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Heat exchanger

2025-04-16T19:52:42Z

Gatetman: In 2.0.7, the relevant 200J/unit-C heat capacity is for steam, not water. (The heat capacity of water is 2kJ/unit-C)

{{Languages}}{{:Infobox:Heat exchanger}}
The '''heat exchanger''' exchanges heat between a heat connection (normally from a [[heat pipe]] leading to a [[nuclear reactor]] or [[heating tower]]{{SA}}) and [[water]] to produce [[steam]].

Heat exchangers produce ~103 steam with a temperature of 500°C every second.

Heat exchangers will not produce steam until they reach 500°C. The steam produced is exactly 500°C hot, even if the exchanger is hotter. Heat exchangers have a heat capacity of 1 MJ/°C. Thus, they can buffer 500 MJ of heat energy across their working range of 500°C to 1000°C, and require 485 MJ of energy to warm up from 15°C to 500°C when initially placed.

== Calculating steam production rate ==

Heat exchangers produce 103 steam/second. This can be calculated by relying on [[steam turbine]] data: A steam turbine consumes 60 steam/second and produces 5.82MW (assuming 500°C steam). This means a single unit of 500°C steam has <code>5.82MW / (60/s) = 0.097 MJ</code> of energy. A heat exchanger produces 10 MJ a second, therefore it produces <code>10MJ / 0.097MJ = 103.0927835</code> steam per second.

The steam production rate can also be calculated using the energy consumption: 1 heat exchanger consumes 10MW, so it's putting 10MJ of energy into heating water/steam per second. To heat up 1 unit of steam 1 degree, 200 joules are needed, so the heat exchanger is heating up water by 50,000 unit-°C in total. We observe that this heating results in a temperature increase from 15°C to 500°C, so an increase of 485°C. So the 50,000 unit-°C is divided among 103 units of steam per second, since <code>50,000 / 485 = 103.09</code>. Since steam is produced from water in a 10:1 ratio, this also means that 10.3 units of water are consumed per second.

== History ==
{{History|2.0.7|
* 1 Water will now produce 10 Steam in boilers/heat exchangers.}}

{{History|0.17.67|
* Heat pipes (also in reactors and heat exchangers) glow with high temperatures.}}

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced
* Doubled the heat capacity of water from 0.1kJ per degree per liter to 0.2kJ}}

== See also ==
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Nuclear power]]
* [[Steam turbine]]
* [[Nuclear reactor]]
* [[Heating tower]] {{SA}}
* [[Heat pipe]]

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Steam turbine

2025-04-16T19:44:37Z

Gatetman: Mention 1:10 water:steam conversion ratio, and the relevant heat capacity is steam not water. Also the heat energy does not need to come from burnable fuel (and usually doesn't).

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Steam turbine}}
The '''steam turbine''' consumes [[steam]] to create electric energy. It is usually used together with [[heat exchanger]]s and a [[nuclear reactor]] or [[heating tower]]{{SA}}.

While designed for the 500°C steam of a nuclear reactor, turbines can still be connected to [[boiler]]s for use in conventional 165°C steam power. At this mode, the steam turbine acts equal to two separate [[steam engine]]s, producing 1800 kW and consuming 60 steam/sec. However, actual power production is based on the temperature of the steam, not the building itself. This means that using a steam turbine is no more fuel-efficient than using two steam engines. Unless saving space within a large build, it is not necessary to use the more costly turbines for boiler steam.

== Power output ==

Each steam turbine takes a maximum input of 60 units of 500°C [[steam]] per second and outputs 5.82MW of electricity; the 5.8MW listed on the tooltip is rounded.

* [[Heat exchanger]] converts [[water]] to [[steam]] at a 1:10 ratio, and heats it from 15°C to 500°C;
* It takes 0.2 kJ of [[Fuel|heat]] energy to raise 1 steam 1°C;
* Steam is consumed by steam turbines at a rate of 60 units per second;
* (500°C - 15°C) × 0.2 kJ × 60 units/s = 5820 kJ/s, or 5.82 MW.
* On the other hand, the calculation for the Boiler-generated steam is: (165°C - 15°C) × 0.2 kJ × 60 units/s = 1800 kJ/s, or 1.8 MW.

