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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 | 
|
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[edit]
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.
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