Nuclear Reactors

Nuclear Reactors

Available as soon as you've reached the Moon (late HV-early EV, or just get some titanium from aluminum gravel), nuclear reactors are a strong power source for EV and IV. The process of creating a reactor is quite complex and risks huge nuclear explosions. You are strongly advised to try all designs in a reactor planner before using them, and to encase your reactors in reinforced materials (2 layers minimum) or warded glass (thaumcraft) to prevent explosions from destroying the area. Test your reactor in creative first!

There are in general two types of reactors, power producing and breeder (for the items). For the power ones, you want the greatest efficiency (fewer rods, more power) and for breeders, you just want to consume as many rods as you can as fast as possible. Stacking also comes into play for large numbers, since they are not conveniently designed for that normally.

For items, you can look at this handy chart. Note that some items were excluded (for example getting thorium back from thorium rods). Note that the EU and Heat #s are for single rods (EU is /t, heat is /s as they only outputs each second), and that the EU should be multiplied by 10 for the actual amount per tick. See the planner for more details (make sure to grab 2.4.2+). Any rod that has the same heat values is equivalent in a planner design, and anything that produces less heat can also be substituted, unless it's a MOX-type design. Keep in mind that while quad thorium and dual uranium have the same heat levels, this is not true when placed next to other rods.

Fuel Rod Data

Name	EU/t	Heat Produced/s	Durability	Produces	Produces (single only)
Thorium	10/20/30/40/50	1/3/8/10/15	50000	Lutetium	Th-232, Krypton
Uranium	50/100/150/200/250	4/12/24/40/60	20000	Plutonium (IC2)	Pu-239, Krypton
MOX	50/100/150/200/250	4/12/24/40/60	10000	Plutonium (IC2)	Pu-239, Pu-241, Krypton
Naquadah	50/100/150/200/250	4/12/24/40/60	100000	Naquadria	N/A
Naquadria	50/100/150/200/250	4/12/24/40/60	100000	-	N/A
Tiberium	50/100/150/200/250	2/6/12/20/30	50000	Zirconium, Xenon	N/A
The Core	108800	19584	100000	Zirconium, Naquadria	N/A
Lithium	0	0	10000	Tritium	N/A

For the power producing types, there are a couple types:

EU reactors produce raw energy directly with a 50% penalty. Use cables to transform the power into the GT type.

Fluid reactors produce hot coolant. Use a Large Heat Exchanger to convert the Hot Coolant to HP Steam/Steam, and HP Steam Turbines/LP Steam Turbines to generate energy with very high efficiency. See the Fluid Reactors page for details.

Vacuum reactors produce EU, but rely on cooling the cells in a vacuum freezer to keep it from exploding. See the Vacuum Reactors page to find out how to use them, and also redstone automation info.

Wrench reactors are a meme, you can read about them here

There are several fuel types:

Thorium is the cheapest and easiest to obtain, obtainable in large quantities from coal ore or thorium ore found in the nether. It lasts a long time but doesn't make much power. You need to make these to get Lutetium for Americium later on.

Uranium is obtained at Mars' moons from a couple ores. It doesn't last as long as thorium, but makes more power.

MOX is obtained by mixing plutonium (from depleted uranium rods, centrifuging uranium dust, or ores on later planets) with uranium. It returns enough plutonium to sustain itself. It outputs more power the hotter the reactor is.

Naquadah and Naquadria are obtained from mid-game ores, and are generally best used in naquadah generators.

Tiberium is made with tiberium. Get this from Ross128ba, the T5 planet.

The Core is made with naquadah and tiberium. Only use it with coolant cells!

Lithium fuel rods are used to make tritium in an alternate way. Have them touch another fuel cell to change them into tritium rods.

Sample Power Reactors

Normal

800 EU, 4 quad thorium, 1 chamber, highly stackable, uranium version won't work

erp=AbpO50cpi8EyCnGQsm5+3kqXSrPM16eyLkRDj6/7ubl08hlt3jA5aGz8kkqxbPtJHAM=

Component list:

4 Component Heat Exchanger

12 Overclocked Heat Vent

4 Quad Fuel Rod (Thorium)

4 Reactor Plating

1920 EU, 10 quad thorium, uranium version won't work. This is just under 1A EV, and probably the most popular

erp=bpO50cpomK/mH0gVHOs23IkdoyDC6chL4SDpXqwoWDNXFT8Juuz6JbLfyp1ktNaIGQ+VHAM=

Component list:

8 Component Heat Exchanger

4 Component Heat Vent

26 Overclocked Heat Vent

10 Quad Fuel Rod (Thorium)

6 Reactor Plating

3200 EU, 4 quad uranium

erp=bpO50cpsAHTyl9OEtgK9dcozi40hq9Vdk4mh56J2fUgGYTIfHKS4hThQPQ5sd3xJHGPYbAM=

Component list:

