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Heat exchanger: Difference between revisions

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(Removed usage tips. Restored old explanations. Removed excessive comments. Merged heat capacity back into first section.)
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{{Languages}}{{:Infobox:Heat exchanger}}
{{Languages}}{{:Infobox:Heat exchanger}}
The '''heat exchanger''' exchanges heat between a heat connection and [[water]] to produce [[steam]].


The '''heat exchanger''' takes heat from [[heat pipe]] or [[nuclear reactor]] heat pipe connections and transfers it to water to produce steam.
Heat exchangers produce ~103 steam with a temperature of 500°C every second.  


Heat exchangers produce ~103 steam every second with a temperature of 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.  
 
They must heat up to 500°C before they produce steam, from a starting temperature of 15°C.
Like a boiler they have two pipe connections on opposite short ends for water, and an output pipe for steam. Opposite the steam output, three heat pipe connections may be used to supply heat from a nuclear reactor.
<!-- This paragraph is to describe the use of this machine -->


== Calculating steam production rate ==
== Calculating steam production rate ==
The steam production rate is not shown in the game toolboxes, however a heat exchanger is shown to consume 10MW. Because 200J (joules - a unit of energy) heats 1 unit of water 1 degree in the game, and that water is heated from 15°C to 500°C, a difference of 485 degrees, producing 1 unit of 500°C steam consumes 97000J, or 97kJ. (the heat of vaporization is ignored) A watt is the amount of energy transfered per unit of time, a joule every second. As a heat exchanger consumes 10 megawatts, 10000000 joules every second, or 10000kJ/s. Dividing this by the 97kJ/steam, the rate of steam production is found. <code>10000kJ/s / 97kJ/steam = 103.092783505 steam/s</code>
<!-- If there is a better way of showing math students how to handle units when dividing please make the necessary changes-->
<!-- "Another way to calculate this is by relying on [[Steam turbine]] data;  A steam turbine consumes 60 steam/second and produces 5.8MW (assuming 500°C steam). This means a single unit of 500°C steam has <code>5.8MW / 60/s = 0.09666 MJ</code> of energy. A steam engine produces 10 MJ a second, therefore it produces <code>10MJ / 0.0966MJ = 103.448275862 </code> steam a second." In this previous edit: the first code segment was missing a 0 after the decimal (fixed here), and Steam Turbines actually produce 5.82MW making the decimals simpler. Apologies for not fixing it, but perhaps this belongs under steam turbines as thats where the 5.82 is derived. ... The temperature of starting water, the temperature of ending steam are both given in game, as well as the patch note for the heat capacity of water so this seems like the better documented route to explain it. Its more direct in showing the amount of energy stored in steam.--><!-- This also clarifies over the previous version that neither steam or the exchanger can not be heated up to 50,000C and possibly makes it easier to follow as its somewhat preferable to suggest something is a temperature rather than having a quantity of temperature to distribute to boiling water. Its usually energy thats distributed not temperature. -->
== Heat capacity ==
A heat exchanger connected to a working nuclear reactor may increase in temperature to the reactors maximum temperature of 1000°C. Heat exchangers have a heat capacity of 1 MJ/°C. They require 485MJ of energy to warm up from 15°C to 500°C when initially placed. Because they do not produce steam below 500°C, they, and usually the connected reactors, will not cool below this temperature. If there are insufficient heat exchangers for the power generated by the connected reactors, or insufficient or stopped water supply to the heat exchanger it will buffer up to 500MJ of heat energy as its temperature raises above 500°C. This energy can only be used to produce steam, and under no circumstances will the temperature of the steam produced be above 500°C.


== Effects on other machines ==
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>5.8MW / 60/s = 0.097 MJ</code> of energy. A steam engine produces 10 MJ a second, therefore it produces <code>10MJ / 0.097MJ = 103.0927835 </code> steam per second.
* [[Steam engine]]s are not recommended, as they consume full units of 500°C steam to only produce  30kJ/steam (wasting 69%).
* The steam produced my be [[pump]]ed and may also be stored in [[storage tank]]s.
* It is not recommended to use steam produced by heat exchangers for [[coal liquefaction]] over [[boiler]]s as it currently wastes energy without additional benefit, and coal is likely available.
<!-- Verification needed. -->


== Trivia ==
The steam production rate can also be calculated using the energy consumption: 1 Heat exchanger consumes 10MW, so it's putting 10,000,000 joule 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°C in total. But the water only gets heated up from 15°C to 500°C, so by 485°C. So the 50,000°C are enough to heat up 103 units of steam per second, since <code>50,000 / 485 = 103.09</code>.
Thermal energy, or heat, is conveniently transported in fluids and gases. In many reactor designs heat is transfered outside the reactor vessel and used to heat water elsewhere. Heat pipes represent the medium to transfer this heat. Heat exchangers represent the use of this heat to create steam.


== History ==
== History ==
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* Introduced
* Introduced
* Doubled the heat capacity of water from 0.1kJ per degree per liter to 0.2kJ}}
* Doubled the heat capacity of water from 0.1kJ per degree per liter to 0.2kJ}}
<!-- Documentation for heat capacity of water used in calculations. -->


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Power production]]
* [[Power production#Nuclear power|Nuclear power]]
* [[Steam]]
* [[Steam turbine]]
* [[Nuclear reactor]]
* [[Heat pipe]]
* [[Heat pipe]]


{{ProductionNav}}
{{ProductionNav}}
{{C|Energy}}
{{C|Energy}}

Revision as of 12:29, 4 June 2018

Heat exchanger.png
 Heat exchanger

Heat exchanger entity.png

Recipe

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3
+
Copper plate.png
100
+
Pipe.png
10
+
Steel plate.png
10
→
Heat exchanger.png
1

Total raw

Time.png
8
+
Copper plate.png
100
+
Iron plate.png
10
+
Steel plate.png
10

Recipe

Time.png
3
+
Copper plate.png
100
+
Pipe.png
10
+
Steel plate.png
10
→
Heat exchanger.png
1

Total raw

Time.png
8
+
Copper plate.png
100
+
Iron plate.png
20
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Map color

Fluid storage volume

Input: 200
Output: 200

Health

200

Resistances

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

Stack size

50

Dimensions

2×3

Energy consumption

10 MW

Maximum temperature

1000 °C

Mining time

0.1

Prototype type

boiler

Internal name

heat-exchanger

Required technologies

Nuclear power (research).png

Produced by

Assembling machine 1.png
Assembling machine 2.png
Assembling machine 3.png
Player.png

The heat exchanger exchanges heat between a heat connection 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 5.8MW / 60/s = 0.097 MJ of energy. A steam engine 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 10,000,000 joule 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°C in total. But the water only gets heated up from 15°C to 500°C, so by 485°C. So the 50,000°C are enough to heat up 103 units of steam per second, since 50,000 / 485 = 103.09.

History

  • 0.15.0:
    • Introduced
    • Doubled the heat capacity of water from 0.1kJ per degree per liter to 0.2kJ

See also

Production items

Tools

Furnaces

Space related

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