Difference between revisions of "Guide to the Stormdrive Engine"

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If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being the only engineer and not knowing how to set up this space age nuclear fission reactor you've come to the right place! This guide will tell you all about setting up the stormdrive and making sure it doesn't explode for at least another 30 minutes after that!
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|reason = karmic changed the engine again aaaaa
 
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So you want to learn Kmc's shitfuck engine, and the in-game tutorial is just too hard to understand (or you're too lazy to read it and decided the wiki must clearly be the more concise version). Well, good news! You've come to the wrong place, because nobody can learn this engine properly. Sorry. <br>
 
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If you'd like to see our attempt at getting the Stormdrive to maybe not explode, you can continue reading.
 
  
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==Warning==
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==Dangers of the Stormdrive==
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This engine is REALLY HARD. Power is a genuine issue if you're too slow, and many first-time engineers have no clue what they're doing.
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Of course every awesome form of power generation comes with some downsides, so this is what you'll need to watch out for:
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*If you leave the particle accelerator on too long, you're out of power.
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*If the Stormdrive somehow explodes it'll send a storm of plutonium sludge across the entire ship, irradiating everything that passes over it, this sludge can be removed with a shovel.
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*If for some ungodly reason there's no engineers in the first 5 minutes, you're out of power.
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*The Stormdrive also emits radioactive particles during normal operation, so be careful when entering the chamber!
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*If you can't find that wrench or screwdriver, you're out of power.
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*Don't forget to load in the control rods at the start of the shift, you'll only know you've messed up when it's already too late.
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Still willing to continue? Then read on.
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*It's very important to communicate with the people working in atmospherics, you don't want them to accidentally pump Tritium into the reactor!
  
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==Mechanics, AKA how do engine work==
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==The numbers, what do they mean?==
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The Stormdrive does a lot of things. Making sense is not one of them. Here's a list of things you need to know to have a chance of understanding it.
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In contrast to most other engines, the Stormdrive works with numbers ''and'' gases, more of those in a bit. But instead of just pumping in the perfect gas mix an leaving it like you would do with the supermatter, you'll also have to adjust the control rods to make sure the reactor stays stable and replace them from time to time to avoid a meltdown.
  
 
===Temperature===
 
===Temperature===
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Temperature is the basic thing you'll be looking at as an engineer, and wondering "is this too high?" while your body is being irradiated by a recently melted Stormdrive.
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This is probably the most important value when it comes to handling the Stormdrive. The temperature directly impacts the amount of energy you produce and also how high the reaction rate is. Here are a few important things to note down:
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*Temperature is in Celsius, because Farenheit is a horrible idea for nuclear reactors.
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*Higher temperature means higher power output and reaction rate
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*The temperature level directly corresponds to power output, where a higher temperature leads to more power.
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*The higher the temperature gets the closer the reactor is to overheating, so try to keep it balanced.
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*If the temperature is above 110C, the control rods will begin to decay, and will eventually require replacement with plasteel.
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*Certain gases can reinforce the maximum temperature cap and thus allow you to run the reactor hotter before causing an explosion.
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*If the temperature is above 500C, you've fucked up, and the meltdown is irreversable. The control rods have fractured, your body parts have elongated, and everyone hates you. <s>Enjoy the job ban.</s>
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*Other gases can also actively lower the reactor temperature, allowing you to quickly cool down the reactor in case of a meltdown.
  
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===Control Rod Integrity===
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===Control Rods===
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The Control Rods are not invulnerable - the high heat will damage them over time, much in the same way as a <s>clown</s> crewmember would if you put them into a fire.
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Control rods are big sticks designed to lower the rate of the reaction. At the start of the shift you will have to put these in yourself by setting the reactor to maintenance mode and directly inserting them. It is also possible to do this while the reactor is running, but this isn't recommended if you don't have any heat insulation and the reactor is running at high temperatures. The control rods can also be upgraded, though only to a certain excent. In order to aquire the most premium of rods you will have to convince [[Cargo Bay|Cargo]] to buy them by waving your department's budget card at them. While inside the reactor you can control the control rod lowering percentage using the slider (or by manually editing the number). The console will also inform you of their integrity so you know when it's time to turn off the reactor for control rod maintenance.
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*Integrity slowly decays over time - higher power output leads more rapid decay.
 
