Tutorial:MJ Generation

Buildcraft is a very useful mod with many addons to make it even better. It is filled with automation, but those all need power. This article is meant to show you how to generate that power.

Buildcraft

Redstone Engine

Give it a redstone signal and it will run! This is the cheapest, but it produces very little MJ.

Stirling Engine

All this engine needs to run is a redstone signal and some solid fuel. Any non-liquid fuel that works in a furnace works. (ex. coal) This is the second best engine in vanilla Buildcraft.

Combustion Engine

This engine works just like a stirling engine but it requires liquid fuel instead of solid. It produces the most MJ out of all of the engines in vanilla Buildcraft, but that power comes at a price. This engine is the most expensive to create, and it has a high chance that it will explode. Water can be used to cool the machine down. The explosion usually destroys the engine and the machine it's powering. The explosion is similar to one of a creeper; destroying blocks and causing physical damage to those around it. It is also good to note that if combustion engines are lined up in a row, it is likely that they will all explode if one overheats.

Thermal Expansion

Note that the information here about thermal expansion engines is now outdated as of the new version of Thermal Expansion

Steam Engine

This is more expensive than the stirling engine. You only need to give it water and any fuel that works in a furnace. Then it will make steam. It can also be connected to an external source of steam, such as from railcraft, in order to produce more efficiently.

Magmatic Engine

This is another engine from Thermal Expansion. This engine only requires lava to run, and is generally considered one of the better engines in the game

Railcraft

Hobbyist's Steam Engine*

This engine requires a redstone signal, some fuel that works in a furnace, and some water. This is the only Railcraft engine that produces steam itself.

Industrial/Commercial Steam Engine*†

These engines both require steam, but unlike the hobbyist's engine, they do not produce steam themselves. Like the Hobbyist's steam engine, they also require a redstone signal. You need to feed them steam from somewhere else. The industrial engine is more expensive than the commercial, but it is more powerful, creating twice the MJ/tick for twice the steam cost.

Forestry

Electrical Engine

This engine requires EU (IC2 power) and a redstone signal to work.

Peat Fired Engine

Uses peat and a redstone signal. Produces ash as a byproduct.

Biogas Engine*

Requires liquids from plants, liquid fuel, and a redstone signal.

Clockwork Engine

Right click and hold to power. If you continue to hold right-click for a few seconds after the engine heats up to the red stage, you will start taking damage. Dying from this damage will produce a special death message: "[playername] was stabbed by a loose spring."

DartCraft

Force Engine

Produces MJ with liquid force or non-vanilla liquids. Any liquids from vanilla Minecraft multiply the amount MJ produced. As with almost every engine, it requires a redstone signal.

Power Converters

This does not use seperate engines, this has a different way of producing it. Put an energy bridge next to a consumer and a MJ producer. Power the producer with whatever kind of power it is for, and MJ will be coming out of the producer.

• Needs to heat up

†Is not working for me