. The smith can forge new powerful rods, cargo can order dangerous yet powerful supermatter rods, and science can research and obtain a rod fabricator upgrade to unlock more options.

Обогащение

The fuel rods that can be crafted or printed are only the beginning stage of potential rod options. Fuel rods may undergo an enrichment process in which when given appropriate stats, they will convert enough of the rod into a different element that it may be extracted at the centrifuge. To enrich, the fuel will tally the heat and/or power bonuses (or hinderances) it gets from its neighbors. If the fuel reaches the required threshold, the light on the chamber will begin to glow blue as it begins to enrich. Once enrichment is finished, the color will return to its previous status.

Note that the engine's current power will affect how powerful the enrichment becomes. This means even if you have a heat bonus of x20, a reactor running at half of its maximum power will only receive half of the modifier. For best enrichment results, ensure that the reactor is running at full power, and that its neighbors are all online. Do not worry about meeting the fuel rod's requirement however when enriching, a fuel rod can be enriched even if its neighbor requirements are not met! However, keep in mind that even a fuel rod whos requirements are not met will still generate heat.

Name	Type	Base Power (in kW)	Base Heat	Durability (in cycles)	Power Amplifier	Heat Amplifier	Neighbor Requirements	Acquisition Method	Fab Upgrade Required?
Uranium-238	Fuel	20	5	3000	1.1	1.8	1 moderator	Roundstart, rod fabricator	No
Heavy Water Moderator	Moderator	N/A	N/A	3000	1.4	1.1	None	Roundstart, rod fabricator	No
Light Water Circulator	Coolant	-10	-10	3000	N/A	N/A	1 moderator	Roundstart, rod fabricator	No
Weak Thorium Rod	Fuel	20	5	5000	1.1	1.6	1 moderator 1 coolant	Enrichment from Uranium 238	N/A
Weak Plutonium Rod	Fuel	40	10	3500	1.1	1.6	1 fuel rod 1 moderator 1 coolant	Enrichment from Uranium 238	N/A
Graphite Moderator	Moderator	N/A	N/A	3500	1.6	1.3	1 coolant	Roundstart, rod fabricator	No
Titanium Moderator	Moderator	N/A	N/A	5500	1.5	0.7	None	Rod fabricator	No
Carbon Dioxide Regulator	Coolant	-15	-4	3000	1.0	0.6	1 moderator	Rod fabricator	No
Plasma Injector	Coolant	N/A	N/A	2000	1.5	0.5	1 coolant	Rod fabricator	No
Nitrogen Circulator	Coolant	-5	-10	4000	0.9	0.7	None	Rod fabricator	No
Uranium-235	Fuel	30	N/A	6000	1.3	2.2	Plasma injector 2 moderators	Enrichment from weak Thorium/Plutonium, upgraded rod fabricator	Yes
Supermatter Rod	Fuel	800	1300	INFINITE	0.1	8.0	Steam hammerjet Plasma agitator 1 fuel rod	Cargo	N/A
Plasma Agitator	Moderator	N/A	20	2500	3.0	5.0	2 fuel rods 1 moderator	Cargo, Smith	N/A
Liquid Aluminium Reflector	Moderator	-15	N/A	6000	2.2	3.0	Carbon Dioxide regulator Weak Thorium Rod	Cargo, Smith	N/A
Molten Salt Circulator	Coolant	-20	-80	8000	1.0	0.8	Nitrogen Circulator 1 Moderator 2 fuel rods	Cargo, Smith	N/A
Steam Hammerjet	Coolant	-10	-40	6000	1.0	0.4	2 Light Water Circulators	Cargo, Smith	N/A
Thorium Salt Rod	Fuel	35	40	15,000	1.3	2.5	1 moderator Uranium-235 rod 1 fuel rod	Heat enrichment from Uranium 235	N/A
Enriched Plutonium Rod	Fuel	75	60	5000	1.6	4.0	Plasma Agitator Thorium Salts	Power enrichment from Uranium 235	N/A
Americium Rod	Fuel	200	100	4000	3.0	6.0	2 fuel rods	Enrichment from enriched Plutonium	N/A
Bluespace Crystal Agitator	Moderator	-30	N/A	4000	5.0	12.0	None	Upgraded rod fabricator	Yes
Diamond Reflector Plate	Moderator	N/A	N/A	6000	3.3	6.5	3 fuel rods	Upgraded rod fabricator	Yes
Platinum Neutron Plating	Moderator	N/A	N/A	8000	3.9	8.0	1 Americium rod	Smith	N/A
Bluespace Heat Displacer	Coolant	-40	-100	INFINITE	1.3	0.8	Bluespace Agitator	Upgraded rod fabricator	Yes
Iridium Thermal Conductor	Coolant	N/A	N/A	10,000	1.0	0.1	1 Liquid Aluminium Reflector Uranium-235 rod	Smith	N/A
Condensed Spacematter Rod	Coolant	N/A	-100	2500	1.0	0.2	1 Thorium Salts Enriched Plutonium	Smith	Yes
Bananium Rod	Fuel	????	????	????	????	????	????	Upgraded rod fabricator	Yes
Syndicate Meltdown Rod	Fuel	x	x	x	x	x	x	Syndicate uplink - Hijack and engineering only	N/A