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*Integrity can be restored by adding plasteel to the rods when the reactor is in maintenance mode. Luckily, the table in the reactor room has 50 sheets of plasteel. You're welcome.
 
  
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===Control Rod Insertion===
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===Rate Of Reaction===
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This refers to how far the rods are inserted into the reactor.
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The rate of reaction (RoR, Mol/tick) represents the rate at which gasses are being reacted in the reactor, or more practically: the rate at which your reactor gains heat. This can be indicative of an uncontrolled reaction which is likely to lead to a meltdown if left unchecked, so ensure that you keep an eye on it. This figure can be managed with the reactor's control rods. Raise the control rods to raise the rate of reaction, and lower them to lower it.
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*Insertion levels can be either set to AZ tiers or percentages.
 
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*AZ tiers almost work in gaps of 25%; AZ-1 is 0%, AZ-2 is 25%, AZ-3 is 33.6% ("safe" level for pansies), AZ-4 is 75%, and AZ-5 is 100%.
 
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*Unless you want piss poor levels of power, you'll need to have insertion at around 25% to keep rate of reaction decently high to keep temperature decently high to keep power output decently high to keep the crew decently <s>high</s> happy.
 
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*Unfortunately, you can't just leave it at AZ-2 and be done with it, because raising the control rods increases the rate of reaction, which increases temperature, which causes a meltdown, which is bad.
 
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*Thus, you'll have to constantly babysit the engine so it doesn't explode, adjusting the control rod level between 25% and 50% to prevent Engineering from being the target of the crew's next revolution.
 
  
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===Fuel Level===
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===Reactor Fuel===
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Surprisingly, this is how much fuel is in the reactor.
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The Stormdrive strangely uses plasma based fuels for sustained fission reaction. These fuels are all inserted in gas form and are necissary to start and run the reactor, if there's no fuel there's no ongoing reaction.
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*The Stormdrive uses constricted plasma, which is plasma run through the constrictors at the north and south sides of the engine room.
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The three gases you can use as fuel are:
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*Fuel levels are measured in Mol - usually you'll want this to be something other than 0, because 0 Mol of fuel means the reactor isn't on, and that causes the ship to be irradiated. Funnily enough, radiation hurts.
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* Constricted plasma, this is made by putting plasma through a constrictor (very strange I know) and is the most balanced fuel type.
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*A higher rate of reaction consumes fuel faster.
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* Plasma, regular plasma can also be put in the reactor, though it has a lower reaction rate than constricted plasma. It is recommended to use this when starting out.
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* Tritium, this is by far the most volatile fuel, it has an increased rate of reaction, radiation output and temperature. It also reinforces the maximum temperature cap, but using tritium is only recommended for people that are experienced with the Stormdrive.
  
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===Rate of Reaction===
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==A Step By Step Guide==
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This is the important one which influences basically everything else, so forget everything you were just told and only look at this one.
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If you're here, you've either read a lot or not much. You'll see a great big set of stuff in engineering (image right) and have no idea what to do with it. Luckily, this section was made specifically to avoid you messing things up!
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*Rate of Reaction is the direct cause of temperature changes. A higher rate of reaction will lead to increases in temperature, and a lower rate of reaction will lead to decreases in temperature.
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[[File:Stormguide.png|right|The Stormdrive Engine in engineering]]
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*Of course, because people complained that the engine was too safe, changes in temperature affect the rate of reaction, which in turn affects the temperature, which in turn affects the rate of reaction, which in turn means fuck you.
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#To start off you'll want to build the Particle Accelerator, the thing in the orange box, this is a very easy three step progress. Wrench down the parts, wire them and then screwdriver them closed.
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*You can adjust rate of reaction with the control rods - more insertion reduces reaction rate, whereas less insertion increases it.
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#After that's done you're going to want to turn on the plasma constrictors, marked with purple, by simply clicking on them with an empty hand
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*It's measured in mol/tick, where the value is the amount of fuel consumed per tick. A tick is based on a server tick, which varies so much that not even a range of values is sufficient to define it.
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#Now you'll want to turn on the pumps that are marked with red on the image to get the plasma flowing.
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#Your reactor is now almost ready start, just grab five control rods from their crate and pop them into the stormdrive.
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#Now your Stormdrive should be ready to go! Turn on the Particle Accelerator using the blue console and set it to power 2. After 2 shots the reactor should now come online and you can turn off the Particle accelerator to avoid any unwanted side effects.
  
