Energy Sources

From the Dyson Sphere Program Wiki

Dyson Sphere Program has several ways of generating power. From the wind turbine you start with, to fusion generators, artificial stars and of course the Dyson Sphere itself. Some of these generators and your mech, Icarus, run on one or more different fuels. This page lists all fuels in the game and explains the stats they use.

Fuel stats

All fuels have two stats that tell you how good they are: Energy, and Fuel chamber gen.

Energy is the total energy each item contains. When used in your mech, the Mini Fusion Power Station and the Artificial Star, this is the total energy it generates. Thermal Power Stations incur a 20% energy loss for all fuels they use.

Fuel chamber gen. marks how efficient your mech's Fuel Chamber is at converting the fuel. This only changes how fast energy is recharged, not how much total energy is produced. Note that Coal with 0% is the only fuel that matches your Energy Circuit upgrade level. Both positive and negative percentages are relative to this. For instance, both a Hydrogen Fuel Rod and the 5 Hydrogen it requires to produce contain a total of 40MJ (before patch 0.6.17.5972, Hydrogen Fuel Rod now contains 50MJ), but the fuel rod has a Fuel chamber gen. of +200% instead of the +100% of regular hydrogen, meaning you will use the fuel rod 50% faster (300% total charge rate compared to 200%) than the regular hydrogen and therefore recharge energy 50% faster. The time a fuel item lasts and your recovery speed both depend on your Energy Circuit upgrade level. As this stat only affects your mech, processing hydrogen into fuel rods for use in the Thermal Power Station is a waste of resources.

Burn Time

Burn Time is calculated with the following formula: 

(Energy * Efficiency) / Rate == burn time (in seconds)

Energy is the amount of energy stored in the fuel, in Joules.
Efficiency is the conversion efficiency of the generator burning the fuel. For a Thermal Power Station, this is 0.8 (80%).
Rate is the rate at which the generator is supplying power (in Watts) to the grid.

Example: To calculate the burn time of 1 Energetic Graphite in 1 thermal power generator at 100% load: 

Energy * Efficiency / Rate == burn time (in seconds)
(6.3 MJ * 0.8) / 2.16MW  == 2.333 seconds

The table below has been calculated at 100% load for all fuels/generators. Fuel typically takes longer than this to burn in practice, because it is abnormal to keep a power grid at 100% load at all times.

List of Fuels

Fuel Stack Size Type Energy Fuel chamber gen. Generator Generator Burn Time Units per minute in generator
  500 Natural Resource, Chemical 500 kJ -30%   0.185 s 324.32
  100 Natural Resource, Chemical 1.50 MJ -10%   0.556 s 107.91
  100 Rare Resource, Material, Chemical 1.80 MJ -20%   0.667 s 89.96
  100 Natural Resource, Chemical 2.70 MJ 0%   1 s 60
  100 Material, Chemical 6.30 MJ +60%   2.333 s 25.72
  20 Natural Resource, Chemical 4.00 MJ +20%   1.481 s 40.51
  20 Material, Chemical 4.40 MJ +30%   1.630 s 36.81
  20 Rare Resource, Material, Chemical 8.00 MJ +100%   2.963 s 20.25
  20 Rare Resource, Material, Chemical 8.00 MJ +100%   2.963 s 20.25
  100 Material, Chemical 900 kJ -50%   0.333 s 180.18
  100 Material, Chemical 96.0 kJ -70%   0.036 s 1666.67
  100 Material, Chemical 84.0 kJ -80%   0.031 s 1935.48
  50 Rare Resource, Chemical 4.80 MJ +40%   1.778 s 33.75
  30 End Product, Chemical 50.0 MJ +200%   18.519 s 3.24
  20 End Product, Nuclear Energy 600 MJ +300%   66.667 s 0.9
  20 End Product, Mass Energy 7.50 GJ +500%   100 s 0.6
  20 Power storage [1] 90.0 MJ +100%   2 s 30
  1. ↑ Will return an empty accumulator when used in the Energy Exchanger. If used to power Icarus, the accumulator will be destroyed.

Efficient Power Generation

The following chapters describe by example the best ways to utilize the different basic fuel resources Coal, Crude Oil, and Fire Ice, taking the power consumption of required buildings like smelters, refineries, sorters etc. into account.

Coal vs. Energetic Graphite

Maybe surprisingly, burning Coal directly in the Thermal Power Station is more efficient than crafting and burning Energetic Graphite, as shown in the following calculation.

Assumptions

Burning Coal

  • Coal production: 24 Veins * 0.5 Coal/s = 12 Coal/s.
  • Energy content: 12 Coal * 2.7 MJ = 32.4 MJ.
  • Number of Power Stations needed to burn 12 Coal/s: 32.4 MJ * 0.8 / 2.16 MW = 12 Stations.
  • Power production: 12 Stations * 2.16 MW = 25.92 MW.
  • Power consumption:
  1. Mining Machines: 4 * 420 kW = 1.68 MW.
  2. Sorters (1 per Station): 12 * 18 kW = 0.216 MW.
  • Net power production: 25.92 MW - 1.68 MW - 0.216 MW = 24.024 MW.

Burning Energetic Graphite

  • Smelting 12 Coal/s needs 12 Smelters and results in 6 Graphite/s.
  • Energy content: 6 Graphite * 6.3 MJ = 37.8 MJ.
  • Number of Power Stations needed to burn 6 Graphite/s: 37.8 MJ * 0.8 / 2.16 MW = 14 Stations.
  • Power production: 14 Stations * 2.16 MW = 30.24 MW.
  • Power consumption:
  1. Mining Machines: 4 * 420 kW = 1.68 MW.
  2. Smelters: 12 * 360 kW = 4.32 MW.
  3. Sorters (2 per Smelter, 1 per Station): 38 * 18 kW = 0.684 MW.
  • Net power production: 30.24 MW - 1.68 MW - 4.32 MW - 0.684 MW = 23.556 MW.

