Temperature in steam pointless?

[Ramy83]

Is it only me or has the temperature of steam absolutly no effect on anything? I tested a few things and it seems that the temperature of steam doesn't matter at all. Steam engines work with 500°C and turbines with 165°C even though the steam engine has "max temperature of 165°C". I expected that something would happen for example that they would not work or would get damaged or just explode but nope, works completly normal.

[Fel]

It's not pointless, but it can be a bit hard to understand at first since "max temperature" doesn't mean what you would think it does.

The "max temperature" is the temperature at which it will produce its "maximum power output".
You can go over that number without any issue (although there is no real point since turbines produce way more at 500°C).

On the other hand if you go under that temperature you will produce less energy.
A turbine at 165°C will consume as much steam as 2 steam engines and will consume as much steam, but a turbine costs a whole lot more to craft than 2 steam engines (120 iron plates and 50 copper plates against 62 iron plates).

[AlexMBrennan]

Steam engines work with 500°C and turbines with 165°C

Steam engines "work" with 165C but if you do the maths (how much electric power can you produce with one 40MW core?) you will find that you are wasting most of the potential power.

[Purpleganja]

It's not pointless, but it seem like a side feature that was not fleshed out. It mostly indicate which producers go with what consumers of steam. Stored steam in pipes and tank will never cool down and you won't get burned if you pick a
1000 degrees reactor and put it in your pocket.
You can still observe energy as heat in the heat pipes and exchangers flowing and being stored when not used.

[Subak]

FWIW, Angel/Bob's does a little bit more with steam temperatures. It's mostly the same as described here for steam engines/turbines but 'more'. There are also steam miners that mine more with hotter steam, and steam factories that produce faster with hotter steam.

[Warlord]

Originally posted by AlexMBrennan:

Steam engines work with 500°C and turbines with 165°C

Steam engines "work" with 165C but if you do the maths (how much electric power can you produce with one 40MW core?) you will find that you are wasting most of the potential power.

Steam engines "work" with 500C, but the same amount of steam ran through a turbine will generate more power, thus the energy is lost. It's because engines can only process the first 165C of the steam, rather than the other 500C. I'm not sure if it's an even ratio (165/500), or a simple double energy storage.

Either way, 500C steam is more "dense", but can only be used at their most effective in a turbine.

[Biometrix]

Originally posted by Fel:

A turbine at 165°C will consume as much steam as 2 steam engines and will consume as much steam

What?

[Fel]

Originally posted by Biometrix:

Originally posted by Fel:

A turbine at 165°C will consume as much steam as 2 steam engines and will consume as much steam

What?

I apparently got caught up when writing that and didn't catch it before posting, it should be "produces as much energy" and "consume as much steam".