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==A Step By Step Guide (for you lazy peons)==
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==Advanced Gas Reactions==
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If you're here, you've either read a lot or not much. You'll see a great big set of stuff in the engine room (image right) and have no idea what to do with it. Luckily, this page is here for you to blame when you fuck everything up!
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The Stormdrive runs on gas, because there's so many gases in the game this means there's a lot of fun properties to be assigned to each gas. Luckily for you we have this handy chart with most of the gases on it so you can know what they do before accidentally blowing up the reactor.
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[[File:StormdriveSetup.png|thumb|right|The Stormdrive Engine room as it is at the start of the round.]]
 
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#Start by wrenching down the things which move so you can stop them from doing so. That's the entire particle accelerator and the two plasma constrictors at the north and south.
 
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#Add wires to the particle accelerator, then screwdriver the particle accelerator and the plasma constrictors (including the monitor).
 
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#Get the welding helmet from the table and weld the two plasma constrictors, then '''click with an empty hand to turn them on'''.
 
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#There's a bunch of pumps in various places. You want the ones underneath the plasma constrictors to be below 250kPa, the return loop pump to be maxed, and the plasma entrance pump under 200kPa. Ideally, if you have an atmospheric technician, the output from the plasma tank should also be slightly higher than default. Then, turn them all on.
 
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#Check the fuel level in the reactor. If it's not rising, see [[Guide_to_the_Stormdrive_Engine#All does not go well|the section below.]]
 
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#Set the control rods to AZ-3 to start off. Do not set it to AZ-1, as you will cause a meltdown within 2 minutes.
 
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#Activate the particle accelerator by setting the power level to 2 then turning it on. This thing eats power, so if the reactor isn't on after three shots, turn it off.
 
  
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===All does not go well===
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{{Stormdrive}}
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#Turn off filter, constrictors, and plasma inlets (there's also one under the door!)
 
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#Open waste valve
 
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#Let it vent to space for 5 seconds
 
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#Re-engage plasma inputs and constrictors
 
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#Wait 5 seconds
 
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#Re-engage filter
 
  
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If you're out of power before turning the engine on, increase the output from the SNES in the north-east section of engineering.
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===Nucleium Production===
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As you might have noticed on the chart, there's a gas called Nucleium. Nucleium is gas that has been used up to waste and can only be made inside the Stormdrive's reaction chamber when it's hot enough. Here's some important Nucleium facts:
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===All goes well===
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*The temperature needs to be above 400°C in order for Nucleium production to begin.
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[[File:StormdriveOn.gif|thumb|right|This is what it should look like.]]
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*Nucleium Production is equal to the reaction rate.
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Lucky you, you haven't blown yourself up. Unfortunately, that can still happen, as the Stormdrive is actually a 2-year-old in disguise, and leaving it alone will cause it to have a tantrum which annihiliates the ship you're currently on. (Hint: that's bad)
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*The Nucleium made in the Stormdrive has the same temperature as the reactor itself.
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So, you'll need to act as a babysitter for this toddler, by preventing the temperature from getting too high, and also producing enough power to counteract the power lost. Once the SNES in the north-east wing of engineering are charged (make sure they're at 200/200 for input/output), turn off the reactor by setting the control rods to 100% immersion, or press the SCRAM button.
 
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Turn the reactor back on when power levels in the SNES get low, and repeat from '''All goes well'''.
 
  
  
 
[[Category:Guides]]
 
[[Category:Guides]]

Revision as of 12:13, 1 July 2020

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being the only engineer and not knowing how to set up this space age nuclear fission reactor you've come to the right place! This guide will tell you all about setting up the stormdrive and making sure it doesn't explode for at least another 30 minutes after that!

Dangers of the Stormdrive

Of course every awesome form of power generation comes with some downsides, so this is what you'll need to watch out for:

  • If the Stormdrive somehow explodes it'll send a storm of plutonium sludge across the entire ship, irradiating everything that passes over it, this sludge can be removed with a shovel.
  • The Stormdrive also emits radioactive particles during normal operation, so be careful when entering the chamber!
  • Don't forget to load in the control rods at the start of the shift, you'll only know you've messed up when it's already too late.
  • It's very important to communicate with the people working in atmospherics, you don't want them to accidentally pump Tritium into the reactor!

