Codex Energy Smes

SMES

The SMES (superconducting magnetic energy storage) holds a huge amount of energy in the magnetic field of superconducting coils and moves it at an enormous rate, with almost no loss. The price: the coils must be kept at a few kelvin with cryocoolers and liquid helium. If they warm up while charged, the store quenches.

How it works

1. The coils start warm. The cryocoolers, powered through the store's input, cool them down; with a full helium charge they reach liquid-helium temperatures.
2. Below the critical temperature the coils are superconducting: the store charges and discharges at the converter rate.
3. The coolers and the helium boil-off are the running cost.
4. If the coils rise above the critical temperature with energy stored, the superconductivity collapses (quench). Dump resistors make it safe.

Building

Shown size: 7 wide, 5 high, 5 deep (adjustable: Width 5–16, Height 4–16, Depth 5–16).

One example of many: within the rules on this page, size and arrangement are up to you; the Build Projector shows the plan in every allowed size.

	Key	Block	Count
	A	Cryostat Casing	111
	C	Superconducting Coil	25
	B	Shielded Sight Glass	14
	I	Dump Resistor	9
	J	Cryocooler	6
	E	Power Converter	5
	G	Energy Input Hatch (Tier 1)	1
	D	Energy Output Port	1
	H	Gas Input Port	1
	F	Gas Output Port	1
	0	SMES Controller	1

Step by step

Each picture adds one layer, from the bottom up; the newest layer is bright. The controller wall faces you on the left.

Step 1: Layer 1

Parts in this step: Cryostat Casing (A) ×35

Step 2: Layer 2

Parts in this step: Cryostat Casing (A) ×13, Superconducting Coil (C) ×5, Power Converter (E) ×5, Shielded Sight Glass (B) ×4, Dump Resistor (I) ×3, Cryocooler (J) ×2, Energy Output Port (D) ×1, Gas Output Port (F) ×1, SMES Controller (0) ×1

Step 3: Layer 3

Parts in this step: Cryostat Casing (A) ×13, Superconducting Coil (C) ×10, Shielded Sight Glass (B) ×5, Dump Resistor (I) ×3, Cryocooler (J) ×2, Energy Input Hatch (Tier 1) (G) ×1, Gas Input Port (H) ×1

Step 4: Layer 4

Parts in this step: Cryostat Casing (A) ×15, Superconducting Coil (C) ×10, Shielded Sight Glass (B) ×5, Dump Resistor (I) ×3, Cryocooler (J) ×2

Step 5: Layer 5

Parts in this step: Cryostat Casing (A) ×35

Rules

• Size: at least 5 wide, 4 high and 5 deep, at most perf.maxStructureSize (default 16, allowed 5–32) in every direction.
• Edges and corners: only Cryostat Casing.
• Walls, floor and roof: Cryostat Casing, Shielded Sight Glass, Inspection Hatches, the ports and the controller.
• Inside: air, Superconducting Coils, Power Converters, Cryocoolers and Dump Resistors.
• Needed: at least one coil, one converter and one cryocooler. Dump resistors are optional, but strongly advised.
• Controller: in a wall face (not on an edge), front facing out, with the inside directly behind it.
• Ports (each works only on its outer face):
• Energy Input Hatch and Energy Output Port.
• Gas Input Port: helium in; Gas Output Port: helium out.
• Heat Port: the dump heat of a protected quench.

Operation in depth

• Capacity = coils × volt.smesCoilCapacity (default 50000000, allowed 1000–100000000000).
• Rate in each direction = converters × 250,000 E per tick, only while superconducting.
• Temperatures (kelvin): the coils start at 290 K, run at 4.5 K, warn from 7 K and stop being superconducting at 9 K.
• Cryocoolers: each draws 400 E per tick from the store. While the coils are not superconducting, the store takes in only what the coolers need each tick. All coolers together need their number × 400 E per tick: the Energy Input Hatches must deliver that much, so check their tier (a Tier 2 hatch takes 8,000 E per tick). With less power the coolers cannot hold the coils, and they stay warm.
• Helium charge: the coils need 200 mB of helium per coil in the tank. Without the full charge the coolers get no colder than 20 K, and the store never becomes superconducting.
• Boil-off: below 10 K every coil boils off 0.01 mB of helium per tick. Keep topping up the tank.
• Heat load: the cryostat leaks heat into every coil, and fast transfers add to it (up to twice as much at full rate in both directions). Enough coolers keep the coils cold even under full load. Rule of thumb: one cryocooler for every three coils at rest, twice as many for transfers at full rate in both directions. With too few, the coils stop well above the critical temperature.
• The helium tank holds 64,000 mB, or the charge of all coils plus a quarter if that is more.

Tip

Where the helium comes from Helium is the ash of the Tokamak and the Little Star. Pipe their gas output into the SMES.

Quench

A quench starts when the coils are at 9 K or warmer while energy is stored: the helium ran out, the coolers had no energy or were switched off, or the structure broke while charged.

• With dump resistors: the energy leaves in a controlled way, every resistor takes 2,000,000 E per tick. 10 % of it comes out as heat through the Heat Ports (what nobody takes is vented). Half of the helium boils off and the coils warm up to at least 30 K.
• Without dump resistors: all stored energy turns into heat in the coils at once. The whole helium charge boils off, the coils get very warm, and a burst of cold helium hurts, throws and freezes living beings nearby. See Incidents.
• Either way the store has to be cooled down again before it works.

Warning

Coolers off means quench The I/O button switches the cryocoolers. Switching them off with energy stored warms the coils and quenches the store. Empty it first.

The screen

• Lines: Status, Coils (the state) and Cryocoolers (on/off).
• Bars: energy and helium.
• Values: coil temperature (K), helium charge needed, rate (each way), input, output, cooler power, dump heat, quenches, coils, converters, coolers, dump resistors.
• Button: I/O for the cryocoolers.

Coils	Meaning
Warm (coolers off)	Warmer than 20 K with the coolers off.
Cooling down	The coolers work; not yet superconducting.
Too little cooler power	The coolers get less energy than they need and cannot bring the coils down. Use Energy Input Hatches of a higher tier, or more of them.
Too few cryocoolers	Even at full power the coolers cannot beat the heat load of the coils. Build more cryocoolers.
At 20 K: helium charge missing	The coolers hold 20 K; colder needs the full helium charge in the tank.
Superconducting	Ready: the store moves energy.
Warning: coils warming up	Between 7 K and 9 K; fix the cooling now.
QUENCH: energy being dumped	A protected quench is running.

Automation

• Pipe helium into the Gas Input Port; the Gas Output Port gives helium back out.
• A Sensor Module reads energy stored, power output, coil temperature, helium and state. A sensor on the coil temperature can warn before the critical temperature.

Error messages

Message	What to do
The controller must sit in a wall, front facing out	Put the controller into a wall face, front outwards, with the inside behind it.
Structure too small (…)	At least 5 wide, 4 high and 5 deep.
Structure too large or not closed near …	Close the wall there, or make the cryostat smaller.
Wrong block at … (expected: Cryostat Casing)	Only Cryostat Casing on edges and corners.
Wrong block at … (expected: …)	Only coils, converters, cryocoolers, dump resistors and air inside.
Missing parts: …	At least one coil, one converter and one cryocooler.
Port not allowed here: …	Only energy, gas and Heat Ports work on the SMES.

In the world

• Cold fog and frost fill the cryostat while the coils are cold.
• Cold fog at the controller warns of warming coils and of a running quench.