From what I've read, it takes 5 offshore pumps to keep a 480 MW Nuclear setup running at maximum capacity. This is the standard 4:24:84 setup. So I've built one of these, pastebin is here: https://pastebin.com/a6ZzigAU except something is wrong with my water supply. I actually have 6 offshore pumps, and yet when the reactors are running the water level in the water tanks drops.
What am I doing wrong?
What's wrong with the water supply for my Nuclear setup?
Re: What's wrong with the water supply for my Nuclear setup?
Fluid dynamics. Every single pipe results in slightly less fluid going through the entire pipe. So even though you're producing enough to maintain the system, you're not getting it to the points in the system that need the water. Too little pipe throughput at the points that you want it is all. More pumps should work.
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impetus maximus
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Re: What's wrong with the water supply for my Nuclear setup?
i just built it but it's not inserting any fuel into the reactors.
[edit]here is the blueprint string.
[edit]here is the blueprint string.
blueprint string
Re: What's wrong with the water supply for my Nuclear setup?
Thank you so much for the Help. That was what made it work, although it's worth adding a comment on some of the details. I first changed the layout so there were three individual pipes from the offshore pumps to just three tanks. Each tank then fed two columns of heat exchangers. When I put the "flow" pumps right next to the offshore pumps, it didn't help a great deal. However I then moved the pumps to the other end of the pipes, i.e. right next to the main water tanks. And at that point it started working perfectly - all three tanks remained completely full during a nuclear burn cycle.Xeorm wrote:Fluid dynamics. Every single pipe results in slightly less fluid going through the entire pipe. So even though you're producing enough to maintain the system, you're not getting it to the points in the system that need the water. Too little pipe throughput at the points that you want it is all. More pumps should work.
That's totally my bad for not explaining it. It's a self regulating setup, so it only inserts fuel if three conditions are met: 1. The previous cycle has completed, detected by counting the four used fuel cells in the iron chests; 2. That there's enough water, although with my updated design thanks to Xeorm's comments, I've been able to remove this check; and 3. That steam is below a minimum threshold.impetus maximus wrote:i just built it but it's not inserting any fuel into the reactors.
The easiest way to get this working is to set it up, make sure it has a logistic robot support to provide new fuel cells, and to remove the old ones for recycling. Then to prime it, manually insert a single fuel cell into each of the four reactors. Let it complete the burn, and see if it cycles automatically. If it doesn't, insert a second fuel cell into each reactor. It can take a while to get up an running because the reactors and heat pipes will be stone cold after you first build them, and need to get up to 500 degrees before the system will generate any steam.
Last edited by dgnuff on Sat Sep 30, 2017 10:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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impetus maximus
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Re: What's wrong with the water supply for my Nuclear setup?
yeah i just ended up priming the system with 1 fuel cell for each reactor.
using 6 offshore pumps (3 top right, 3 bottom right) i couldn't get it to run out of water even at full load for hours.
however some of the steam turbines ran out of steam.
using 6 offshore pumps (3 top right, 3 bottom right) i couldn't get it to run out of water even at full load for hours.
however some of the steam turbines ran out of steam.
Re: What's wrong with the water supply for my Nuclear setup?
As noted in my previous reply, I was able to get the water flow fixed.impetus maximus wrote:yeah i just ended up priming the system with 1 fuel cell for each reactor.
using 6 offshore pumps (3 top right, 3 bottom right) i couldn't get it to run out of water even at full load for hours.
however some of the steam turbines ran out of steam.
That said, regarding the turbines running out of steam, I haven't run this setup at full capacity, since my factory only currently draws about 100MW. If I might ask, do you remember which turbines ran out of steam. I'm going to take a wild guess and say the ones near the corners, since the steam feeds from near the center. I'll have to experiment when I get a bigger factory, and see how it works.
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impetus maximus
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Re: What's wrong with the water supply for my Nuclear setup?
had to build it again to test which were running out.
some would recover only to run out again. these are the ones i observed running at less than 100% under full load.
i would try running more pipes from steam storage between the steam turbines.
i used creative mod's passive energy void to put a 100% load on the system.
some would recover only to run out again. these are the ones i observed running at less than 100% under full load.
steam shortage image
being as there is thousands of units(?) of stream in the tanks, i think the pipe is the bottle neck.i would try running more pipes from steam storage between the steam turbines.
i used creative mod's passive energy void to put a 100% load on the system.
Re: What's wrong with the water supply for my Nuclear setup?
It would be better to place the storage tanks behind the turbines... so that only the overflow not taken by the turbines flows to the tanks.
I've noticed the entire fluid system working weird if the main flow path has to go through tanks... and especially if they are interconnected in a way that they offer multiple splits/joining. It would be best to avoid rejoining as much as possible.
And only if it keeps still keeps underperforming then I'd consider placing some pumps. Or just remove all unnecessary pipes to reduce the distance.
I've noticed the entire fluid system working weird if the main flow path has to go through tanks... and especially if they are interconnected in a way that they offer multiple splits/joining. It would be best to avoid rejoining as much as possible.
And only if it keeps still keeps underperforming then I'd consider placing some pumps. Or just remove all unnecessary pipes to reduce the distance.
Re: What's wrong with the water supply for my Nuclear setup?
the fluid dynamics thread has more detail, but basically fluid tanks act as giant pipes they are at the same level as normal pipes, so percent full is the same at the tank as every pipe after comes into play. basically as the tank drains past 50% there is only 50% of a pipe feeding the next pipe.
after tanks should be pumps to keep pressure, otherwise tanks at the end, not middle.
after tanks should be pumps to keep pressure, otherwise tanks at the end, not middle.