Short guide to steam power generation

Everything you need to know about steam turbines

Steam power generation

Update 1 changed the ratio from "2 high pressure --> 1 low pressure to 1:1" and multiplied all power numbers by 4 . Everything else still applies.

• 1 groundwater pump --> 1 boiler (coal or gas) --> 2 high-pressure turbine (+ 2 low pressure turbines) --> 4 generators (6 with low-pressure turbine) = 12 MW of mechanical power = 9 MW of electrical power (18 MW / 12 MW with low pressure turbines added)
  
• Low pressure turbines give you 3 MW of mechanical power for every high pressure turbine, without using any extra water or fuel
  
• Cooling towers let you recycle half the water
  
• A shaft can support a maximum of 72 MW of mechanical power (in or out). The order of things on the shaft does not matter.
  
• Later turbines double all numbers. So when starting out, you should put a maximum of 4 boilers and 4 high-pressure turbines together (24 MW mechanical power). Later, add 4 low-pressure turbines (12 MW). After researching Power generation IV, you can upgrade all turbines to reach the maximum of 72 MW. Together with the more efficient generators you get with that research, this will give you 58 MW of electrical power.
  If you need more than 18 MW (Power generation II) / 24 MW (Power generation III), you should start a new shaft to be prepared for future upgrades.
  
• Flywheels store mechanical power. The more of them you have, the longer your turbines can stay at either full speed (charging up the flywheels) or turned off (while the flywheels discharge), minimizing the (inefficient) time they spend spinning up. You want at least one flywheel on each shaft that is using turbines with auto-balance set to on (but adding more flywheels never hurts if you have the space and materials for them). If you're only using turbines with auto-balance set to off, flywheels do absolutely nothing.
  
• To minimize fuel / water usage, figure out your base load (how much power you're always using). Disable auto-balance on that many turbines. Set auto-balance to on for all other turbines. Don't forget the conversion loss when going from mechanical to electrical power (you only get 600 KW per MW with the power generator I, and 833 KW with the power generator II)

[AFx-TT-Rampage]

Dont forget that you need to keep the hi pressure turbines on to use the low pressure turbines as you need to convert the hi steam to lo steam.

[Wargate]

Really good point about leaving some generators running all the time.

[jamiechi]

Thank you.