The numbers, what do they mean?

In contrast to most other engines, the Stormdrive works with numbers and gases, more of those in a bit. But instead of just pumping in the perfect gas mix an leaving it like you would do with the supermatter, you'll also have to adjust the control rods to make sure the reactor stays stable and replace them from time to time to avoid a meltdown.

Temperature

This is probably the most important value when it comes to handling the Stormdrive. The temperature directly impacts the amount of energy you produce and also how high the reaction rate is. Here are a few important things to note down:

  • Higher temperature means higher power output and reaction rate
  • The higher the temperature gets the closer the reactor is to overheating, so try to keep it balanced.
  • Certain gases can reinforce the maximum temperature cap and thus allow you to run the reactor hotter before causing an explosion.
  • Other gases can also actively lower the reactor temperature, allowing you to quickly cool down the reactor in case of a meltdown.

Control Rods

Control rods are big sticks designed to lower the rate of the reaction. At the start of the shift you will have to put these in yourself by setting the reactor to maintenance mode and directly inserting them. It is also possible to do this while the reactor is running, but this isn't recommended if you don't have any heat insulation and the reactor is running at high temperatures. The control rods can also be upgraded, though only to a certain excent. In order to aquire the most premium of rods you will have to convince Cargo to buy them by waving your department's budget card at them. While inside the reactor you can control the control rod lowering percentage using the slider (or by manually editing the number). The console will also inform you of their integrity so you know when it's time to turn off the reactor for control rod maintenance.

Rate Of Reaction

The rate of reaction (RoR, Mol/tick) represents the rate at which gasses are being reacted in the reactor, or more practically: the rate at which your reactor gains heat. This can be indicative of an uncontrolled reaction which is likely to lead to a meltdown if left unchecked, so ensure that you keep an eye on it. This figure can be managed with the reactor's control rods. Raise the control rods to raise the rate of reaction, and lower them to lower it.

Reactor Fuel

The Stormdrive strangely uses plasma based fuels for sustained fission reaction. These fuels are all inserted in gas form and are necissary to start and run the reactor, if there's no fuel there's no ongoing reaction. The three gases you can use as fuel are:

  • Constricted plasma, this is made by putting plasma through a constrictor (very strange I know) and is the most balanced fuel type.
  • Plasma, regular plasma can also be put in the reactor, though it has a lower reaction rate than constricted plasma. It is recommended to use this when starting out.
  • Tritium, this is by far the most volatile fuel, it has an increased rate of reaction, radiation output and temperature. It also reinforces the maximum temperature cap, but using tritium is only recommended for people that are experienced with the Stormdrive.

A Step By Step Guide

If you're here, you've either read a lot or not much. You'll see a great big set of stuff in engineering (image right) and have no idea what to do with it. Luckily, this section was made specifically to avoid you messing things up!

The Stormdrive Engine in engineering
  1. To start off you'll want to build the Particle Accelerator, the thing in the orange box, this is a very easy three step progress. Wrench down the parts, wire them and then screwdriver them closed.
  2. After that's done you're going to want to turn on the plasma constrictors, marked with purple, by simply clicking on them with an empty hand
  3. Now you'll want to turn on the pumps that are marked with red on the image to get the plasma flowing.
  4. Your reactor is now almost ready start, just grab five control rods from their crate and pop them into the stormdrive.
  5. Now your Stormdrive should be ready to go! Turn on the Particle Accelerator using the blue console and set it to power 2. After 2 shots the reactor should now come online and you can turn off the Particle accelerator to avoid any unwanted side effects.

Advanced Gas Reactions

The Stormdrive runs on gas, because there's so many gases in the game this means there's a lot of fun properties to be assigned to each gas. Luckily for you we have this handy chart with most of the gases on it so you can know what they do before accidentally blowing up the reactor.

Template:Stormdrive

Nucleium Production

As you might have noticed on the chart, there's a gas called Nucleium. Nucleium is gas that has been used up to waste and can only be made inside the Stormdrive's reaction chamber when it's hot enough. Here's some important Nucleium facts:

  • The temperature needs to be above 400°C in order for Nucleium production to begin.
  • Nucleium Production is equal to the reaction rate.
  • The Nucleium made in the Stormdrive has the same temperature as the reactor itself.
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