Nuclear Reactor Components

A Nuclear Reactor has to be filled with components to render it operational. Components include fuel cells and many other items to modify the behaviour of the reactor.

Behaviour of the reactor can be simulated with the GregTech Computer Cube. There is also a java-based simulator available. It should be noted that the author of GregTech recommends the Computer Cube for testing reactor designs, especially those that incorporate the GregTech reactor components. This is due to the web applet being inconsistent with designs that appear stable, but will actually result in a meltdown. The GregTech Computer Cube does not have this issue, as it actually simulates a nuclear reactor as if it were actually constructed and running, and thus is able to reveal potential issues with a given design.

Reactor Components

A nuclear reactor accepts components which provide various functionality. This ranges from the fuel cells themselves to a selection of components intended to cool them.

Nuclear Cells

Nuclear cells are the components that produce energy. Energy production also results in heat, which must be effectively dispersed to avoid reactor explosion.

• Uranium Cells are the basic nuclear fuel cell.
• Thorium Cells produce 20% of the heat and energy of uranium cells per tick but last 5 times as long.
• Plutonium Cells produce 2 times the heat and energy per tick as uranium cells and last twice as long.

Special Cell Types

• Near-Depleted Uranium Cells have a chance of remaining after a Uranium Cell is depleted.
• Depleted Isotope Cells are crafted by combining a Near-Depleted Uranium Cell with one Coal Dust. They may be re-enriched in a breeder reactor, producing a Re-Enriched Uranium Cell.
• Re-Enriched Uranium Cell are produced as a result of placing a Depleted Isotope Cell next to a regular Uranium Cell in a Breeder reactor for a period of time. They may be crafted into a Uranium Cell by combining them with Coal Dust or centrifuged in an industrial centrifuge for thorium, plutonium and near-depleted uranium cells.

Plating

Plating increases the maximum temperature that the reactor can tolerate. In addition, plating decreases the radius of an explosion caused by the failure of the reactor. Plating is useful in maximizing the efficiency of a reactor by allowing for a higher maximum operating temperature.

• Reactor Plating moderately increases the temperature tolerance and explosion resistance.
• Containment Reactor Plating significantly increases explosion resistance and slightly increases temperature tolerance.
• Heat-Capacity Reactor Plating significantly increases temperature tolerance and slightly increases explosion resistance.

Plating	Max Temperature Increase	Explosion Range
Reactor Plating	+1000	-5%
Containment Reactor Plating	+500	-10%
Heat-Capacity Reactor Plating	+1700	-1%

Coolant Cells

Coolant cells accept heat from any adjacent Uranium Cells, Thorium Cells or Plutonium Cells. They must be actively cooled by heat exchangers and heat vents, else they will eventually deplete, consuming the item.

Heat Vents

Heat vents remove heat from the reactor or neighboring internal components (including Uranium Cells , Heat Exchangers, and Coolant Cells), safely dissipating it.

• Heat Vents are the basic reactor cooling components. They cool neighboring components by 6 heat per tick and dissipate 6 heat per tick.
• Advanced Heat Vents function similarly to Heat Vents, except that they provide double the cooling and greater heat capacity.
• Reactor Heat Vents transfer 5 heat from the reactor hull per tick while dissipating 5 heat per tick. They will also absorb heat from neighboring nuclear cells, exceeding their 5 heat per tick dissipation rate; in this event, Reactor Heat Vents will require additional cooling themselves.
• Overclocked Heat Vents transfer 36 heat per tick from the reactor hull, but are only capable of dissipating 20 of that heat per tick. Consequently, Overclocked Heat Vents must receive additional cooling if operating at maximum capacity; otherwise, they will be destroyed by accumulated heat.
• Component Heat Vents provide cooling of 4 heat per tick to neighboring components only. They will provide cooling to neither nuclear cells nor the reactor itself. However, unlike other heat vents, they are unaffected by proximity to nuclear cells and are thus immune to the accumulation of excess heat.

Heat Exchangers

Heat exchangers transfer heat from the reactor core and components, evenly distributing it amongst them. Heat exchangers may be used to move large amounts of heat around a reactor, allowing it to be effectively dispersed by Heat Vents.

• Heat Exchangers transfer 12 heat per tick to or from adjacent components and 4 heat per tick with the reactor core. They can hold up to 2.5k heat.
• Advanced Heat Exchangers transfer 24 heat to adjacent components and 8 heat per tick with the reactor core. They can hold up to 10k heat.
• Component Heat Exchangers transfer 36 heat per tick to or from adjacent components. They do not interact with the reactor core, and hold up to 10k heat.
• Core Heat Exchangers transfer up to 72 heat per tick to or from the reactor core. They do not interact with adjacent components, and hold up to 10k heat.

Neutron Reflectors

Neutron reflectors increase the efficiency of adjacent nuclear cells by increasing the energy produced per tick. Reflectors have a limited lifespan, eventually requiring replacement. The more uranium a neutron reflector is affecting, the faster it degrades.

• Neutron Reflector will fail after 1 cell * cycle.
• Thick Neutron Reflector will fail after four cell *cycles
• Iridium Neutron Reflector will never fail - they have unlimited lifespan. (Only available with Gregtech)

Additional Components

If GregTech 4 is installed, then a variety of other reactor components are available as well. These include alternate fuel cells to generate differing amounts of EU, as well as the above mentioned Iridium Neutron Reflector.