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<h1>RB-MK2 Reactor Guide, Volume 3</h1>
<sub>By Nuclear Engineer John Burger</sub>
<h2>Quick Instructions for the Impatient</h2>
<ol><li>Ensure the RB-MK2 reactor is connected to the power grid.</li>
<li>Set up a cooling system. The one that the supermatter chamber normally uses is acceptable. <b>The cooling system must be active and cycling before proceeding.</b></li>
<li>Fill up an RB-MK2 rod with 80 moles of tritium and 10 moles of nitrogen. While the rods are stronger than standard gas tanks, overfilling may cause damage to the reactor.</li>
<li>Place one RB-MK2 rod in each of the RB-MK2 housing units.</li><li>Allow the RB-MK2 rods to cool down to the area's temperature.</li>
<li>Wrench down the RB-MK2 rod to activate.</li>
<li>Manage the RB-MK2's internal temperature temperature carefully. More heat equals more power, but <b>too much power might result in the safety system being triggered!</b></li>
</ol>
<h2>The Basics of the RB-MK2 reactor</h2>
<p>The RB-MK2 powers the station by converting stored Tritium gas into power via a bluespace radiation processing system. This process generates external heat and waste, so a cooling an filtering system should be used in conjunction with the machine. The conversion rate of tritium to power is based on the internal temperature of the RB-MK2 rod, so higher temperature would consume more tritium and generate more power. Engineers are encouraged to safely experiment with different cooling/heating settings in order for the reactor to run optimally.</p>
<h2>Reactor Safety</h2>
<p>Proper radiation equipment should be used at all times when in proximity to the machine, even when around the chamber. Chamber fires are also possible depending on the environmental gas used. Internals should be worn at all times in the reactor main chamber, as superheated tritium gas may leak from the machine during processing. Magboots are highly recommended when performing work in an active chamber, as high and low pressures may cause intense gusts of wind.
<br><br>
Note that the RB-MK2 has a safety feature where the rods are forcibly pushed into the open position if the internal sensors detect unfavourable settings--such as overheating, overpressurization, or excessive power generation caused by reactions that cannot be handled by the reactor. It is not recommended to tamper with or cut the safety wire in the RB-MK2 maintenance panel, as this may void your warranty and possibly lead to meltdowns. Note that use of the safety system may result in damage to the RB-MK2 reactor and may also result in unexpected jams.
<br><br>
A standard crowbar is recommended to be used in jams, and a welder used to repair any damage to the machine.</p>
<h2>Filling the RB-MK2 reactor rod</h2>
<p>RB-MK2 reactor rods works much like a standard internals tank, but specially designed to fit inside the reactor and handle high internal temperatures and pressures. Reactor rods should be partially filled with a mix of tritium and a moderator gases, such as nitrogen. The recommended gasses used for a basic setup are 80 moles of tritium and 10 moles of nitrogen.
<br><br>
Note that the type of moderator gas used does not have any inherent effect on the RB-MK2 reactor's power generation capability: only the temperature of the gas and the ratio of gas matters. However, consideration should be made in the choice and the amount of gas used as the RB-MK2 rod will be subject to high and low temperatures as well as high and low pressures during processing.
<br><br>
The tank itself has an internal pressure limit of ~9000kPa, and an internal temperature limit of ~2070 kelvin before possibly causing damage to the RB-MK2 reactor.</p>
<h2>Activating and deactivating the RB-MK2 reactor</h2>
<p>The reactor is considered active when a specially designed RB-MK2 tritium rod is inserted and wrenched down into the closed position (rod is flush with the machine). At this point, the generator will process the stored gasses and convert them into usable electrical power, expelling the gasses into the buffer and then into the surrounding air. The reactor can be deactivated with a wrench as well, and will not process tritium while in the open position.</p>
<h2>Reactor Cooling</h2>
<p>While in the default configuration, RB-MK2 reactors are cooled or heated by the surrounding external air, regardless of whether or not the generator is processing tritium. While the reactor is cooled very efficiently in the closed position, it can still receive cooling while in the open position, albeit at a reduced rate. The closed position cooling rate can be managed by manually tweaking the machine via a multitool by pulsing the cooling limiter wire, or stopped completely by closing the vents.