8 Component Heat Exchanger

12 Component Heat Vent

26 Overclocked Heat Vent

4 Quad Fuel Rod (Uranium)

4 Reactor Plating

4200 EU, 7 quad uranium

erp=bpO50cpoI2eKrThHpJyipMUmaCGJ8k5A+HO9kIIVGf54qMT6qI/xgb7M3Q7JX65KPqAGvAM=

Component list:

1 Component Heat Exchanger

11 Component Heat Vent

28 Overclocked Heat Vent

7 Quad Fuel Rod (Uranium)

7 Reactor Plating

1200 EU, 2 quad uranium, 0 chamber highly stackable

erp=Buk7nRymLwTIJ67fjgWtnWDrSIboxcdED2baEyB8oFjvyLkkDfTlC+eyEcT0dGssAw==

Component list:

4 Component Heat Vent

8 Overclocked Heat Vent

2 Quad Fuel Rod (Uranium)

4 Reactor Plating

840-1400 EU, 7 quad thorium/dual uranium, 0 chamber, highly stackable

erp=Buk7oujKDHGq0JU3mBvTEq6gupj15uaEx9Dysj5qI8uvH5CKB1CUqDnxVmKy6tLkAw==

Component list:

2 Component Heat Exchanger

9 Overclocked Heat Vent

7 Quad Fuel Rod (Thorium)

Fluid

(more fluid nukes pls)

1352 HU, 2 quad uranium, needs neutron reflectors

erp=bpO6Loyois6/qhwqLwAbIalKGhjckNE/hVqUd1N/fum0Gioy+fIWfba9PELWTwrbI90DxAM=

Component list:

5 Advanced Heat Exchanger

4 Advanced Heat Vent

2 Component Heat Exchanger

18 Component Heat Vent

4 Iridium Neutron Reflector

19 Overclocked Heat Vent

2 Quad Fuel Rod (Uranium)

1408 HU, 3 quad uranium, 1 dual uranium. No neutron reflectors, but more difficult to automate. The plating can be either kind, or left open if your automation is on point.

erp=bpO6LoyoHOWp0oVsIXLNijpekw41O/dsnJUWwnu9S9QBVNDr+AYyvEh/AVjNJ0kShldxPAM=

Component list:

3 Advanced Heat Exchanger

4 Advanced Heat Vent

18 Component Heat Vent

1 Dual Fuel Rod (Uranium)

4 Heat Exchanger

1 Heat-Capacity Reactor Plating

20 Overclocked Heat Vent

3 Quad Fuel Rod (Uranium)

MOX Heat-Neutral

800-1820 EU, 3 dual mox, 0 chamber, highly stackable

erp=Buk7nRymLwTIJ61tLFQG+xmpBCJZageQBIS1W1hn8mDntumPmMJudWFBdD721t1gAw==

Component list:

10 Advanced Heat Vent

1 Component Heat Exchanger

4 Component Heat Vent

3 Dual Fuel Rod (MOX)

1200-2730 EU, 4 dual mox, 1 chamber, highly stackable

erp=AbpO52FwzNKwjrFZGpswjb3e9mapf8IKH9hklFqYnVL/AgwHhXpy1kbpN2Zf2ejLwAM=

Component list:

12 Advanced Heat Vent

8 Component Heat Vent

4 Dual Fuel Rod (MOX)

3000-6825 EU, 5 quad mox

erp=bpO50cpoIJowPj7RBKnbNFAmPK179FN/1PjhLcjiHlEEDgF0icg+CsEHqwR2FoF2MPrWaAM=

Component list:

26 Advanced Heat Vent

6 Component Heat Exchanger

16 Component Heat Vent

5 Quad Fuel Rod (MOX)

1 Reactor Plating

Vacuum

3840-19200 EU, 16 quad, 4 chamber. Can use the 57120 He and for thorium 59640 He.

erp=ALDsXILdayTWaIJcWisBvH1kzuR4kxA6mAbbK7AnVSlLNk/W8EIXMsMsCeZQcLwZHp2uAw==

Component list:

12 60k NaK Coolant Cell

8 Iridium Neutron Reflector

16 Quad Fuel Rod (Uranium)

6 Reactor Plating

6240-27200 EU, 24 quad, 4 chamber. Can use 57120 for uranium for thorium 59640 He. Net production of 25K EU/t and needs 1 EV VF.

erp=ALDsXILdaypBjmMk8+jzFIllCi3+MPO75DhHP33FRgUc+cFBAFDMLjVRFrracDQ+mvf6Aw==

Component list:

