Originally shared on the public FactorioPrints / Factorio School archive (factorioprints.com · factorio.school). Authorship preserved from the public catalog.
This blueprint book contains a tileable column based nuclear power system.
It contains 2 layouts both based on the same core reactor layout. The initial layout 30 Heat Exchangers and 50 Steam Turbines, and two water pipes per column. The second layout contains 34 Heat Exchangers and 56 Steam Turbines. All of the blueprints are setup to work based on 4 columns at a time. The blueprints are smaller and should be easier to see where to place, it does include full column blueprints (minus offshore pumps) as well.
This is belt based, the expired fuel cells exit through a braided belt system (red/blue) to the same side that the new fuel cells enter from.
The basic setup contains 8 reactors, 120 heat exchangers, and 200 steam turbines. Note, this is too many exchangers for just 8 reactors, and the initial setup will become heat starved if ran at full capacity. It needs to be placed twice to be stable, which will produce 2.3GW (400*5.8) It will last about an hour a full capacity with just 8 reactors, then slightly reduce it's max power output. After placing twice or more, this is will no longer occur.
There will not be a fuel control scheme added, these are made to be ran at full capacity all the time. If the steam tanks start emptying, the only solutions are to either build more power, or use less power. The heat cannot build up fast enough to catch back up. This shouldn't matter with this setup, as it shouldn't run away, but that's something you should keep in mind if you plan on adding a fuel control scheme. You either have to add tanks or accept a lower total power potential, neither of those choices are very UPS friendly, but really, neither is using nuclear at all.
If you have spare power, build more factory, if you don't have enough power, build more power.
Blueprints:
4x2 Reactor Core, Tileable
4x12 Heat Exchangers Side A
4x2 Heat Exchanger & 4x1 Turbine Single Pipe End Cap Side A (H2TA)
4x12 Steam Turbines Single Pipe Side A
4x2 Offshore Pumps Single Pipe Side A
4x12 Heat Exchangers Side B
4x2 Heat Exchanger & 4x1 Turbine Single Pipe End Cap Side B (H2TB)
4x12 Steam Turbines Single Pipe Side B
4x2 Offshore Pumps Single Pipe Side B
4x14 Heat Exchangers Side A
4x2 Heat Exchanger & 4x1 Turbine Double Pipe End Cap Side A (H2TA)
4x12 Steam Turbines Double Pipe Side A
4x3 Steam Turbine Extender Double Pipe Side A
4x2 Offshore Pumps Double Pipe Side A
4x14 Heat Exchangers Side B
4x2 Heat Exchanger & 4x1 Turbine Double Pipe End Cap Side B (H2TB)
4x12 Steam Turbines Double Pipe Side B
4x3 Steam Turbine Extender Double Pipe Side B
4x2 Offshore Pumps Double Pipe Side B
4x Full Column Single Pipe
4x Full Column Double Pipe
Single Pipe Placing:
If you want completely stable power at max usage, you can tile the single pipe layout forever. It'll be under the ideal ratios for nuclear setups, but it'll be completely stable due to that.
1x - Core
2x - 4x12 Heat Exchangers
once per side
2x - 4x2 Heat Exchanger & 4x1 Turbine Single Pipe End Cap
once per side
4x - 4x12 Steam Turbines Single Pipe
twice per side
2x - 4x2 Offshore Pumps Single Pipe
Once per side
If you're lucky enough to have water you can landfill, or you're using mods to make flat water areas, otherwise you'll probably build your own offshore pumps
Each Single Pipe placement contains:#####
8 Nuclear Reactors
120 Heat Exchangers
200 Steam Turbines
Power Output is 1164W.
Double Pipe Placing:
If you're building more than 16 reactors, you can build the middle sections with more Heat Exchangers and Steam Turbines while still maintaining stability at max usage for 5-6 hours. You just need to use the single pipe setup above for the outer edge of your reactor array. After those, the interior can be comprised by up to three of the double piped blueprints. The Double Pipe sections should not be repeated more than 3 times, while you can, it's just increasing build costs while reducing stability.
1x Single Pipe <> 3x Double Pipe <> 1x Single Pipe <> 3x Double Pipe <> 1x Single Pipe
Placing the Double Pipe blueprints on the edge will result in heat starvation which will reduce steam output and not all of the turbines will be used. They must be enclosed within the Single Pipe setup.
1x - Core
2x - 4x14 Heat Exchangers
once per side
2x - 4x2 Heat Exchanger & 4x1 Turbine Double Pipe End Cap
once per side
4x - 4x12 Steam Turbines Double Pipe
twice per side
2x - 4x3 Steam Turbine Extender Double Pipe
once per side
2x - 4x2 Offshore Pumps Double Pipe
once per side
Each Double Pipe placement contains:
8 Nuclear Reactors
136 Heat Exchangers
224 Steam Turbines
Power Output is 1350.24W (186.24W more than Single Pipe).
The following table assumes 1x SP <> 3x DP <> 1x SP.
Reactors
Heat Exchangers
Steam Turbines
Power Output (W)
8
120
200
1164
16
240
400
2328
24
376
624
3631
32
512
848
4935
40
648
1072
6217
48
768
1272
7377
56
904
1446
8386
64
1040
1720
9976
Support
If you don't get a stable steam tank (which its there more for how fluid works than it is there for a power buffer), then check your offshore to the blueprints pipes. Remember you should add a pump roughly every 7 pipe pieces.
Update Notice:
Updated on 6/28/2018 (three times).
Update 10: Removed that 29th Steam Turbine, it causes heat exhaustion on larger setups . It appears the ratio is indeed 1.7 turbines per heat exchanger and not 1.75. At 1.7 it's 28.9 Turbines for 17 Heat Exchangers, at 1.75 it would be 29.75, which should have left some overhead to prevent the heat exhaustion. Simply removing the 29th Turbine allowed the heat to rebuild and reach maximum output again, although at a lower maximum.
Update 9: Finally figured out the pumps more, now the double pipe layouts support 29 Steam Turbines per reactor.
Update 8: Added support for more stable power from the same reactor count, once you reach 24 or more reactors. Detailed more in the placement section.
Update 7 is a complete remake. This book will now only contain the reactors. The Kovarex, Uranium Centrifuges, and other nuclear power support blueprints will be rereleased as a separete book, it was getting too cluttered.
Updates:
u2 - Separating the steam tanks from each other
u3 - Moving the water tanks to be right next to the heat exchangers
u3 - Running a second water line per turbine isle.
u4 - Adding pumps to the water lines.
u5 - Removed extra heat pipes.
u6 - Rearranged Steam tanks.
u7 - Complete remake
u7 - Added 15th Heat Exchanger per column, which solved steam exhaustion at full load.
u7 - The BP needs to be placed twice, reaching 16 reactors to be stable. Only use 80% of the initial 8 reactors before adding more.
u7 - Blueprints are now smaller, each should fit on the screen.
u7 - Fully tested in creative mode mod at full capacity, it's completely stable at 8 columns (16 reactors, two core placements) or beyond.
u8 - Remove supplemental blueprints
u8 - Removed double pipes from the shorter set.
u8 - Added support for 17x Heat Exchangers and 28 Steam Turbines per reactor. This should not be used unless you are using 24 or more reactors.
u9 - Added more pumps, and 29th steam turbine to the double pipe columns.
u10 - Removed that 29th Turbine, it causes heat exhaustion.