<br><br>
Note that closing the vents in non-emergency situations is considered an unsafe practice and should only be done in emergencies when the machine is not processing.</p>
<h2>Reactor Byproducts</h2>
<p>The reactor is known to produce an unknown gas compound that is directly formed in the reactor rod itself. Exposure to the gas is not recommended, and any rod containing the gas should be immediately disposed of once it is void of tritium.</p>
<h2>Reactor Upgrading</h2>
<p>Like most machines, the RB-MK2 reactor can be upgraded with stock parts. Upgrading the capacitors increases the power efficiency as well as the amount of tritium consumed per cycle. Upgrading the matter bins decreases stray reactivity, thus increasing the amount of power allowed to be processed. Upgrading the servos increases the strength of the vents, allowing it to vent out in higher pressure areas.
<br><br>
Note that it is not recommended to use NanoTrasen stock parts for upgrading, as the amount of power generated may void the reactor's warranty.</p>
<h2>Reactor Criticality</h2>
<p>Criticality events, also known as meltdowns, are known to occur in improperly managed reactors. A reactor is considered critical when the amount of power generated overpowers the latches in the reactor, causing the rods themselves to bounce erratically and lead to uncontrolled tritium bluespace reactions.
<br><br>
In the event of a meltdown, do the following:</p>
<ol>
<li>Do not panic. Warn your fellow engineers of a problem..</li>
<li>Activate any external emergency cooling procedures.</li>
<li>Acquire the proper protective equipment to enter the chamber safely.</li>
<li>DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DISABLE ANY RODS THAT ARE LEAPING, AS THIS WILL LEAD TO JAMS AND MAY ACCELERATE THE MELTDOWN PROCESS</li>
<li>Disable all RB-MK2 reactor rods that are not leaping erratically.</li>
<li>Wait for the remaining rods to cease leaping, and disable them.</li>
<li>In case the integrity or criticality reaching dangerous levels, flee the area.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Reactor Wires</h2>
<p>The reactor has a series of wires and controls that can be pulsed or cut to change the behaviour of the reactor. There are 9 total wires.</p>
<ol>
<li>Power Wire: Connects the RB-MK2 reactor to the power grid, if one is present below the machine. High voltage. Cutting this wire disables sending power to the network, mending enables it.</li>
<li>Overclock Wire: Increases the power output of the reactor at the cost of reduced efficiency. For advanced users. Pulsing toggles this on/off, while mending turns it off.</li>
<li>Activation Wire: Toggles the open/closed state of the reactor. Useful for remote control.</li>
<li>Throw Wire: Forcibly ejects the rod from the machine, preventing external gasses from having any effect on the rod. Useful for emergency shut-off. Pulsing or mending performs this action.</li>
<li>Vent Power Wire: Delivers power to the vents. High voltage. It is not recommended to tamper with this wire. Pulsing toggles vents on/off, cutting turns it off, mending turns it on.</li>
<li>Vent Direction Wire: Controls the directional flow of the vents. Only works if the vent itself is off. For advanced users. Pulsing toggles vent control to flow in/out of the buffer, mending sets it to flow out.</li>
<li>Safety Wire: Controls the safety power off system of the RB-MK2 reactor. Pulsing forces the rod into the open position, cutting disables the safety system all together (NOT RECOMMENDED).</li>
<li>Cooling Limit Wire: Controls how much cooling is transferred to the RB-MK2 reactor rod. For advanced users. Pulsing increases the percentage by 10% per pulse, up to 90%. Mending resets to 0%.</li>
<li>Tamper Wire: A dummy wire that when cut or pulsed, permanently indicates on the circuitboard that the reactor was incorrectly tampered with and that the warranty is now void.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Advanced Reactor Usage Tips</h2>
<ul>
<li>A rod in the open position is cooled/heated more effectively than in the closed position.</li>
<li>It is recommended to use the cooling limit wire to safely increase the internal temperature of the reactor without needing to increase the external air temperature. Note that the cooling limiter has no effect when the rod is in the open position, so it can safely cool in cases of emergencies.</li>
<li>You can close the vents and turn off the machine if the exterior temperature is much hotter than the internal rod temperature. This is much safer and reliable than using the safety throw wire.</li>
<li>It is possible to unjam the reactor by pulsing the throw wire repeatedly. Note that this practice can cause damage to the machine, and may void your warranty.</li>
<li>It is possible to reverse the vent flow direction to suck in a set amount of cold buffer gas so that you don't have to use external air to cool the machine, allowing the reactor to safely work in a room-temperature environment.</li>
<li>Half of the tritium gas processed in the reactor will be vented out from the machine. It is possible to reuse the gas in atmospheric conditions that prevent breakdown into water vapour.</li>
</ul>