Chemfuel powered generator

The chemfuel powered generator produces power from chemfuel. The generator is an exact analog to the wood-fired generator, only the type of fuel is different.

Acquisition

Chemfuel powered generators can be constructed once Electricity has been reduced. Each requires 100 Steel, 3 Components, and a Construction skill of 4.

Summary

The chemfuel powered generator consumes 4.5 chemfuel per day and generates a constant 1000W as long as it is switched on. It can hold up to 30 fuel at a time, for a maximum run time of 6.66 days. Fuel consumption is not dependent on how much power is actually drawn. Fuel has to be delivered to the generator by a hauler colonists. It can be switched off; in the off state it will neither consume fuel nor produce power.

It outputs light in a 6 tile radius, with the nearest 3 tiles being above 50% light level and considered lit. Note that the light source is centered at the bottom-left tile of the generator, rather than the "true" center of the generator. It heats at a rate of 6 heat per second^{[Exact mechanic unclear]}. Unlike many other heat sources, it does not appear to have a maximum temperature and will continue to heat up rooms indefinitely.^{[Confirmation needed]}.

If it is damaged below one third of its hitpoints, or 100 HP, it hs a chance^{[What chance?]} to explode. The generator will spark and emit a hissing sound shortly before exploding between 70 ticks (1.17 secs) and 150 ticks (2.5 secs) later. The explosion deals 10 Flame damage in a radius around itself that depends on the quantity of fuel in the generator. At 0 fuel, the explosion has a radius of 0 and only destroys the generator, and expanding this radius proportional to the square root of the fuel times 0.95 up to a maximum radius of 5.34 tiles when fully fueled. This explosion leaves Chemfuel puddles which will then ignite and burn.

Analysis

Fuel and energy economy

A chemfuel powered generator holds 30 chemfuel, consuming 4.5 chemfuel per day. A completely fueled-up generator will run for 6 days and 16 hours without refueling. For comparison, the wood-fired generator uses 22 wood per day.

Using boomalopes for fuel

A boomalope produces at most 11 chemfuel per day. It is feasible to run 22 generators indefinitely from a herd of 9 boomalopes (one boomalope can fuel ~2.44 generators). In practice this is not entirely attainable, because milking the animals and refueling the generators will not be a seamless process.

Using the Infinite Chemreactor

The Infinite chemreactor is a world quest item that generates 75 chemfuel every ten days, or 7.5 chemfuel per day at a cost of 300 watts. This is enough to power a single generator, providing 700 watts of power, total, while leaving 3.5 chemfuel excess per day (35 chemfuel a 10 day cycle). 8 chemreactors are exactly enough to power 15 chemfuel generator, providing 12600 watts of power in total.

Growing plants for fuel

Chemfuel generators together with hydroponics greenhouses and biofuel refineries produce a significant net energy profit, if the colonist workforce is available to run the setup. The (simplified) conversion chain is

Power (for greenhouse) → food (for refinery) → chemfuel (for generator) → power

A lot of excess power is generated at the end of the chain.

A single hydroponics basin can produce ~0.7 raw nutrition per day (growing rice, and assuming a perfect grow operation). This converts into ~7 chemfuel per day at a biofuel refinery. Therefore, the produce from a single basin fuels about 1.5 chemfuel generators. This is not attainable in practice, but will serve as a guideline. Theoretically, a single hydroponics basin lit by a sun lamp (in a group of 24 basins) uses 130W of power on average, including the sun lamp (190W if you assume day-time power draw). This results in a theoretical net gain in energy of about 870W (810W during the day). However, the power draw of the refinery is not taken into account (it can be micro-managed if chemfuel is produced in batches, and will not play a big role in the overall economy).

4.6 generators are needed to power a full hydroponics setup, which will require ~21 chemfuel per day, or about 3 hydroponics basins. This means that with 5 generators you can grow plants in ~20 hydroponics basins for free, with about 400W of power to spare during the day (3,300W during the night).

It is also possible to use boomalopes to convert the food into chemfuel, instead of refineries. This is only efficient if the food is fed to the animals as nutrient paste meals. This will yield ~2.1 nutrition per day, per hydroponics basin, enough to feed 2 animals, producing 12 chemfuel per day, fueling ~2.6 generators. A herd of 4 animals will therefore comfortably fuel the entire setup, indefinitely, and a biofuel refinery will not be required. A full 22 hydroponics basins will be available to grow plants for free in the colony with such a setup. However, it will be necessary to micro-manage the food-production at the nutrient paste dispenser; purists will consider this an exploit of game mechanics.

Using batteries to catch the night-time excess power, the setup described will cover the food and energy needs of a medium-sized colony entirely (without having to resort to any other power sources).

Version History

Beta 18 - Added.

Architect

Power: Power conduit (Hidden, Waterproof) • Power switch • Wood-fired generator • Chemfuel powered generator • Wind turbine
(research): Battery • Geothermal generator • Solar generator • Watermill generator • Toxifier generator • Bioferrite generator
(uncraftable): Vanometric power cell • Unstable power cell
Related: Ship reactor • Electroharvester