Factorio Forums

Posted: **Sat Apr 29, 2017 10:16 pm**

As most of you may know by now, Nuclear Reactors in Factorio never throttle.
So because of that you either;
a. Do nothing about it. (will probably waste energy)
b. Research Kovarex enrichment process (infinite power)
c. Build a buffer, and throttle fuel input (nearly no energy wasted), or just out of curiosity

If you would choose to use route c, I've done a spreadsheet to in excel that calculates the following:
*Needed buffer size in accumulators and/or storage tanks
*Remaining fuel time given x reactors and y fuel cells
*Fuel-cell cost
*Reactor efficiency
*needed components (heatex, turbines) based on reactors and efficiency
*Power output, total and current

Let me know what you guys think!

Edit: As pointed out by MeduSalem the initial calculations for efficiency was incorrect. Fixed as of version 1.3
(also not sure if this is posted in the right place on the forum, move it if that's the case)

Posted: **Sun Apr 30, 2017 5:50 am**

provet wrote:b. Research Kovarex enrichment process (infinite power))

Well it's not infinite... You still need some U-238 to make up for the lost U-238 each cycle of the Kovarex enrichment. But that said, yeah, one needs a looot less Uranium Ore thanks to the Enrichment.

provet wrote:c. Build a buffer, and throttle fuel input (nearly no energy wasted)

If you would choose to use route c, I've done a spreadsheet to in excel that calculates the following:
*Needed buffer size in accumulators and/or storage tanks
*Remaining fuel time given x reactors and y fuel cells
*Fuel-cell cost
*Reactor efficiency

I'll look into that... Because I'm really having problems with building a buffer that is actually useful.

The problem I'm having is that I don't really know when I reached enough Steam in the Storage tanks to put the reactors on a hold so that the fuel runs out in time.

It looks like the amount of accumulators would be ridicilous... so I think the only viable way is storing the Steam in Storage tanks.

That said currently I'm not throttling the fuel input at all because of the huge delay rendering it almost useless trying to do so... and I don't care about 120-150 U-238 I waste per hour currently. It's like as if I'm not consuming anything.

[Edit]

After looking into the excel Sheet I think there are some errors in the way the neighbouring bonus is integrated... because each reactor has a base value of 100% and each neighbour adds another 100%... so...

1 Reactor in a 1x1 Setup = 100% Total Value (because 100% base and no neighbour bonus)
2 Reactors in a 1x2 Setup = 400% Total Value(because each Reactor has 100% base + 100% neighbour bonus)
4 Reactors in a 2x2 Setup = 1200% Total Value (because each Reactor has 100% base + 200% neighbour bonus)
6 Reactors in a 2x3 Setup = 2000% Total Value (because the 4 corner Reactors have 100% base + 200% neighbour bonus, the 2 center reactors have 100% base + 300% neighbour bonus)

So basically each reactor has 100% more value than you considered in the calculation of the average efficiency... and why is it an average anyways?

With other words the calculation is far off in the excel sheet.

Posted: **Sun Apr 30, 2017 8:41 am**

MeduSalem wrote:
provet wrote:b. Research Kovarex enrichment process (infinite power))
Well it's not infinite... You still need some U-238 to make up for the lost U-238 each cycle of the Kovarex enrichment. But that said, yeah, one needs a looot less Uranium Ore thanks to the Enrichment.

~~Technically if the world is infinite so are the the resources.~~
I didn't mean literally infinite. I meant that fuel probably would outlast the playthough once you got "Kovarex" going.

MeduSalem wrote:
provet wrote:c. Build a buffer, and throttle fuel input (nearly no energy wasted)

If you would choose to use route c, I've done a spreadsheet to in excel that calculates the following:
*Needed buffer size in accumulators and/or storage tanks
*Remaining fuel time given x reactors and y fuel cells
*Fuel-cell cost
*Reactor efficiency
I'll look into that... Because I'm really having problems with building a buffer that is actually useful.

The problem I'm having is that I don't really know when I reached enough Steam in the Storage tanks to put the reactors on a hold so that the fuel runs out in time.

It looks like the amount of accumulators would be ridicilous... so I think the only viable way is storing the Steam in Storage tanks.

That said currently I'm not throttling the fuel input at all because of the huge delay rendering it almost useless trying to do so... and I don't care about 120-150 U-238 I waste per hour currently. It's like as if I'm not consuming anything.

