User:MigratingCoconut/gas coefficient

Gas Coefficient

Generally speaking adding gas to the chamber contributes to the gas coefficient, and different gasses contribute differently.
This Means in order to get the most out of your engine you want to mix different gasses so you can get high EER while also having large amounts of gas in the chamber, as close to 12,000 moles per tile as you can get without exceeding it.

More precisely: The GC is a weighted sum of the ratios of all gasses in the chamber, multiplied by a scaling factor which is (moles per tile / 11333)^2 when below 11333 moles per tile and the square root of (moles per tile / 11333) when above 11333 moles per tile.
The weights of each gas are:

• O2 - 1.5
• CO2 - 1
• Plasma - 4
• N2/N2O - 0.55

The resulting expression is:
GC = (o2_portion * 1.5 + co2_portion * 1 + plasma_portion * 4 + n2_portion * 0.55 + n2o_portion * 0.55) * (moles per tile / 11333)^2 When below 11333 moles per tile and
GC = (o2_portion * 1.5 + co2_portion * 1 + plasma_portion * 4 + n2_portion * 0.55 + n2o_portion * 0.55) * (moles per tile / 11333)^0.5 When above 11333 moles per tile

The strength of the radiation pulses emitted by the Crystal is EER * Gas Coefficient, so you want to maximize both in order to make as much power as possible. Also keep in mind that going beyond 12000 moles of gas in the chamber will result in loss of integrity, so there is a limit to how much gas can be put in the chamber.

Mixed Gas Setups

By mixing gasses together it's possible to balance their properties in a way that gives you the best of both. This either requires great accuracy, constant monitoring or both, so it is recommended to modify the Engine's pipe setup to allow for finer control of the amount of each gas in the chamber.

N2 + CO2

By using a gas mix of N2 and CO2 it is possible to put enough gas in the chamber to achieve a modestly high Gas Coefficient while also maintaining high EER. For best effect the mix needs to be precise and requires fine tuning, but once set up should remain stable, only being disturbed by gas generating anomalies.
With an optimal mix you can expect a GC of around 1.85 at about 8000EER.

O2 + CO2

This mix boasts a higher gas coefficient than N2 + CO2 and still allows for high EER, however it requires constant monitoring and adjustment due to the Crystal's generation of O2.

N2 + Plasma

While this mix has a fairly low EER potential, the high proportion of Plasma leads to a high Gas Coefficient and gas production. It is a great way of replenishing the station's O2 reserves, provided you can cool it.

CO2 + Plasma

High EER and Gas Coefficient potential, but incredibly difficult to cool. Replacing a portion of the plasma with N2 should allow for an engine that is easier to run, while still outperforming the standard CO2 + N2 setup. However, much like CO2 + O2 it requires constant monitoring due to the Crystal's Plasma production.

Anomalies

When the strength of radiation pulses, that is EER * Gas Coefficient, reaches 5000 MeV/cm^3 the Engine will start producing anomalies. These anomalies appear regardless of integrity and are not a sign of a delaminating crystal.