User:EvilJackCarver/research notes/Pre-cooled SM
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Given the fact that two heater-freezers can comfortably run the TEG, but with seriously complex setup, I tried a different approach. The setup didn't require much modification from stock - two filters were added between the SM chamber outlet and the hotloop port on the TEG to filter out CO₂ and O₂, and the outlets were piped straight into the Atmos waste pipe system. The plasma filter had a similar setup, going through the window. The notable addition, however, was a heater-freezer (on 'cool' mode) to the SM chamber's gas inlet. This cooled the gas going into the Supermatter chamber enough for us to be able to run the emitter unattended, although I still have to strongly discourage running the SM emitter unattended. A photograph of the setup is available here.
A side setup was another heater-freezer on cool mode to the cold loop line to prevent it from seizing due to an Extended Planetary Excursion. With the cold loop pump on 675 kPa and the outlet regulator on the ECC set to 125 kPa, I was able to generate a steady 200 kW on the TEG, and that's rounding down. The hotloop hovered around -20 Celsius on the outlet during the planetside stay.
This setup has a couple of advantages:
- The Supermatter Shard can be ran for much longer without risking delamination.
- Theoretically, should delamination occur, it should be much easier to cool it down with a heater-freezer on cooling mode right there.
- It does not require much modification from the original. Quick engineers can set it up in only a couple of minutes. The part that takes longest is running the pipes to atmos waste.
Of course, it's not without its drawbacks:
- It removes a heater-freezer from Atmos, meaning they only have one for tanks and one for distro.
- Cold starts are much more difficult, as the heater-freezer actively reduces the heat in the line. Turning the emitter off for a short time, such as to attend to another matter, means the TEG's hotloop cools a lot faster.
- The TEG is much more reliant on cold-loop temperature to generate electricity, which is bad news for extended planetary excursions.
Given the above, if colonization is not a big issue, I would recommend this modification over the original. However, if you do plan on colonizing, have a second heater-freezer ready so the cold loop doesn't sieze. ^RSpitz