Antimatter Engine
The Antimatter Engine is a very simple engine that produces power proportionate to how many "cores" it has once it is turned on with fuel inserted. Cores are reactor segments that are bordered by two reactor segments.
What Does It Need?
An Antimatter Control Unit- At least nine
Packaged Antimatter Engine Parts - At least one
Antimatter Fuel Jar. - A knotted wire connected to the power network.
The control unit, engine parts, and fuel jars can each be ordered from Cargo.
Setting Up
- AM Control Unit to the yellow-bordered tile. In the first image, it is the tile with the wire knot under it. You can see wires through the floor using a T-Ray Scanner.
Wrench the unit into place. This must be done first or reactor segments will melt.
- Place Compressed Antimatter Engine Parts adjacent to the Control Unit. Ensure that there is no space between the packages, they should take up every tile.
Multitool each Parts package starting with those closest to the control unit. Parts that are activated without an adjacent control unit or unpackaged reactor part will melt, wasting the segment.
Fuel and Maintenance
- Open the nearby yellow locker and remove a blue Antimatter Fuel Jar. Place it into the Control Unit.
- Open the Control Unit interface by clicking on it. It will inform you of how many cores you have. By default, Boxstation will have 2 cores if it has been set up properly.
- Set the injection rate to no more than two times the number of cores. By default, this is 4. Higher injection rates will not produce additional power, but will damage the integrity of the control unit. If integrity zero, it will explode causing severe damage.
- Switch the mode from Standby to Injecting.
The engine is now set up. By default, it will produce 160,000 watts if you set it to inject at a rate of 4. The fuel inside the containment unit will begin to deplete at a rate equal to the injection rate you have selected. Once it reaches zero, the engine will shut off on its own and stop producing power.
To create more power after the fuel has run out, eject the fuel jar, place a new fuel jar inside, and set the mode to Injecting once more.
Expansion
- AMR Parts can be ordered from Cargo for $30. This crate will contain an additional 12 segments.
- Fuel Jars cost $15 for 3 jars.
Adding segments to the Antimatter Engine will increase the number of cores, in turn allowing you to safely increase injection rate. Remember that this will also cause the engine to deplete fuel faster.
The power produced by an antimatter engine as it is expanded has linear growth, and is given by the formula: (Injection Rate)^2 * 20000 / (Number of Cores). If you are injecting at the maximum rate, this can be simplified to Injection Rate * 40000. Eight cores should be enough to power the station fully at full injection. This will produce 320000 watts.
