From fb93388f06fe87ee75aaaf04cf6edcf01a26d981 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: SmallJoker <mk939@ymail.com> Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2018 14:36:21 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Replace deprecated invsize[] with size[] --- manual.md | 387 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-- 1 files changed, 367 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-) diff --git a/manual.md b/manual.md index 4cd4f70..4ad01fc 100644 --- a/manual.md +++ b/manual.md @@ -179,10 +179,7 @@ blocks, so several latex lumps can be extracted from a tree in one visit. Raw latex isn't used directly. It must be vulcanized to produce finished -rubber. This can be performed by simply cooking the latex, with each -latex lump producing one lump of rubber. If you have an extractor, -however, the latex is better processed there: each latex lump will -produce three lumps of rubber. +rubber. This can be performed by alloying the latex with coal dust. ### metal ### @@ -672,6 +669,142 @@ in both locked and unlocked flavors. All of the chests work with the pneumatic tubes of the pipeworks mod. +radioactivity +------------- + +The technic mod adds radioactivity to the game, as a hazard that can +harm player characters. Certain substances in the game are radioactive, +and when placed as blocks in the game world will damage nearby players. +Conversely, some substances attenuate radiation, and so can be used +for shielding. The radioactivity system is based on reality, but is +not an attempt at serious simulation: like the rest of the game, it has +many simplifications and deliberate deviations from reality in the name +of game balance. + +In real life radiological hazards can be roughly divided into three +categories based on the time scale over which they act: prompt radiation +damage (such as radiation burns) that takes effect immediately; radiation +poisoning that becomes visible in hours and lasts weeks; and cumulative +effects such as increased cancer risk that operate over decades. +The game's version of radioactivity causes only prompt damage, not +any delayed effects. Damage comes in the abstracted form of removing +the player's hit points, and is immediately visible to the player. +As with all other kinds of damage in the game, the player can restore +the hit points by eating food items. High-nutrition foods, such as the +pie baskets supplied by the bushes\_classic mod, are a useful tool in +dealing with radiological hazards. + +Only a small range of items in the game are radioactive. From the technic +mod, the only radioactive items are uranium ore, refined uranium blocks, +nuclear reactor cores (when operating), and the materials released when +a nuclear reactor melts down. Other mods can plug into the technic +system to make their own block types radioactive. Radioactive items +are harmless when held in inventories. They only cause radiation damage +when placed as blocks in the game world. + +The rate at which damage is caused by a radioactive block depends on the +distance between the source and the player. Distance matters because the +damaging radiation is emitted equally in all directions by the source, +so with distance it spreads out, so less of it will strike a target +of any specific size. The amount of radiation absorbed by a target +thus varies in proportion to the inverse square of the distance from +the source. The game imitates this aspect of real-life radioactivity, +but with some simplifications. While in real life the inverse square law +is only really valid for sources and targets that are small relative to +the distance between them, in the game it is applied even when the source +and target are large and close together. Specifically, the distance is +measured from the center of the radioactive block to the abdomen of the +player character. For extremely close encounters, such as where the +player swims in a radioactive liquid, there is an enforced lower limit +on the effective distance. + +Different types of radioactive block emit different amounts of radiation. +The least radioactive of the radioactive block types is uranium ore, +which causes 0.25 HP/s damage to a player 1 m away. A block of refined +but unenriched uranium, as an example, is nine times as radioactive, +and so will cause 2.25 HP/s damage to a player 1 m away. By the inverse +square law, the damage caused by that uranium block reduces by a factor +of four at twice the distance, that is to 0.5625 HP/s at a distance of 2 +m, or by a factor of nine at three times the distance, that is to 0.25 +HP/s at a distance of 3 m. Other radioactive block types are far more +radioactive than these: the most radioactive of all, the result of a +nuclear reactor melting down, is 1024 times as radioactive as uranium ore. + +Uranium blocks are radioactive to varying degrees depending on their +isotopic composition. An isotope being fissile, and thus good as +reactor fuel, is essentially uncorrelated with it being radioactive. +The fissile U-235 is about six times as radioactive than the non-fissile +U-238 that makes up the bulk of natural uranium, so one might expect that +enriching from 0.7% fissile to 3.5% fissile (or depleting to 0.0%) would +only change the radioactivity of uranium by a few percent. But actually +the radioactivity of enriched uranium is dominated by the non-fissile +U-234, which makes up only about 50 parts per million of natural uranium +but is about 19000 times more radioactive than U-238. The radioactivity +of natural uranium comes just about half from U-238 and half from U-234, +and the uranium gets enriched in U-234 along with the U-235. This makes +3.5%-fissile uranium about three times as radioactive as natural uranium, +and 0.0%-fissile uranium about half as radioactive as natural uranium. + +Radiation is attenuated by the shielding effect of material along the +path between the radioactive block and the player. In general, only +blocks of homogeneous material contribute to the shielding effect: for +example, a block of solid metal has a shielding effect, but a machine +does not, even though the machine's ingredients include a metal case. +The shielding effect of each block type is based on the real-life +resistance of the material to ionising radiation, but for game balance +the effectiveness of shielding is scaled down from real life, more so +for stronger shield materials than for weaker ones. Also, whereas in +real life materials have different shielding effects against different +types of radiation, the game only has one type of damaging radiation, +and so only one set of shielding values. + +Almost any solid or liquid homogeneous material has some shielding value. +At the low end of the scale, 5 meters of wooden planks nearly halves +radiation, though in that case the planks probably contribute more +to safety by forcing the player to stay 5 m further away from the +source than by actual attenuation. Dirt halves radiation in 2.4 m, +and stone in 1.7 m. When a shield must be deliberately constructed, +the preferred materials are metals, the denser the better. Iron and +steel halve radiation in 1.1 m, copper in 1.0 m, and silver in 0.95 m. +Lead would halve in 0.69 m (its in-game shielding value is 80). Gold halves radiation +in 0.53 m (factor of 3.7 per meter), but is a bit scarce to use for +this purpose. Uranium halves radiation in 0.31 m (factor of 9.4 per +meter), but is itself radioactive. The very best shielding in the game +is nyancat material (nyancats and their rainbow blocks), which halves +radiation in 0.22 m (factor of 24 per meter), but is extremely scarce. See [technic/technic/radiation.lua](https://github.com/minetest-technic/technic/blob/master/technic/radiation.lua) for the in-game shielding values, which are different from real-life values. + +If the theoretical radiation damage from a particular source is +sufficiently small, due to distance and shielding, then no damage at all +will actually occur. This means that for any particular radiation source +and shielding arrangement there is a safe distance to which a player can +approach without harm. The safe distance is where the radiation damage +would theoretically be 0.25 HP/s. This damage threshold is applied +separately for each radiation source, so to be safe in a multi-source +situation it is only necessary to be safe from each source individually. + +The best way to use uranium as shielding is in a two-layer structure, +of uranium and some non-radioactive material. The uranium layer should +be nearer to the primary radiation source and the non-radioactive layer +nearer to the player. The uranium provides a great deal of shielding +against the primary source, and the other material shields against +the uranium layer. Due to the damage threshold mechanism, a meter of +dirt is sufficient to shield fully against a layer of fully-depleted +(0.0%-fissile) uranium. Obviously this is only worthwhile when the +primary radiation source is more radioactive than a uranium block. + +When constructing permanent radiation shielding, it is necessary to +pay attention to the geometry of the structure, and particularly to any +holes that have to be made in the shielding, for example to accommodate +power cables. Any hole that is aligned with the radiation source makes a +"shine path" through which a player may be irradiated when also aligned. +Shine paths can be avoided by using bent paths for cables, passing +through unaligned holes in multiple shield layers. If the desired +shielding effect depends on multiple layers, a hole in one layer still +produces a partial shine path, along which the shielding is reduced, +so the positioning of holes in each layer must still be considered. +Tricky shine paths can also be