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Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (often shortened to SMES, pronounced ss-mess) systems store energy in a magnetic field. The power is collected by means of a terminal: and is sent out via a wire node directly under the SMES.

Power is what makes the station run, and without it, there is chaos. There are currently three main power sources in the game: the Supermatter Engine, Singularity, and Tesla Engine; In addition to these, there are four station Solars, as well as the Turbine that can be set up as supplementary power. Many of these engines produce from tens to hundreds of MWs! However, the station power grid can only handle so much power before suffering some dangerous drawbacks. This is why the station has SMESes. They regulate power output to a safe level, and store the excess for emergencies.

Using a SMES

In order for the SMES to charge, set the charge mode to auto, and the target input level to the maximum (default is 50 kw). In order to output power, you must set the output mode to on, and set the target output to however much power you wish to output. It is important to keep in mind that the station power grid does not need more than one MW(1mil kw), and you should avoid setting the net output for all the SMES above that level. Otherwise, the APCs will begin arcing lightning from the power overload. If you're unsure of how much power the station needs, check the power grid monitoring computer in the northern wing of engineering.

A SMES is essentially a giant battery, so even if you choose not to have all the SMESes on station outputting power, you can have them storing power in case an engine goes down and you need a power boost.

Primary Power

Your primary SMESes are in the room directly to the right and left of the Particle Accelerator. These SMESs require special instructions on how to set up so that the engine does not escape. Check the guide for the Tesla Engine/Singularity Engine for information on how to set these up. In general, do not mess with the left SMES in engineering, it powers the containment and PA for the engine.