Heat Generator

The Heat Generator is the first generator you’ll build in Mekanism, as it burns Furnace fuel or Lava and needs no alloys or circuits to craft. While it’s burning it makes about 44.8 FE/t (112 J/t), which is enough to run two basic machines like the Metallurgic Infuser at the same time.

To set one up, you’ll want to place it with its front against the machine, then put Coal, Charcoal or a Lava Bucket in its slot. It’s also able to make a small amount of power for free when Lava is touching its sides, which doesn’t use the Lava up at all.

How to Make It

The recipe is 3 Iron Ingots along the top, an Osmium Ingot between two Planks in the middle, and a Furnace between 2 Copper Ingots on the bottom. Any type of Planks will work, and the only Mekanism item in there is the Osmium, which you’ll get by smelting Raw Osmium.

Heat Generator

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As it doesn’t need Steel or Infused Alloy, you’re able to craft the Heat Generator before any machine is running, and that’s why it comes first. Osmium Ore is the only thing you might have to go looking for, which is found at most heights in the Overworld.

How It Works

Any Furnace fuel that goes into the slot will be turned into Lava inside the generator, and it’s that Lava which gets burned. The Heat Generator warms up over a few seconds and then settles at about 44.8 FE/t, as only a little over half of the heat it makes will become power.

Where the power comes out

Power will only leave through the front face, and the generator pushes it out by itself without any setting up. So the front has to touch a machine, an Energy Cube or a cable, as nothing on the other five sides will be given any power.

This matters for your very first setup, as the Basic Universal Cable needs Steel and Steel needs a running Metallurgic Infuser. You’ll want to place the generator directly against the infuser to begin with, and then move over to cables once you’re able to craft them.

It only burns when needed

The generator holds 64,000 FE in its own buffer, and it’ll stop burning once that’s full. Fuel isn’t wasted while nothing is drawing power, so it’s fine to leave a stack of Coal in the slot and walk away from it.

Fuel and Lava

The tank inside holds 24 buckets of Lava, and it burns through a bucket every 5 seconds while it’s running. Each fuel item is worth an amount of Lava based on how long it would burn in a Furnace, which is why Coal doesn’t last long in here.

These numbers are for a generator that’s already warm, so a single Coal burned from cold will give a bit less. A Metallurgic Infuser uses 20 FE/t and takes 10 seconds per item, which works out at around 11 Coal for every item it makes, so you’ll want to move on to something better fairly quickly.

Piping Lava in

Lava can be piped straight into the tank through the top, bottom, back, left or right, which leaves the front free for power. A Mechanical Pipe from an Electric Pump over a Lava lake will keep it full, although the pump needs power of its own, so this is more of a Nether setup for later on.

Free Power From Lava

The Heat Generator also picks up heat from any Lava touching it, and this Lava is never used up. Both source blocks and flowing Lava count, so you’re able to pour a Lava Bucket over it and let it run down the sides.

One block of Lava next to it is worth very little, but the output climbs quickly as more sides are covered. The front has to stay clear for the machine or cable, so five sides is the most you’ll get in practice.

The two sources add together, so a generator sat in Lava and burning fuel makes more than double what it would on fuel alone. It’s a good trick for the early game, as five buckets of Lava will give you about two thirds of a fuelled generator’s output forever.

In the Nether

Placing the generator in the Nether adds a flat bonus on top of everything else, as the dimension itself counts as a heat source. It’ll make about 14.8 FE/t there with nothing next to it and no fuel, and around 76 FE/t while it’s burning, whereas the same generator in the Overworld makes 44.8 FE/t.

Upgrades and Automation

The only upgrade it’ll take is the Muffling Upgrade, which makes it quieter. Speed and Energy Upgrades can’t be installed in any generator, so the way to get more power is to build more of them or surround them with Lava.

A Hopper on top or a Logistical Transporter is able to feed fuel into the slot, and a Comparator next to the generator will read how full the Lava tank is. There’s a redstone control setting in its screen too, which can be used to switch it off with a Lever.

One thing to watch is the block underneath, as the generator will push its heat down into anything that accepts heat, like a Thermodynamic Conductor, and it’ll make less power if it does. Once you’ve got Infused Alloy and a Basic Control Circuit, the Wind Generator is the next one to build, as it doesn’t need any fuel.

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