addressed by just keeping players out of +the dangerous area. + electrical power ---------------- @@ -828,7 +961,8 @@ energy to let an electrical network cope with mismatched supply and demand. They have a secondary purpose of charging and discharging powered tools. They are thus a mixture of electrical infrastructure, -powered machine, and generator. +powered machine, and generator. Battery boxes connect to cables only +from the bottom. MV and HV battery boxes have upgrade slots. Energy upgrades increase the capacity of a battery box, each by 10% of the un-upgraded capacity. @@ -843,10 +977,10 @@ infrastructure of that tier, just to get access to faster charging. MV and HV battery boxes work with pneumatic tubes. An item can be input -to the charging slot through the bottom of the battery box, or to the -discharging slot through the top. Items are not accepted through the -front, back, or sides. With a tube upgrade, fully charged/discharged -tools (as appropriate for their slot) will be ejected through a side. +to the charging slot through the sides or back of the battery box, or +to the discharging slot through the top. With a tube upgrade, fully +charged/discharged tools (as appropriate for their slot) will be ejected +through a side. ### processing machines ### @@ -1056,6 +1190,227 @@ that can be walked through. For example, a door suffices, and can be opened and closed while the forcefield is in place. +power generators +---------------- + +### fuel-fired generators ### + +The fiel-fired generators are electrical power generators that generate +power by the combustion of fuel. Versions of them are available for +all three voltages (LV, MV, and HV). These are all capable of burning +any type of combustible fuel, such as coal. They are relatively easy +to build, and so tend to be the first kind of generator used to power +electrical machines. In this role they form an intermediate step between +the directly fuel-fired machines and a more mature electrical network +powered by means other than fuel combustion. They are also, by virtue of +simplicity and controllability, a useful fallback or peak load generator +for electrical networks that normally use more sophisticated generators. + +The MV and HV fuel-fired generators can accept fuel via pneumatic tube, +from any direction. + +Keeping a fuel-fired generator fully fuelled is usually wasteful, because +it will burn fuel as long as it has any, even if there is no demand for +the electrical power that it generates. This is unlike the directly +fuel-fired machines, which only burn fuel when they have work to do. +To satisfy intermittent demand without waste, a fuel-fired generator must +only be given fuel when there is either demand for the energy or at least +sufficient battery capacity on the network to soak up the excess energy. + +The higher-tier fuel-fired generators get much more energy out of a +fuel item than the lower-tier ones. The difference is much more than +is needed to overcome the inefficiency of supply converters, so it is +worth operating fuel-fired generators at a higher tier than the machines +being powered. + +### solar generators ### + +The solar generators are electrical power generators that generate power +from sunlight. Versions of them are available for all three voltages +(LV, MV, and HV). There are four types in total, two LV and one each +of MV and HV, forming a sequence of four tiers. The higher-tier ones +are each built mainly from three solar generators of the next tier down, +and their outputs scale in rough accordance, tripling at each tier. + +To operate, an arrayed solar generator must be at elevation +1 or above +and have a transparent block (typically air) immediately above it. +It will generate power only when the block above is well lit during +daylight hours. It will generate more power at higher elevation, +reaching maximum output at elevation +36 or higher when sunlit. The small +solar generator has similar rules with slightly different thresholds. +These rules are an attempt to ensure that the generator will only operate +from sunlight, but it is actually possible to fool them to some extent +with light sources such as meselamps. + +### hydro generator ### + +The hydro generator is an LV power generator that generates a respectable +amount of power from the natural motion of water. To operate, the +generator must be horizontally adjacent to flowing water. The power +produced is dependent on how much flow there is across any or all four +sides, the most flow of course coming from water that's flowing straight +down. + +### geothermal generator ### + +The geothermal generator is an LV power generator that generates a small +amount of power from the temperature difference between lava and water. +To operate, the generator must be horizontally adjacent to both lava +and water. It doesn't matter whether the liquids consist of