Large Chemical Reactor

Introduction

The Gregtech Large Chemical Reactor is functionally a multi-block version of a regular, single-block chemical reactor.

How to Build

An LCR is a 3x3x3 structure that requires:

-1 Controller block; front, centered
-1 Maintenance Hatch; anywhere
-1 Energy hatch; anywhere
-1+ input/output bus (optional); anywhere
-1+ input/output hatch (optional); anywhere
-1 PTFE Pipe Machine Casing; in the very center of the 3x3x3
-1+ cupronickel coil block (must be physically touching the PTFE Pipe Machine Casing
-Chemically Inert Machine Casings everywhere else

Note that LCR's, like many other multiblocks, can share walls with other LCR's.

Key Differences Between Single-Block and Multi-Block

The LCR has several key differences from the single-block chemical reactor:

• The LCR will overclock with 100% efficiency (very much like an EBF when it performs a "special" overclock). This means that, instead of the standard GT overclock of 4x energy/2x speed, an LCR will actually overclock with 4x energy/4x speed.

• The LCR deals with pure liquid inputs/outputs. No cells are needed.

• The LCR can perform multiple recipes per operation, when the appropriate fluids are available.

• The LCR has special recipes that make certain chemical chains into an "all-in-one" recipe (note: in older versions of GT:NH, this may not be the case). For example, if we look at sulfuric acid, we can see that a single-block chemical reactor recipe involves repeatedly adding oxygen to sulfur in multiple stages to yield sulfuric acid. An LCR, on the other hand, will accept all of the oxygen in a single recipe, along with sulfur and water, to yield sulfuric acid in one step. Typically, such recipes involve the use of a Programmable Circuit #24.

• One must also consider the ease of upgrading a multiblock vs upgrading a single block. Upgrading a multiblock usually involves a simple swap of the energy hatch with a new higher tier energy hatch, whereas upgrading a single block means having to build a whole new single block.

• A single-block chemical reactor will smartly halt its operations if its liquid or item output is full. On the other hand, the LCR will continue to work as long as there is enough input liquids. This means that, by default, an LCR will void output (if its output hatches/buses are full) and will continue to do so as long as there is enough input liquids/items to perform a recipe. Note that one can fix this behavior by redstone-controlling their LCR using RS-latches and comparators.