== History ==
{{history|0.18.18|
* Adjusted [[steam engine]] and turbine collision boxes so player can walk between two steam engines.}}

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Power production]]
* [[Heat pipe]]
* [https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/67xgge/nuclear_ratios/ Nuclear ratios]

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{{C|Energy}}

Water

2025-04-16T19:31:21Z

Gatetman: In 2.0.7, water has a heat capacity of 2kJ/unit and converts to steam at a 1:10 ratio

{{Languages}}
{{:Infobox:Water}}

'''Water''' is a [[fluid system|liquid]] which can be infinitely extracted from water tiles using an [[offshore pump]]. In [[Space Age]]{{SA}}, water can also be produced by a [[chemical plant]] by condensing [[steam]] or melting [[ice]]. After being pumped or produced it is distributed via [[pipe]]s.

Water can be used to generate [[electric system|electricity]] by converting it to [[steam]] via [[boiler]]s or [[heat exchanger]]s. The specific heat capacity of water is <code>2kJ / Δ°C / unit</code>. However, one unit of water converts to ten units of steam, which has a heat capacity of <code>200J / Δ°C / unit</code>. That is, it takes 200 joules to heat one unit of steam by one degree Celsius. Water is also used as an ingredient in various recipes.

Surface water acts as an obstacle that cannot normally be traveled over. A [[spidertron]] can reach across water if another bit of land is sufficiently close, and wearing [[mech armor]]{{SA}} allows the player to fly over water.

[[Raw fish]] are spawned in water tiles during world generation only, and do not reproduce naturally. Water tiles can be removed completely by placing [[landfill]] over them. [[Pollution]] will turn nearby water green, which is a visual-only effect (the effect can be turned off by disabling animated water in the graphics settings). The color changes relative to the current amount of pollution around it, so decreasing pollution purifies the water.

== Shallow water ==

Shallow water can appear alongside (or in place of) normal water. Shallow water can be walked on, but buildings can't be built in it directly. Shallow water can still have [[landfill]] placed upon it. Shallow water will reduce the speed of the [[player]] as well as [[car|wheeled]] [[tank|vehicles]]. The speed reduction does not affect [[enemies]] or the [[spidertron]]. [[Offshore pump]]s can be used where shallow water meets land (including landfill).

Shallow water appears as one of two shades of blue lighter than that of standard water, with the mildly lighter blue and moderately lighter blue reducing the player's walking speed by 30% or 20% respectively. In the base game, shallow water is not generated by the default [[map generator]], so it can only be found in the [[tutorial]]. In [[Space Age]], [[Gleba]] is the only planet with naturally generated shallow water, and it is found there in abundance.

== Alternative recipes ==
{{About/Space age}}
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Process !! Input !! Output !! Made in !! Required technology
|-
| {{imagelink|Ice melting}}
| {{icon|Time|1}} + {{icon|Ice|1}}
| {{icon|Water|20}}
| {{icon|Chemical plant}}
| {{icontech|Space platform thruster (research)}} [[Space platform thruster (research)]]
|-
| {{imagelink|Steam condensation}}
| {{icon|Time|1}} + {{icon|Steam|1000}}
| {{icon|Water|90}}
| {{icon|Chemical plant}}{{icon|Cryogenic plant}}
| {{icontech|Calcite processing (research)}} [[Calcite processing (research)]]
|-
|}

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths=260px heights=220px>
File:player_in_shallow_water.png|The [[player]] standing in shallow water.
File:polluted_water.png|Water becoming polluted.<br /><small>Source: [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-358 Factorio Friday Facts #358]</small>
</gallery>

== History ==
{{history|1.0.0|
* Added polluted water visual effect.}}

{{history|0.18.0|
* Water is animated.}}

{{history|0.17.0|
* Added two levels of shallow water tiles (only placed by map editor, not generated). Enemies and vehicles can travel over shallow water.
* Water is generated as large lakes instead of swamps.
* Better controls in the map generator GUI for water, tiles and cliffs.}}

{{history|0.13.0|
* Landfill can be used to replace water with grass.}}

{{history|0.9.1|
* Water settings in [[map generator|map generation]] have more effect.}}

{{history|0.1.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Fluid system]]
* [[Electric system]]

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{{C|Fluids}}