Research Reactor

The Research Reactor is a late-game power and radiation building that burns Enriched Uranium and coolant to generate intense heat and strong radiation. It is especially useful in setups that need a steady radiation source for Radbolt Generators, Plant Mutations, or germ removal, but it is also one of the most dangerous heat sources in the game because it can rapidly overheat its surroundings and itself if left unchecked.

When fueled and supplied with coolant, the reactor heats its internal fuel by 100 °C/s while continuously exchanging heat with its coolant. Once the internal coolant reaches 400 °C, it is expelled from the bottom of the reactor and quickly turns to Steam, after which fresh coolant is accepted and the cycle repeats. Under constant resupply, the heat transferred to coolant is approximately 5750 kDTU/s. In addition to coolant heating, the reactor converts 10 kg/cycle of Enriched Uranium into 1000 kg/cycle of Nuclear Waste at the same temperature, expelling it once the internal waste storage reaches 100 kg. Because the fuel temperature constantly changes during operation, the exact heat contribution from the waste is difficult to calculate, but the expelled Nuclear Waste accounts for most of the total heat output.

The reactor’s radiation output is also substantial. During normal operation it emits constant radiation in a 25-tile radius area, with the strongest radiation concentrated near the center. The surrounding Nuclear Waste and Radioactive Contaminants add additional passive radiation over time. This makes the building useful as a dedicated radiation source even when its heat output is being managed separately.

Several operational choices can be used to control its output:

• Limiting fuel intake reduces the reactor’s total heat output. Since the reactor consumes a fixed amount of fuel per cycle and its heat application ignores mass, any reactor operating below full fuel intake produces less total heat energy.
• Limiting coolant intake has the opposite effect. Because Nuclear Waste is created at 100 times the fuel mass while keeping the same temperature, reduced coolant flow lets the active fuel reach higher temperatures and therefore increases the amount of heat delivered to the coolant.
• If the expelled Steam is unwanted, the top of the reactor can be exposed to space so the Steam is destroyed immediately, while the Nuclear Waste can be directed onto Metal Tiles and into a steam pocket for later pumping or disposal.

If the Enriched Uranium fuel reaches 2726.85 °C, the reactor melts down. During meltdown, a unique soundtrack plays, Corium debris is violently launched outward, nearby tiles take Meteor Damage, and the reactor leaks Nuclear Waste that partly vaporizes into Nuclear Fallout. Radiation emissions are temporarily doubled during this event, then gradually fall back to zero as the reactor cools over the next five days.