User:Aquizit
Stupid TEG work in progress:
TEG for Dummies:
Step 1: Build the TEG
Open the crate in the engine room, it will contain three circuit boards. You'll see one machine frame is already set up for you. Up and to the left you will see a stack of metal and some cable, grab it (you will not need all the cable). Make two more machine frames right next to the other one, with the pre-made one being the rightmost. Wrench them down, wire them, then stick in the circuit boards. Make sure the circulator boards are on the outside, and the engine board itself is in the middle. Then just screwdriver the machines to completion!
But wait, it doesn't look finished yet does it? Next, use the screwdriver to open the two circulators. Use your multitool on the one on the left to change it to 'Cold.' Then unwrench them, and alt-click on them to spin them to line up correctly with the middle engine. To note there is a little indent on one side that should be touching the engine proper. Then wrench them back down, and if you did it right you should see the pipes connect to the circulator. Make sure you close the panels on the circulators with the screwdriver, then wrench the middle component, that should complete the engine and attach the pieces all together.
Phew that was just step 1!
Step 2: Set up the Loops
To the left you will see a blue loop of pipe, to the right an orange. Turn on pumps as numbered in the image, setting them to max pressure (4500kPa). Do not open the valve labeled F yet, that will be the final step.
Step 3: Let loose the gas!
Wrench all 6 CO2 cans down into the system, the 4 on the blue side you can keep wrenched. You can safely ignore the two CO2 canisters on the hot loop side. We're going to get much more gas for that.
If you attach the two hot loop cans and leave the system like that, it will make some power, but only for a little while. Eventually the pressure will equalize between the two circulators and no more power will generate. So how do we fix that? We need a steady flow of gas through one of the loops. Luckily, we have access to that right away.
Step 4: Hook up the CO2 chamber
In Atmos there are a number of chambers in the lower area, housing literal tons of gas. We're going to tap into the CO2 one since it's not used for anything, plus it's what you're already using. Moving back from the engine room, open each pump as numbered, but not the one from the chamber itself yet.
See those heaters on the side? One needs to be changed from freezing to heating. Open the panel of the one with a green light, then crowbar it to take it apart, grab the circuit board, and use your screwdriver on it. It will change to "Heater." Then stick it back into the frame, re-add the parts that spilled out, then screwdriver it to complete it. Then immediately screwdriver it again, and wrench it to rotate it to reconnect the pipe, then one final screwdriver to close it up and ready it. Then turn both heaters on and set it to max temp.
Finally, we can open up the CO2 chamber, so go ahead and open the final pump. Make sure all the pumps are set to max pressure, and make sure the only outlet pipe in the gray loop is the orange one, all other outlet pumps should be off. This will start adding pressure into the hot loop.
Step 5: Venting the Pressure
If we leave everything as is, eventually the pressure will become a bit too high and will slow down the exchange, reducing power. To fix that, we will simply vent the hot loop.
Back in the engine room, you will see a valve connecting the hot loop (orange) to the waste (red). Open that valve.
And that's it! You should be done. The pressure and the temperature will eventually settle down, and you will be left with an incredibly stable and long-lasting TEG power supply. The life of which is only limited by the gas in the CO2 chamber.
Maintentance:
You can upgrade the parts in the heaters, preferably with a Bluespace RPED to not have to turn them off and disassemble them. This will increase the heat exchange and create more power. (When I discovered this method, it settled at around 2 MW.)
Benefits:
A very hands-off power supply. It is literally set it and forget it, and the CO2 should not run out before the two hour shift is over.
Downsides:
You're stealing the mix loop from atmos, but honestly they like to use the incinerator room anyway. But make sure to work with them and your Chief Engineer to get this engine running smoothly.
It is also easy to mess with, anyone with access can turn off a pump or valve, but that's the same with the Supermatter engine anyway. Someone can also break the CO2 chamber, or a meteor could strike it, removing all the gas from the loop. However other gasses could compensate as long as they have decent heat exhanges.
Images available.
ISSUES:
Engineers do not have access to atmos unless skeleton crew.
So how to fix? Right now only option is to use the burn chamber, and then the heat pipes clog very very quickly. Newbie engineers probably not good at fixing.
Can set up a compression chamber, how advanced is that considered?
Need a balance between ease of setup and room for improvement.
TEG should at least have a heater attached for easy setup for newbies/non-engineers.