Radbolt Generator

The Radbolt Generator converts ambient radiation into Radbolts, which are required for Materials Science research. Its output depends on the radiation level in the surrounding area, which can be checked in the radiation overlay or by inspecting the building directly. It converts radiation into Radbolts at an efficiency of 10%; for example, 100 rads per cycle produces 10 Radbolts per cycle.

The generator only fires once its internal storage reaches the emission threshold, which defaults to 50 and can be adjusted between 50 and 500. Its automation port controls whether the building is disabled. When disabled, or when it is unpowered, stored Radbolts slowly decay at 1 per second. When ambient radiation is zero, the generator pauses entirely: it does not consume power, does not generate heat, and does not lose stored Radbolts, except while unpowered.

Power consumption scales with production rate below 1000 rads per cycle. It uses proportionally less power down to a minimum of 60 W at low radiation levels, and reaches 480 W at higher rates.

Because Radbolts travel in a straight line and lose 0.1 Radbolts per tile, long shot paths reduce the amount delivered to the target and the bolt disappears when it reaches zero. A Generator can fire a Radbolt past other Generators, which can be useful when arranging multiple buildings in a compact launcher chain.

Early-game radiation sources are the easiest way to feed the building. Stacking Wheezeworts near one or more Radbolt Generators, or exposing them to space radiation, are two of the simplest setups. Since radiation collection improves when the bottom tile of the building is placed in a vacuum, enclosing only the upper part while leaving the lower tile exposed to vacuum can increase collection rate. This works because many materials, including gases, block radiation.

Heat management is also straightforward. The Radbolt Generator has no Overheat Temperature, so it can be built in space. Rotating the building 180° allows the output tile to sit in a small amount of liquid coolant, which can conduct heat away without reducing Radbolt output. Radbolts still pass through the coolant, and they decay at the same rate in a fluid as in a vacuum. Even so, the building can eventually heat itself to failure if left running long enough; an Igneous Rock Radbolt Generator takes 182 cycles to melt from its own heat.

In earlier builds, disabling the generator with automation only stopped it from firing Radbolts, but it still absorbed radiation and consumed power, allowing it to accumulate Radbolts without limit.