Cooling Guide & Frequently Asked Questions
Thermal Conductivity & SHC Formulas
Heat transfers in Oxygen Not Included are governed by three primary physics variables: Specific Heat Capacity (SHC), Thermal Conductivity (TC), and Mass.
- Specific Heat Capacity (SHC): The amount of energy (DTUs) required to raise 1 gram of material by 1°C. High SHC elements (like Water or Super Coolant) require more energy to heat up, making them excellent coolants.
- Heating/Cooling Formula: DTUs = Mass (g) × SHC × ΔT. For 1 kg of Water (SHC 4.179) over a 14°C drop: 1000g × 4.179 × 14 = 58,506 DTUs.
- Cooling Loop Transfer: A Thermo Aquatuner processes exactly 10 kg/s of liquid and cools it by 14°C, meaning it relocates 10,000 × SHC × 14 DTUs/s.
Passive Cooling vs. Active Deletion
There is a difference between heat "transfer" and heat "deletion". Active deletion is required to maintain long-term base stability.
- Thermo Aquatuner (Transfer): Does NOT delete heat. It cools liquid by 14°C but ejects all that heat into its immediate surroundings. Placing it in a vacuum will cause it to overheat instantly.
- Steam Turbine (Deletion): Sucks in steam at >125°C and outputs 95°C water. It deletes 85% of the heat in the steam, making it the primary heat deletion mechanic in the game.
- Passive (Wheezewort/AETN): Wheezeworts delete heat directly from the surrounding gas (best in high-pressure Hydrogen). AETNs consume 10g/s hydrogen to delete 80 kDTU/s.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Aquatuner cools liquid running through pipes and dumps all of the heat into its surrounding room (which is sealed and filled with water/steam). The steam heats up. Once the steam reaches above 125°C, the Steam Turbine (placed on top of the room) sucks in the steam, deletes 85% of the thermal energy, outputs electricity, and drops 95°C water back into the room. This water is then heated back into steam by the Aquatuner, forming a closed loop that continuously deletes heat from the cooled liquid.
Polluted Water is the best mid-game coolant because it has a high Specific Heat Capacity (4.179) and a wide liquid range (-20°C to 120°C). Super Coolant is the absolute best late-game coolant because it has double the heat capacity (8.44) and a huge liquid range (-271°C to 436°C). Avoid Petroleum or Crude Oil unless running very high temperatures (>120°C) because their low SHC (1.76 and 1.69) makes them highly inefficient, requiring more Aquatuners and power to cool the same load.
A Steam Turbine generates heat equal to 10% of the heat it deletes from the steam, plus 4 kDTU/s base. If steam temperatures are high (e.g. >140°C), this heat will push the turbine above its 100°C operating limit, disabling it. To cool it, run a small portion of the cooled loop (or the 95°C turbine output water in radiant pipes) through the room containing the Steam Turbine before returning it, maintaining its temperature below 100°C.
If the steam in your chamber is kept below 135°C, the heat generated by the Steam Turbine is low enough that the 95°C water output of the turbine itself can be routed through radiant pipes behind the turbine to cool it down, before being dumped back into the steam chamber. This deletes the need for an active Aquatuner cooling loop for the turbine itself, saving setup complexity and power.