source +blocks or flowing blocks. + +Beware that if lava and water blocks are adjacent to each other then the +lava will be solidified into stone or obsidian. If the lava adjacent to +the generator is thus destroyed, the generator will stop producing power. +Currently, in the default Minetest game, lava is destroyed even if +it is only diagonally adjacent to water. Under these circumstances, +the only way to operate the geothermal generator is with it adjacent +to one lava block and one water block, which are on opposite sides of +the generator. If diagonal adjacency doesn't destroy lava, such as with +the gloopblocks mod, then it is possible to have more than one lava or +water block adjacent to the geothermal generator. This increases the +generator's output, with the maximum output achieved with two adjacent +blocks of each liquid. + +### wind generator ### + +The wind generator is an MV power generator that generates a moderate +amount of energy from wind. To operate, the generator must be placed +atop a column of at least 20 wind mill frame blocks, and must be at +an elevation of +30 or higher. It generates more at higher elevation, +reaching maximum output at elevation +50 or higher. Its surroundings +don't otherwise matter; it doesn't actually need to be in open air. + +### nuclear generator ### + +The nuclear generator (nuclear reactor) is an HV power generator that +generates a large amount of energy from the controlled fission of +uranium-235. It must be fuelled, with uranium fuel rods, but consumes +the fuel quite slowly in relation to the rate at which it is likely to +be mined. The operation of a nuclear reactor poses radiological hazards +to which some thought must be given. Economically, the use of nuclear +power requires a high capital investment, and a secure infrastructure, +but rewards the investment well. + +Nuclear fuel is made from uranium. Natural uranium doesn't have a +sufficiently high proportion of U-235, so it must first be enriched +via centrifuge. Producing one unit of 3.5%-fissile uranium requires +the input of five units of 0.7%-fissile (natural) uranium, and produces +four units of 0.0%-fissile (fully depleted) uranium as a byproduct. +It takes five ingots of 3.5%-fissile uranium to make each fuel rod, and +six rods to fuel a reactor. It thus takes the input of the equivalent +of 150 ingots of natural uranium, which can be obtained from the mining +of 75 blocks of uranium ore, to make a full set of reactor fuel. + +The nuclear reactor is a large multi-block structure. Only one block in +the structure, the reactor core, is of a type that is truly specific to +the reactor; the rest of the structure consists of blocks that have mainly +non-nuclear uses. The reactor core is where all the generator-specific +action happens: it is where the fuel rods are inserted, and where the +power cable must connect to draw off the generated power. + +The reactor structure consists of concentric layers, each a cubical +shell, around the core. Immediately around the core is a layer of water, +representing the reactor coolant; water blocks may be either source blocks +or flowing blocks. Around that is a layer of stainless steel blocks, +representing the reactor pressure vessel, and around that a layer of +blast-resistant concrete blocks, representing a containment structure. +It is customary, though no longer mandatory, to surround this with a +layer of ordinary concrete blocks. The mandatory reactor structure +makes a 7×7×7 cube, and the full customary structure a +9×9×9 cube. + +The layers surrounding the core don't have to be absolutely complete. +Indeed, if they were complete, it would be impossible to cable the core to +a power network. The cable makes it necessary to have at least one block +missing from each surrounding layer. The water layer is only permitted +to have one water block missing of the 26 possible. The steel layer may +have up to two blocks missing of the 98 possible, and the blast-resistant +concrete layer may have up to two blocks missing of the 218 possible. +Thus it is possible to have not only a cable duct, but also a separate +inspection hole through the solid layers. The separate inspection hole +is of limited use: the cable duct can serve double duty. + +Once running, the reactor core is significantly radioactive. The layers +of reactor structure provide quite a lot of shielding, but not enough +to make the reactor safe to be around, in two respects. Firstly, the +shortest possible path from the core to a player outside the reactor +is sufficiently short, and has sufficiently little shielding material, +that it will damage the player. This only affects a player who is +extremely close to the reactor, and close to a face rather than a vertex. +The customary additional layer of ordinary concrete around the reactor +adds sufficient distance and shielding to negate this risk, but