Conclusion

The increased effort of smelting Energetic Graphite from Coal results in ~0.5 MW less net power production.

Crude Oil vs. Refined Oil vs. X-Ray Cracking vs. Hydrogen Rods

Crude Oil can be converted to Refined Oil and Hydrogen. Using the X-Ray Cracking recipe, this can be converted to Energetic Graphite and Hydrogen. Finally, Hydrogen and Titanium Ingots can be crafted to Hydrogen Fuel Rods.

Assumptions

Burning Crude Oil

  • Crude Oil production: 1.5 Oil/s.
  • Energy content: 1.5 Crude Oil * 4 MJ = 6 MJ.
  • Number of Power Stations needed to burn 1.5 Oil/s: 6 MJ * 0.8 / 2.16 MW = 2 Stations.
  • Power production: 2 Stations * 2.16 MW = 4.32 MW.
  • Power consumption:
  1. Oil Extractor: 1 * 840 kW = 0.84 MW.
  2. Sorters (1 per Station): 2 * 18 kW = 0.036 MW.
  • Net power production: 4.32 MW - 0.84 MW - 0.036 MW = 3.444 MW.

Burning Refined Oil And Hydrogen

  • Refining 1.5 Crude Oil/s needs 3 Oil Refineries and results in 1.5 Refined Oil/s and 0.75 Hydrogen/s.
  • Energy content: 1.5 Refined Oil * 4.4 MJ = 6.6 MJ.
  • Energy content: 0.75 Hydrogen * 8 MJ = 6 MJ.
  • Number of Power Stations needed to burn 1.5 Refined Oil/s: 6.6 MJ * 0.8 / 2.16 MW = 2 Stations.
  • Number of Power Stations needed to burn 0.75 Hydrogen/s: 6 MJ * 0.8 / 2.16 MW = 2 Stations.
  • Power production: 4 Stations * 2.16 MW = 8.64 MW.
  • Power consumption:
  1. Oil Extractor: 1 * 840 kW = 0.84 MW.
  2. Oil Refineries: 3 * 960 kW = 2.88 MW.
  3. Sorters (3 per Refinery, 1 per Station): 13 * 18 kW = 0.234 MW.
  • Net power production: 8.64 MW - 0.84 MW - 2.88 MW - 0.234 MW = 4.686 MW.

Burning Energetic Graphite And Hydrogen (X-Ray Cracking)

  • Cracking 1.5 Refined Oil/s needs 6 Oil Refineries and results in 1.5 Graphite/s and 1.5 extra Hydrogen/s (2.25 Hydrogen/s in total).
  • Energy content: 1.5 Graphite * 6.3 MJ = 9.45 MJ.
  • Energy content: 2.25 Hydrogen * 8 MJ = 18 MJ.
  • Number of Power Stations needed to burn 1.5 Graphite/s: 9.45 MJ * 0.8 / 2.16 MW = 3 Stations.
  • Number of Power Stations needed to burn 2.25 Hydrogen/s: 18 MJ * 0.8 / 2.16 MW = 6 Stations.
  • Power production: 9 Stations * 2.16 MW = 19.44 MW.
  • Power consumption:
  1. Oil Extractor: 1 * 840 kW = 0.84 MW.
  2. Oil Refineries: 9 * 960 kW = 8.64 MW.
  3. Sorters (3 per Refined Oil, 4 per X-Ray, 1 per Station): 42 * 18 kW = 0.756 MW.
  • Net power production: 19.44 MW - 0.84 MW - 8.64 MW - 0.756 MW = 9.204 MW.

Burning Energetic Graphite And Hydrogen Fuel Rods (With X-Ray Cracking)

  • Crafting Hydrogen Fuel Rods from 2.25 Hydrogen/s needs 1 Mining Machine for Titanium Ore, 1 Smelter for Titanium Ingots and 2 Assemblers for the Fuel Rods, and results in 0.45 Fuel Rods/s (5 Hydrogen per Fuel Rod).
  • Energy content: 1.5 Graphite * 6.3 MJ = 9.45 MJ.
  • Energy content: 0.45 Fuel Rods * 50 MJ = 22.5 MJ.
  • Number of Power Stations needed to burn 1.5 Graphite/s: 9.45 MJ * 0.8 / 2.16 MW = 3 Stations.
  • Number of Power Stations needed to burn 0.45 Fuel Rods/s: 22.5 MJ * 0.8 / 2.16 MW = 8 Stations.
  • Power production: 11 Stations * 2.16 MW = 23.76 MW.
  • Power consumption:
  1. Oil Extractor: 1 * 840 kW = 0.84 MW.
  2. Oil Refineries: 9 * 960 kW = 8.64 MW.
  3. Mining Machines: 1 * 420 kW = 0.42 MW.
  4. Smelters: 1 * 360 kW = 0.36 MW.
  5. Assemblers: 2 * 270 kW = 0.54 MW.
  6. Sorters (3 per Refined Oil, 4 per X-Ray, 2 per Smelter, 3 per Assembler, 1 per Station): 52 * 18 kW = 0.936 MW.
  • Net power production: 23.76 MW - 0.84 MW - 8.64 MW - 0.42 MW - 0.36 MW - 0.54 MW - 0.936 MW = 12.024 MW.

Conclusion

Each step in the production chain increases the net power production.

  • Crude Oil: 3.444 MW.
  • Refined Oil: 4.686 MW.
  • X-Ray Cracking: 9.204 MW.
  • Hydrogen Fuel Rods: 12.024 MW.
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