Greetings to the players of CubixWorld in the second part of the guide!

I hope you already know how to build a reactor from the BigReactors mod. This article will explain how to make the reactor as efficient as possible.

I. Efficiency and How to Improve It

The efficiency of the reactor is a measure that shows how much energy can be obtained from processing 1 ingot of fuel: the higher the efficiency, the more energy can be obtained from the same amount of fuel, and the lower the efficiency, the more Yelorite ore needs to be mined to obtain the same amount of energy. Of course, if a player had access to an infinite source of Yelorite ore, there would be no need to think about efficiency, but in reality, this is not the case.

So how can you increase the reactor's efficiency?

II. The First Method of Increasing Efficiency – Structural

The main enemy of efficiency is the core temperature. Fuel rods that are placed close to the reactor casing transfer some of their heat to it while cooling down. The more side walls in contact with the reactor rod and the longer they are, the lower the core temperature will be. For example, if you build a reactor with a base of 5×5 and a height of 3, depending on the placement of a single controlling rod, you can achieve different temperatures:

• with central placement, the temperature will reach 1944 degrees, and the energy generation will be severely depressed, resulting in only 181 RF per tick;
• with placement at the middle of one side, the temperature will rise only to 867 degrees, while the energy generation will amount to 280 RF per tick;
• if the rod is positioned in the corner, thanks to the heat dissipation by two walls, the temperature will not exceed 560 degrees, and the maximum output will be 287 RF per tick.

Of course, as the heat dissipation from the core is enhanced, the casing temperature will increase.

In addition to ensuring heat dissipation, the structural method allows you to manage one of the most important characteristics of the reactor – fuel reactivity. Reactivity is a special measure that shows how strongly the fuel rods influence each other, enhancing energy output. The higher the reactivity, the more energy can be obtained at the same fuel consumption rate. A 100% reactivity is assumed when the rods do not influence each other at all. This value will increase if fuel rods are placed in close proximity to each other (within 4 blocks or closer), and only rods located on the same X or Z coordinate will have mutual influence.

For example, if fuel rods are placed diagonally in the reactor, they will not have mutual influence (reactivity will remain 100%), but the fuel efficiency will be three times lower than if the fuel rods were installed next to one of the reactor walls. In the second illustration, the core temperature is higher due to the smaller surface area for dissipation.

As the distance between the rods increases, their mutual influence decreases:

• rods placed closely (1 block apart) yield a reactivity of 333%;
• 2 blocks apart – 314%;
• 3 blocks apart – 310%;
• 4 blocks apart – 306%.

When placing rods against the reactor wall, their mutual influence decreases very slightly as the distance increases.

III. The Second Method of Increasing Efficiency – Use of Fillers

Filler is a block that can absorb heat from the core, dissipate it in space, or transfer it to neighboring blocks. A filler lowers the core temperature only when installed directly next to a fuel rod.

In addition to cooling, the filler can act as a catalyst, increasing the amount of energy produced by the fuel rod. The catalytic effect is present even at a distance – up to 4 blocks. The catalyst slightly raises the core temperature.

Possible fillers and their characteristics:

This list is not exhaustive: you can use blocks of various metals, alloys and precious stones – each has its own characteristics, which range from modest parameters of water to outstanding parameters of cryotheum and enderium. If a block that is not a filler is placed inside the reactor, the reactor will not "assemble".

The characteristic "absorption" indicates the catalytic ability of the filler.

The characteristic "efficiency" indicates the ability of the filler to dissipate (destroy) the heat gained from the rod.

The characteristic "thermal conductivity" shows how much heat can be transferred to the casing from the fuel rod.

Ice cryotheum, when spilled, flows down. Therefore, it should be placed throughout the height of the reactor.

Resonating enderium, due to its relative cheapness and low consumption, is the preferred cooler.

Because the characteristics of fillers vary, their mutual placement relative to the fuel rod matters.

If you build a reactor with a base of 7×7 and one fuel rod in the center, by pouring cryotheum in the blocks closest to the rod, and enderium in the outer blocks, you can achieve a better result than if you reversed the placement of fillers.

IV. Conclusion

By combining the structural method and the clever use of fillers, you can achieve amazing results. For example, a reactor sized 5×4×3, designed for 3 fuel rods installed along the long side, with a filler from one bucket of resonating enderium, produces four times more energy than the smallest reactor described at the beginning of the article, consuming even less fuel.

There is an online simulator for large reactors. The simulations it performs do not always correspond closely to reality, but the basic principles of reactor operation can be understood.

And of course, you can always experiment with reactor designs by building them in single-player mode.