it can +also be addressed by just keeping extra distance (a little over two +meters of air). + +The second radiological hazard of a running reactor arises from shine +paths; that is, specific paths from the core that lack sufficient +shielding. The necessary cable duct, if straight, forms a perfect +shine path, because the cable itself has no radiation shielding effect. +Any secondary inspection hole also makes a shine path, along which the +only shielding material is the water of the reactor coolant. The shine +path aspect of the cable duct can be ameliorated by adding a kink in the +cable, but this still yields paths with reduced shielding. Ultimately, +shine paths must be managed either with specific shielding outside the +mandatory structure, or with additional no-go areas. + +The radioactivity of an operating reactor core makes starting up a reactor +hazardous, and can come as a surprise because the non-operating core +isn't radioactive at all. The radioactive damage is survivable, but it is +normally preferable to avoid it by some care around the startup sequence. +To start up, the reactor must have a full set of fuel inserted, have all +the mandatory structure around it, and be cabled to a switching station. +Only the fuel insertion requires direct access to the core, so irradiation +of the player can be avoided by making one of the other two criteria be +the last one satisfied. Completing the cabling to a switching station +is the easiest to do from a safe distance. + +Once running, the reactor will generate 100 kEU/s for a week (168 hours, +604800 seconds), a total of 6.048 GEU from one set of fuel. After the +week is up, it will stop generating and no longer be radioactive. It can +then be refuelled to run for another week. It is not really intended +to be possible to pause a running reactor, but actually disconnecting +it from a switching station will have the effect of pausing the week. +This will probably change in the future. A paused reactor is still +radioactive, just not generating electrical power. + +A running reactor can't be safely dismantled, and not only because +dismantling the reactor implies removing the shielding that makes +it safe to be close to the core. The mandatory parts of the reactor +structure are not just mandatory in order to start the reactor; they're +mandatory in order to keep it intact. If the structure around the core +gets damaged, and remains damaged, the core will eventually melt down. +How long there is before meltdown depends on the extent of the damage; +if only one mandatory block is missing, meltdown will follow in 100 +seconds. While the structure of a running reactor is in a damaged state, +heading towards meltdown, a siren built into the reactor core will sound. +If the structure is rectified, the siren will signal all-clear. If the +siren stops sounding without signalling all-clear, then it was stopped +by meltdown. + +If meltdown is imminent because of damaged reactor structure, digging the +reactor core is not a way to avert it. Digging the core of a running +reactor causes instant meltdown. The only way to dismantle a reactor +without causing meltdown is to start by waiting for it to finish the +week-long burning of its current set of fuel. Once a reactor is no longer +operating, it can be dismantled by ordinary means, with no special risks. + +Meltdown, if it occurs, destroys the reactor and poses a major +environmental hazard. The reactor core melts, becoming a hot, highly +radioactive liquid known as "corium". A single meltdown yields a single +corium source block, where the core used to be. Corium flows, and the +flowing corium is very destructive to whatever it comes into contact with. +Flowing corium also randomly solidifies into a radioactive solid called +"Chernobylite". The random solidification and random destruction of +solid blocks means that the flow of corium is constantly changing. +This combined with the severe radioactivity makes corium much more +challenging to deal with than lava. If a meltdown is left to its own +devices, it gets worse over time, as the corium works its way through +the reactor structure and starts to flow over a variety of paths. +It is best to tackle a meltdown quickly; the priority is to extinguish +the corium source block, normally by dropping gravel into it. Only the +most motivated should attempt to pick up the corium in a bucket. + administrative world anchor --------------------------- @@ -1117,24 +1472,16 @@ This manual needs to be extended with sections on: -* power generators - * hydro - * geothermal - * fuel-fired - * wind - * solar - * nuclear -* tools +* powered tools * tool charging * battery and energy crystals * chainsaw * flashlight * mining lasers - * liquid cans * mining drills * prospector * sonic screwdriver - * wrench -* radioactivity +* liquid cans +* wrench * frames * templates -- Gitblit v1.8.0