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Thermopile

Thermopile
Thermopile

Name Thermopile
Source Mod RedPower 2
ID Name Unknown
Type Block
Stackable Yes (64)
Solid Yes
Transparent No
Affected by Gravity No
Emits Light No
Flammable No
Required Tool Wooden Pickaxe

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.

Recipe[edit]

GUI Crafting Table.png
Copper Ingot (RedPower 2)
Copper Ingot (RedPower 2)
Iron Ingot
Copper Ingot (RedPower 2)
Copper Ingot (RedPower 2)
Blue-Doped Wafer
Blue Alloy Ingot
Blue-Doped Wafer
Copper Ingot (RedPower 2)
Copper Ingot (RedPower 2)
Iron Ingot
Copper Ingot (RedPower 2)
Copper Ingot (RedPower 2)
Thermopile


Power Output Details[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

A thermopile will produce 0.005*min(heat, cold) amps, or 0.3*min(heat,cold) watts.

Suggested Designs[edit]

Type 1[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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.

Video[edit]