Centrifuge

The Centrifuge is the machine used for all uranium-related processing and for nuclear fuel reprocessing. Its recipe set is centered on four processes: Uranium processing, Kovarex enrichment process, Nuclear fuel, and Nuclear fuel reprocessing. Each of these is unlocked by a specific technology, with Uranium processing and Nuclear fuel reprocessing tied to their matching technologies, Kovarex enrichment process requiring the Kovarex enrichment process technology, and Nuclear fuel requiring that same Kovarex technology before it can be made in the Centrifuge.

In practice, the Centrifuge is the point where the nuclear fuel chain becomes useful. Uranium processing takes Uranium ore and produces Uranium-235 and Uranium-238. The Kovarex enrichment process then accepts Uranium-235 and Uranium-238 and returns Uranium-235 and Uranium-238, serving as the controlled enrichment step in the uranium loop. Nuclear fuel uses Rocket fuel together with Uranium-235 to produce Nuclear fuel, making the Centrifuge part of the supply chain for reactor fuel. Nuclear fuel reprocessing takes Depleted uranium fuel cells and returns Uranium-238, allowing spent fuel to be recovered rather than discarded.

Because all of these recipes are tied to the same machine, the Centrifuge is a key bottleneck and organizing point for nuclear industry layouts. A typical uranium setup must route raw ore through Uranium processing first, then decide whether the output is being used for direct fuel production, enrichment through Kovarex, or recycling through reprocessing. The listed recipes also show that the Centrifuge handles both the creation of advanced fuel and the recovery of material from used fuel, so it connects the early extraction stage to the later closed-loop stage of the nuclear system.

The available processes are:

• Uranium processing: Uranium ore in, Uranium-235 and Uranium-238 out.
• Kovarex enrichment process: Uranium-235 and Uranium-238 in, Uranium-235 and Uranium-238 out.
• Nuclear fuel: Rocket fuel and Uranium-235 in, Nuclear fuel out.
• Nuclear fuel reprocessing: Depleted uranium fuel cells in, Uranium-238 out.