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Heat exchanger: Difference between revisions

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Add note about the temperature at which temperature steam exchangers start making steam.
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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 exchanger/infobox}}


The '''heat exchanger''' exchanges heat between a heat source and a fluid. It is usually used together with a [[nuclear reactor]] and [[steam turbine]]s.
Heat exchangers produce ~103 steam with a temperature of 500°C every second.  


Heat Exchangers will not produce steam until they reach 500°C.
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 water 1 degree, 200 joules are needed,<!--i.e. the specific heat capacity of water is 200 J/(unit.°C) - Factorio doesn't account for latent heat of vaporization--> so the heat exchanger is heating up water by 50,000 unit-°C<!--not simply "°C" - the dimensions are not correct for that unit--> 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 ==
{{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|
{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}
* Introduced
* Doubled the heat capacity of water from 0.1kJ per degree per liter to 0.2kJ}}


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


{{ProductionNav}}
{{ProductionNav}}
{{C|Nuclear power}}
{{C|Energy}}

Latest revision as of 23:25, 15 February 2025

Heat exchanger

Recipe

3
+
100
+
10
+
10
1

Total raw

8
+
100
+
10
+
10

Map color

Fluid storage volume

Input: 200
Output: 200

Health

200
260 320
380 500

Resistances

Explosion: 0/30%
Fire: 0/90%
Impact: 0/30%

Stack size

50

Rocket capacity

25 (0.5 stacks)

Dimensions

2×3

Energy consumption

10
13 16
19 25
MW (heat)

Heat output

103/s
134/s 165/s
196/s 258/s
steam

Maximum temperature

1000 °C

Fluid consumption

10.3/s
13.4/s 16.5/s
19.6/s 25.8/s
water

Mining time

0.1

Prototype type

boiler

Internal name

heat-exchanger

Required technologies

Produced by

The heat exchanger exchanges heat between a heat connection (normally from a heat pipe leading to a nuclear reactor or heating tower) 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 5.82MW / (60/s) = 0.097 MJ of energy. A heat exchanger produces 10 MJ a second, therefore it produces 10MJ / 0.097MJ = 103.0927835 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 water 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 50,000 / 485 = 103.09. 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

  • 2.0.7:
    • 1 Water will now produce 10 Steam in boilers/heat exchangers.
  • 0.17.67:
    • Heat pipes (also in reactors and heat exchangers) glow with high temperatures.
  • 0.15.0:
    • Introduced
    • Doubled the heat capacity of water from 0.1kJ per degree per liter to 0.2kJ

See also