Factorio Forums

Is it possible to use the heat from heat pipes as power source?
For assemblers, labs, radars etc.

I think without any mods ore heat vents etc. this is not possible to be as normal power

Not all prototypes support heat power sources. Assmblers i'm somewhat sure I've seen used in a mod, furnaces probably work too. More obscure things likes labs/radars probably don't. Simply try.

darkfrei wrote:Is it possible to use the heat from heat pipes as power source?
For assemblers, labs, radars etc.

In 0.17:

Assemblers: Yes
Labs: Yes
Radar: Yes
etc.: Depends

Klonan wrote:In 0.17:

Assemblers: Yes
Labs: Yes
Radar: Yes
etc.: Depends

And mining drills?
I love 0.17.

darkfrei wrote:

Klonan wrote:In 0.17:

Assemblers: Yes
Labs: Yes
Radar: Yes
etc.: Depends

And mining drills?
I love 0.17.

Mining drills: Yes

Furnace/Beacon :p?

Basically, if you have the energy_source tag, you can change type="electric" to type="heat", and define the appropriate heat pipe connections, and it SHOULD work.
However, until someone actually goes and tests it, whether it actually works or not is unknown.

I can confirm from personal tests that it works with furnaces and assembling machines, however, in theory it should also work in labs, mining drills, and even inserters, because they have that energy_source tag.

bobingabout wrote:Basically, if you have the energy_source tag, you can change type="electric" to type="heat", and define the appropriate heat pipe connections, and it SHOULD work.

The type doesn't depend on the name in the prototype, but on the C++ code behind the entity. So, the wiki documents which types can be used because the C++ code is (mostly) not available to mod authors. Here is an incomplete list of entities that I compiled using the info already available on the wiki:

• Accumulator - electric
• Car - burner
• Inserter - any
• Lab - any
• Radar - electric
• Roboport - electric
• Solar panel - electric
• Mining drill - any
• Locomotive - burner
• Generator - electric
• Beacon - electric
• Lamp - electric
• Pump - electric
• Crafting machine (furnaces + assemblers) - any
• Electric energy interface - electric
• Boiler - any
• Reactor - burner
• Electric turret (laser turret) - electric
• Combinator (arithmetic + decider) - electric

This list is only valid for version 0.16, there are already known changes for 0.17.

For info on energy source changes in 0.17, read the modding changelog: 61239

you're right. While burner only things go through the burner= tag, I forgot that electric powered entities still go through the energy_source tag.
but, boiler, inserter, mining drill, assembling machine, furnace and lab, pretty much is the previously mentioned list.

Bilka wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:27 am

[*] Generator - electric

That is generator? Why it needs electricity?

darkfrei wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 29, 2018 8:18 pm

Bilka wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:27 am

[*] Generator - electric

That is generator? Why it needs electricity?

That's the prototype type of the steam engine/steam turbine and means that they generate electric power.

Bilka wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 29, 2018 8:37 pm

darkfrei wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 29, 2018 8:18 pm

Bilka wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:27 am

[*] Generator - electric

That is generator? Why it needs electricity?

That's the prototype type of the steam engine/steam turbine and means that they generate electric power.

This list is only valid for version 0.16, there are already known changes for 0.17

Is it also valid for 0.16?

darkfrei wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 29, 2018 10:35 pm

This list is only valid for version 0.16, there are already known changes for 0.17

Is it also valid for 0.16?

The list posted by Bilka is a list of all entities power input types in 0.16.
if it says "any", then you can change it to heat and it SHOULD work.

Changes in 0.17 is mostly some of those that specifically say electricity or burner, and changing them to be able to use any.

if you look up, Klonan said that the Radar can use a heat source in 0.17, but Bilka's list for 0.16 lists it as electric only. So that's one that has been changed in 0.17.

Work that I have personally been working on was to add the new energy_source of "fluid" (Which functions the same was as the generator (steam engine) input, so you can power an entity with steam, or by fluid burning(fuel_value on a fluid)) and to make the reactor accept any energy_source input.(but not heat, that's the output.) Weather or not they actually make it into 0.17, you'll just have to wait and see.