[0.15, 0.16] Nuclear Locomotives

[bNarFProfCrazy]

Here some statistics for this mod:

Test case: Accelerate on a straight rail facing north. Never use the breaks or stop accelerating.

Train-Acceleration-Distance to TopSpeeds (shorter/faster is better)

Code: Select all

Wood- L : ~ 750m @259kmh
Wood- LC: >>2500m@259kmh
Coal- L : ~ 750m @259kmh
Coal- LC: >>2500m@259kmh
Solid-L : ~ 410m @272kmh
Solid-LC: ~ 700m @272kmh
Rocke-L : ~ 210m @298kmh
Rocke-LC: ~ 350m @298kmh
Nucle-L : ~ 420m @324kmh
Nucle-LC: ~ 550m @324kmh

Coal-LCCCCL: 4000m @ 200kmh (Double Headed Train)
Rocke-L : ~ 075m @298kmh (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Rocke-LC: ~ 100m @298kmh (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Rocke-LCC: ~ 115m @298kmh (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Rocke-LCCC: ~ 130m @298kmh (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Rocke-LCCCC: ~ 150m @298kmh (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Nucle-L : ~ 150m @324kmh (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Nucle-LC: ~ 155m @324kmh (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)

Train-Sprint 1000m (less time/faster is better)

Code: Select all

Wood- L : ~ 18.0s
Wood- LC: ~ 20.5s
Coal- L : ~ 18.0s
Coal- LC: ~ 20.5s
Solid-L : ~ 16.2s
Solid-LC: ~ 17.9s
Rocke-L : ~ 13.9s
Rocke-LC: ~ 14.7s
Nucle-L : ~ 14.7s
Nucle-LC: ~ 15.4s

Coal-LCCCCL: ~ 32.9s (Double Headed Train)
Rocke-L : ~ 12.9s (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Rocke-LC: ~ 13.0s (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Rocke-LCC: ~ 13.3s (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Rocke-LCCC: ~ 13.8s (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Rocke-LCCCC: ~ 15.3s (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Nucle-L : ~ 12.1s (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)
Nucle-LC: ~ 12.3s (Vehicle Grid / 6 Exo)

Conclusion: The nuclear train is always better as solid fuel trains and is faster than rocket-fuel trains for continuous high speed travel longer than 1200m.
(~200m if using Vehicle Grid / 6 exo)

If there is a comparison missing, please add a comment below.

Also here are the German (de) translations for this mod:

[Mortlach]

Is there a way to cap the fuel cell limit in the locomotive to say, 5 cells instead of 50? Or even 2 cells?

Or is there an easy way to load the fuel cells into the train smartly so that it doesn't gobble up all the fuel cells in the universe? I mean, a 3-10-3 train would take 300 fuel cells alone.

[GotLag]

You can either change the stack size for cells, which will affect all inventories (chests, reactors, etc), or you can use some circuit logic to only insert as many fresh cells as spent cells are removed: https://imgur.com/a/Y9Gru

[Mortlach]

You can either change the stack size for cells, which will affect all inventories (chests, reactors, etc), or you can use some circuit logic to only insert as many fresh cells as spent cells are removed: https://imgur.com/a/Y9Gru

Fantastic, I will give that a try. I was about to switch everything back to rocket fuel because of this.

[mrvn]

Does this mod cooperate with Bob's mods? E.g. require some lead plates for shielding to build the locomotive?

[GotLag]

I don't make any checks or recipe changes based on bob's mods.

[mrvn]

You can either change the stack size for cells, which will affect all inventories (chests, reactors, etc), or you can use some circuit logic to only insert as many fresh cells as spent cells are removed: https://imgur.com/a/Y9Gru

Wouldn't it make sense to set the stack size for the removing inserter to the amount of fuel cells present in the chest? That way if only one fuel cell is present it will replace one instead of letting the train go without.

[Xerkus]

Should we expect an update for 0.16?

[GotLag]

I didn't realise 0.16 was out, will update soon.

[Xerkus]

I didn't realise 0.16 was out, will update soon.

Cool, thanks!

[GotLag]

The 0.16 version is up.

[Xerkus]

in 0.16 there is new burnable fuel: nuclear fuel, stack size 1, 1.21 Gj, gives 250% acceleration to vehicles

Regular locomotive is much faster due to acceleration rate (tested with 6 cargo wagons) and insignificant max speed difference. Nuclear locomotive barely wins only on very long distances and that is only if there are no interruptions.

I haven't compared efficiency of nuclear fuel vs fuel cells. But in terms of stored fuel (3x1.21 = 3.63 Gj nuclear fuel vs 50x8 = 400 Gj uranium fuel cells) nuclear locomotive wins.
Also, fuel cells do not need rocket fuel(and oil) unlike nuclear fuel so that is another win if oil is in short supply.

Overall, i think there is a need for slight rebalance for 0.16.

[GotLag]

I'm not sure what to with the new nuclear fuel. It appears to be something of a joke item as it's got a fuel value of 1.21 GJ, a stack size of 1.

[mrvn]

I was just about to ask about stack size. Because putting in 50 of those 1.21GJ things would be insane.

But with a stack size of 1 means the locomotive will use one, counting down it's energy and have one spare stacked up. right?

[GotLag]

Regular locomotives have 3 slots so they could take up to 3 of the nuclear rocket fuels.

[mrvn]

Ahh, stupid me. Forgot about the 3 slots.

[Xerkus]

Nuclear fuel has 0.985 GJ per uranium-235 (rest is from rocket fuel) and requires expensive kovarex enrichment research
Uranium fuel cell has ~11GJ per uranium-235 (if we enriched u-238 used in recipe).

It is actually too OP as a train fuel. I think nuclear locomotive research needs to be much more expensive. Like 1/3 of kovarex research price.