If you know how big buffer you need, then it should be rather easy to setup.
All you gotta do is use an rs-latch, hook it up with, say storage tanks and set it up so: "Only add 1 fuel cell if the storage tanks are below 5%". (use pulse generator for fuel cell feeding)
The reset for the latch should be two things,
*if above 50% steam
*if 200 seconds have passed
If you don't know how to set up the rs-latch etc, check out the thread "combinators 101." (link's in my signature)

MeduSalem wrote: [Edit]

After looking into the excel Sheet I think there are some errors in the way the neighbouring bonus is integrated... because each reactor has a base value of 100% and each neighbour adds another 100%... so...

1 Reactor in a 1x1 Setup = 100% Total Value (because 100% base and no neighbour bonus)
2 Reactors in a 1x2 Setup = 400% Total Value(because each Reactor has 100% base + 100% neighbour bonus)
4 Reactors in a 2x2 Setup = 1200% Total Value (because each Reactor has 100% base + 200% neighbour bonus)
6 Reactors in a 2x3 Setup = 2000% Total Value (because the 4 corner Reactors have 100% base + 200% neighbour bonus, the 2 center reactors have 100% base + 300% neighbour bonus)

So basically each reactor has 100% more value than you considered in the calculation of the average efficiency... and why is it an average anyways?

With other words the calculation is far off in the excel sheet.

I'm not sure I follow, but I'll try to explain what my efficiency does:

Edit - I was wrong

I use the efficiency as a multiplier. i.e this 2x3 reactor setup corresponds to 6 * 2,333 = 14 reactors at normal pace. that's why the efficiency is 233,33% in this example

Posted: **Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:03 am**

provet wrote:~~Technically if the world is infinite so are the the resources.~~
I didn't mean literally infinite. I meant that fuel probably would outlast the playthough once you got "Kovarex" going.

Yeah, well that the map is infinite is debateable... in that sense no consumption really matters.

But as I see it the Kovarex enrichment helps a lot not having to gamble for more U-235 out of raw Uranium Ore, which is a pain.

provet wrote:I'm not sure I follow, but I'll try to explain what my efficiency does:

[...]

I use the efficiency as a multiplier. i.e this 2x3 reactor setup corresponds to 6 * 2,333 = 14 reactors at normal pace. that's why the efficiency is 233,33% in this example

Yeah, and that's exactly where you made a mistake... In a 2x3 setup the poweroutput is like following:

Code: Select all

2x3 Setup:
120 160 120
120 160 120

2x2 Setup:
120 120
120 120

1x3 Setup:
80 120 80

1x2 Setup:
80 80

1x1 Setup:
40

Because...

The corner reactors have 40 base + 200% * 40 = 120 MW.
The middle reactors have 40 base + 300% * 40 = 160 MW.

So the 2x3 Setup actually has a total power rating of 800 MW.

So at least the total power output/efficiency calculations in the excel sheet aren't correct... and need to be adjusted.

Posted: **Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:45 am**

MeduSalem wrote:
provet wrote:I'm not sure I follow, but I'll try to explain what my efficiency does:

[...]

I use the efficiency as a multiplier. i.e this 2x3 reactor setup corresponds to 6 * 2,333 = 14 reactors at normal pace. that's why the efficiency is 233,33% in this example
Yeah, and that's exactly where you made a mistake... In a 2x3 setup the poweroutput is like following:
Code: Select all
2x3 Setup:
120 160 120
120 160 120

2x2 Setup:
120 120
120 120

1x2 Setup:
80 80

1x1 Setup:
40
Because...

The corner reactors have 40 base + 200% * 40 = 120 MW.
The middle reactors have 40 base + 300% * 40 = 160 MW.

So the 2x3 Setup actually has a total power rating of 800 MW.

So at least the total power output in the excel sheet aren't correct... and maybe the efficiency needs also to be adjusted.

Must have been blind, you're right, I forgot the base.
Thanks for letting me know, fixed now.

picture

Posted: **Thu Dec 28, 2017 3:09 pm**

Hey,
I love you excel sheet and have just finished some theory crafting. It has been big help. Since I don't have MS-Excel at home and don't want to be using the computers at university constantly, would it be possible to transfer it to a more open format, like Google Docs, Libre Office(ods), or some python script?

If I have your permission I would do it myself. Didn't want to copy your work and publish it without your consent.

Thanks!
FarFarAway

Posted: **Thu Dec 28, 2017 3:21 pm**

Your calculator seems more complete for building from ground up.

I went the opposite way with this calculator. Enter the desired min power output and it'll calculate the numbers for a Nx2 system.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Ljmdl ... 4iDsZD2CS8

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