Helios Reactor Interface

Control Rod Depth: Controls the rate of nuclear fission. Lower percentage (rods withdrawn) increases heat. Higher percentage (rods inserted) decreases heat.

Coolant Flow: Controls the speed of the primary coolant pumps. Higher flow increases heat removal from the core.

Primary Coolant Level: Shows the amount of coolant in the primary loop. This level will decrease if primary pressure is outside the safe range (140-170 Bar), leading to a meltdown if it reaches zero.

Average Fuel Health: Indicates the average usability of all fuel assemblies. Fuel degrades faster in hotter parts of the core. Refuel individual assemblies via the 'Core Layout' tab when OFFLINE.

Important Control Note: When using sliders or input fields, your changes are not applied until you press the corresponding SET button. This is a safety feature to prevent accidental adjustments.

Schematic: Shows the fixed physical arrangement of Fuel Assemblies (F) and Control Rods (R). Click on any cell to view its specific health and status.

Spares & Purchasing: Displays the number of replacement fuel bundles and servos available. New components can be purchased if you have sufficient funds. Prices fluctuate based on market conditions.

Servo Health: Control rod servos wear down with use. Degraded servos move the rods more slowly, impacting your ability to control the reactor. Select a rod to view its servo health.

Replacement Buttons: When a fuel assembly or control rod is selected and the reactor is OFFLINE, a replacement button will appear. This consumes one spare component to restore the selected item to 100% health.

Rod Locking: Click any 'R' cell to select it. A 'Lock' button will appear. Locking a rod fixes its depth, excluding it from the main 'Control Rod Depth' slider. This allows for uneven core control and managing "hot spots" (feature TBD).

Heater Power: Increases the temperature in the pressurizer tank, boiling water to raise the overall pressure in the primary cooling loop. Use slider, input, or nudge buttons for fine control.

Spray Valve: Injects cool water into the pressurizer tank, condensing steam to lower the overall pressure in the primary cooling loop. Use slider, input, or nudge buttons for fine control.

Pressure Trend Graph: Shows the primary pressure over the last 30 seconds, indicating the current trend.

Note: Maintaining primary pressure within the safe operating range of 140-170 Bar is critical. Pressure below 140 Bar or above 170 Bar will cause the primary coolant to boil off, risking a loss-of-coolant accident and subsequent core meltdown.

Steam Pressure Tank: Visualizes the pressure in the secondary loop, generated by heat transfer in the Steam Generator (SG).

Feedwater Flow: This is the rate at which water is pumped from the Feedwater Tank to the Steam Generator. The tank itself is refilled by the Condenser. A cooler, more efficient condenser will fill the tank faster, ensuring a steady supply for the pumps.

Bypass Valve: When enabled, this system automatically manages steam pressure by dumping excess steam to the condenser. It targets a stable pressure of **70 Bar**. The 'Bypass Amount' slider provides a manual override if needed. This is crucial for stability during startup and load changes.

Note: Excessively high steam pressure (above 100 Bar) will cause a system failure.

Schematic: Visualizes the flow path. Primary loop (Pink) transfers heat from Reactor Vessel (RV) to Steam Generator (SG). Secondary loop (Cyan) takes steam from SG to Turbine (T), then Condenser (C), and back to SG.

Condenser & Ejector: The condenser must maintain a strong vacuum to efficiently draw steam from the turbine. Air leaks degrade this vacuum. The Air Ejector removes this air but its health degrades with use. A poor vacuum or a failed ejector will significantly reduce power output. Replace the ejector when OFFLINE via its maintenance button.

Feedwater Tank: This tank holds the water produced by the condenser. The secondary pumps (P2A/P2B) draw from this tank to supply the Steam Generator.

Tertiary Cooling Flow: Controls the flow of external cooling water to the Condenser. This is essential for turning steam back into feedwater. A cooler condenser also makes it easier to maintain a vacuum.

Pumps (P1A, P1B): Primary coolant pumps. At least one must be ON for the 'Coolant Flow' slider to function and for heat transfer to occur.