Советы по стабилизации реактора

The reactor is currently melting down, you have a limited amount of time to either avoid a full meltdown, or at the very least, make the resulting explosion smaller.

Базовые советы

• Use the reactor monitoring console and set the desired control rod position to 100% insertion. Disabling the reactor will avoid further damage.
• As a meltdown progresses, control rods may be damaged. Damaged control rods will prevent the reactor from shutting down, with each broken control rod adding a stacking 20% limit on the maximum control rod insertion (with 5 damaged rods forcing the reactor to run at 100% power at alll times).
• Damaged control rods can be repaired by adding metal and securing it with a wrench.
• If the reactor's internal pressure is too high, the control rods won't insert properly. Introducing supercooled gas, disabling coolant inflow (dangerous), or activating the emergency vent (also dangerous) will allow you to lower the pressure.

Диагностика охлаждения

Use a gas analyzer on the input and output of the reactor.

• Is there any coolant? If not, either use some gas canisters or the atmosperics engine pipe to add some (nitrogen is ideal as it will reduce reactor power).
• Is there lots of gas in the output and none on at input? There's either a broken pipe (possibly on the space loop) or a filter has clogged. Verify there's a complete path for gas to follow.
• Is there lots of gas in the input and barely any at the output? Check the reactor monitoring console for the reactor's internal pressure. If it's higher than the input pressure, gas will struggle to flow in, creating a bottleneck in the system. Consider opening the emergency vent (WARNING: This will fill the reactor room with the coolant. Prepare accordingly).
• Is there lots of gas in the input, output, and inside the reactor? There may be too much coolant. Either redirect the filters to the space vent/scrubbers network or open the emergency reactor vent to get the pressure back to safe levels.
• Is there a non-standard coolant (such as oxygen)? Replacing it with nitrogen will reduce power output, reducing strain on the reactor and cooling systems.
• Is all the coolant in the room instead of inside the reactor? The emergency vent may have been forced open by overpressure. Use a crowbar to force the vent closed again.
• You can boost the coolant system by enabling the freezers. When they are fully upgraded, they are more powerful than the space loop.

Удаление стержней

Removing fuel rods from their chambers will directly reduce the amount of heat being produced by the reactor, making it easier to bring under control (and by extention, reducing the energy of the explosion that happens if it does melt down).

Grab a welder or an APLU mech equipped with a crate clamp module. If you're in a mech, make sure to don a radsuit (as the mech doesn't protect from rads) and turn on the internal air tank to protect from external atmos.

• If the rod chamber is welded, unweld the chamber.
• Raise the chamber, open the chamber casing, and throw the fuel rod away (preferably in the general direction of the storage pool where it will shield from the rod's radiation).
• If you REALLY need to get the fuel out of the reactor RIGHT NOW, slap a drill on the mech and drill out the chambers containing fuel rods.