Thermopile
| Thermopile | |
|---|---|
| File:Block Thermopile.png | |
| Name | Thermopile |
| Type | Block |
| Stackable | Yes (64) |
| Data Value | 763:11 |
| Mod Included | RedPower 2 |
A Thermopile is a RedPower 2 machine used for generating blutricity. Although it doesn't need light, unlike solar panels, it doesn't produce nearly as much power.
Contents
Recipe
Power Output Details
To calculate the power output of a thermopile, one must first count the number of "hot" and "cold" blocks on each of its faces.
Heat and Cold Tables
| Block | Heat |
|---|---|
| Lava | 100 |
| Fire | 25 |
| Torch | 5 |
| Jack 'o' Lantern | 3 |
| Air (Nether) | 1 |
| Block | Cold |
|---|---|
| Snow (Block) | 100 |
| Ice | 100 |
| Snow (Covering) | 50 |
| Water | 25 |
| Air (Normal) | 1 |
Additional Effects
If there's at least 100 heat and 200 cold, every second there is a 1 in 300 chance for adjacent lava source and flowing lava blocks to turn into obsidian or basalt, respectively.
Additionally, if there is at least 100 heat, every second there is a 1 in 300 chance for adjacent snow (block or covering) or ice blocks to melt.
Note that these effects only occur if the energy generated by the thermopile is being delivered to a machine/battery box.
Power Output
A thermopile will produce 0.005*min(heat, cold) amps, or 0.3*min(heat,cold) watts.
Suggested Designs
Type 1
As thermopiles require maintenance with 100 heat or more if the design includes snow or ice, and the next best cooling block is water, it is suggested that one surrounds a vertical stack of thermopiles with 3 water and 1 lava. This produces 0.005*min(100, 3*25) = 0.375, amps per thermopile, or 22.5 Watts. Note that a solar panel produces 120 watts (2 amps x 60 Volts), by comparison.
Type 2
A slightly more improved version uses 1 ice block, 2 lava, and 2 water with the remaining face for wiring. Placing a Xychorium Ice block adjacent to the ice block prevents the ice from melting. This setup produces 0.005*min(200, 150) = 0.75 amps per thermopile. However, the setup requires 5 faces, increasing the space requirement. Note that using 2 ice blocks would turn the lava to obsidian.
Type 3
A max output version with a little automation can produce 0.005*min(2*100, 2*100) = 1 amp per thermopile. It uses 2 ice blocks supported with Xychorium Ice and 2 flowing lava blocks supported with block breakers. This video explains how to make a tile-able max-output thermopile.