Pumps (P2A, P2B): Secondary loop feedwater pumps. These pumps move water from the Feedwater Tank to the Steam Generator. At least one must be ON to create steam.

Pump (P-BU): Backup pump, connected via redundant piping (Purple Dashed). Can potentially replace failed primary or secondary pumps (Feature TBD).

Pump Controls: Allow manual toggling of pump ON/OFF status. Automation sequences will also control pumps.

Turbine Bays: The turbine hall contains four bays. Each bay can be fitted with a turbine generator. Initially empty, turbines must be purchased and installed into a bay.

Throttle & RPM: Each turbine has its own throttle, which controls the main steam valve admitting steam to the turbine. When disconnected from the grid, the throttle controls the turbine's target speed (RPM). When connected, the grid locks the RPM to 1800, and the throttle controls power output.

Stress & Health: Pushing a turbine above **3000 RPM** causes stress, degrading its health and reducing power efficiency. A turbine at 0% health will fail and must be replaced.

Maintenance: Turbines can be repaired when the reactor is OFFLINE, which restores current health but slightly reduces maximum potential health. A full replacement using a spare assembly restores the turbine to 100% and is required for a failed unit.

Energy Storage: When generation exceeds grid demand, the excess is stored. When grid demand exceeds generation, stored energy is automatically discharged to the grid to make up the shortfall, increasing your revenue.

Storage Warning: If the energy storage is full, any further excess power you generate will cause the storage unit to heat up. If its temperature becomes critical, it will fail, permanently damaging its capacity.

Note: The turbine requires sufficient steam pressure (60+ Bar) and a strong condenser vacuum to operate efficiently. Actual power sold to the grid is the sum of your generator's output and any power discharged from storage, capped by grid demand.

Synchroscope: This instrument is used to safely connect the plant's generator to the external electrical grid. Power can only be sold when connected.

Grid Demand: The electrical grid has a fluctuating demand for power. You only earn money for the power the grid accepts. Any excess power you generate is sent to Energy Storage, if available.

Procedure: To connect, the generator's frequency and phase must match the grid's. Use the Turbine Throttle to adjust the turbine speed to **1800 RPM**, which produces a 60 Hz frequency. The "Close Breaker" button should only be pressed when the frequency is matched and the synchroscope needle is stationary at the 12 o'clock position.

Grid Lock: Once connected, the massive inertia of the electrical grid will lock the generator's speed at exactly 1800 RPM. The operator's focus then shifts from managing RPM to managing power output using the throttle.

Daily Maintenance: At the start of each new day, a fixed maintenance cost is deducted from your operator funds. This represents ongoing expenses such as staffing, security, and site upkeep.

System Log: Records major events, warnings, errors, and status changes with timestamps. The top line shows transient automation status.

Admin Override: Immediately cancels any running automated sequence (Startup/Shutdown) and enables manual control. Use with caution.

Disconnect Grid: Simulates an instant loss of external load by setting the Turbine Throttle to 0%. Requires immediate operator action to prevent reactor or steam system overpressure.

Force Open Breaker: Forcibly disconnects the generator from the grid without altering other systems. Use if the standard disconnect is unresponsive.

Startup Sequence: Initiates an automated multi-phase process to bring the reactor from OFFLINE to a stable low-power ONLINE state.

Take Offline: Initiates an automated sequence to safely shut down the reactor and cool the systems to an OFFLINE state.

SCRAM: Emergency shutdown. Instantly inserts all control rods and trips the turbine. Initiates an automated cooldown.

Restart System: Resets the entire simulation to the initial cold, dark state. Available after Meltdown, Steam Failure, or completed Shutdown.

Status Display (Header): Shows the current overall state of the reactor (e.g., OFFLINE, ONLINE, MELTDOWN).

Reactivity Display (Header): Indicates the state of the nuclear chain reaction. The core becomes 'Critical' (self-sustaining) between 300-315°C. The optimal operating temperature for power generation is around 450°C.