18 60k NaK Coolant Cell

24 Quad Fuel Rod (Uranium)

32000 EU, 30 quad uranium, Just under 1A LuV

erp=LDsXILda3jNNLFGAGd8I/XyVFGKLHeZjGXEzBVM56ghIg+A/GSvdLqFV6XDa+fcSIMheAw==

Component list:

17 60k NaK Coolant Cell

30 Quad Fuel Rod (Uranium)

1 Reactor Plating

7680-38400 EU, 36 quad. Uranium needs 57120 He and 57440 He and 57024 He.

erp=Cw7FyC3YGSpofPcg3v7Rt2rIU8Ertcdf6BVVwHoR5RykZCApIZ+9C+vQtOmIG4832SYIXgM=

Component list:

18 60k NaK Coolant Cell

36 Quad Fuel Rod (Uranium)

8720-43600 EU, 40 quad. The best reasonable one. Recommend having multiple filters for this design.
One way to get them is to run the reactor until the cells are at a heat value you want to filter with.

erp=Cw7FyC3kcVS1sfZUtBvdS2qkEOSe59Dgp7iuvnWbZCzpZ/V3ZcOJ+EtvmpBNcsCudQHjWgM=

Component list:

14 60k NaK Coolant Cell

40 Quad Fuel Rod (Uranium)

7,906,206 EU, 40 The Cores. For the truly insane. BTW, that's about 3A of UHV.

erp=Cw7FyC3vyrReM8xP0BfhBFnUIte4+wusJsNiqGApvc4Wr6ljg/HxpH9OHheDX7qa5HQmmgM=

Component list:

14 1080k Space Coolant Cell

40 Fuel Rod (The Core)

Sample Breeder Reactors

Single Rod Breeders

270-1350 EU, 27 single rod, any type

erp=bpO50cponWp43KyK6WY6FaA7+gt5dmGYdWzaKwnSsCTFspuw8b7FXHWOUKD4Xlfktdg5oAM=

Component list:

27 Fuel Rod (Thorium)

7 Overclocked Heat Vent

20 Reactor Plating

90-450 EU, 9x single rod, any type, 0 chamber

erp=Buk7nRymLwTIJ7U+ognWJ4sGGPygcAyLMoOUYYaaHQTuFyEIt7UCk/Ht4hm+Cu2gAw==

Component list:

9 Fuel Rod (Thorium)

2 Overclocked Heat Vent

7 Reactor Plating

Mass Production Breeders

1680-2800 EU, 14 quad thorium/dual uranium, 4chamber

erp=Buk7nRymLwt4HZRNzw1hWKuL2KM8qGFvZxEMXVSEp5bC3OsCK0De4RffUikgK74M2ff4Aw==

Component list:

27 Overclocked Heat Vent

14 Quad Fuel Rod (Thorium)

1 Reactor Plating

1920 EU, 16 quad thorium, 4chamber. The planner says it's unstable but works ingame. The uranium equivalent however, does NOT.

erp=Buk7nRymLxL7m5ZGb8jXAZYmLvKbw8QtjYyvHQKaexIc0egF34NnVhYiGAKSYsT7qezkAw==

Component list:

2 Heat Exchanger

21 Overclocked Heat Vent

16 Quad Fuel Rod (Thorium)

3 Reactor Plating

1260-3600 EU, 18 quad thorium/dual uranium

erp=bpO50cpsAJVHFH1pDDG7Bh9DY6ssmUIOduglgVrGSNlV/ppvTshl3LYn6+h9WkrdJl8FLAM=

Component list:

34 Overclocked Heat Vent

18 Quad Fuel Rod (Thorium)

2 Reactor Plating

2280-3800 EU, 19 quad thorium/dual uranium

erp=bpO50cpvAea5wzGrDrgIM+dcC7gIzqOMjbPLWBXZ3XUOYi3cnjH/UE5UZI2wCSx+qO01xAM=

Component list:

4 Component Heat Vent

26 Overclocked Heat Vent

19 Quad Fuel Rod (Thorium)

5 Reactor Plating

4000 EU, 19 dual uranium and 4 single uranium, a challenge to automate

erp=bpO50cpohv999daNzlO8zbu2FlcL5w4D4y/z79oiZmFYvfCno3fw5IAVjfZacHOmFWs7wAM=

Component list:

4 Component Heat Vent

19 Dual Fuel Rod (Uranium)

4 Fuel Rod (Uranium)

27 Overclocked Heat Vent

1320-2200, 11 quad thorium/dual uranium, 2 chamber, highly stackable

erp=bpO50cpi8EyKWNHtoyb5PT6Pwyl7P4WMk49thhuN0g9DMxag8Xo87jlLUok0mc2mmAM=

Component list:

1 Component Heat Vent

15 Overclocked Heat Vent

11 Quad Fuel Rod (Thorium)

3 Reactor Plating