Coolant - Revision history

Froggx: It is not possible for pollutants to have both a "somewhat narrow liquid range" and a "very wide liquid range" for reasons that should be obvious. I chose to replace "somewhat narrow liquid range" with "below average latent heat" (I calculated average latent heat among all gasses/liquids to be 3940 j/mol and pollutant has roughly half that).

2026-07-31T21:48:56Z

It is not possible for pollutants to have both a "somewhat narrow liquid range" and a "very wide liquid range" for reasons that should be obvious. I chose to replace "somewhat narrow liquid range" with "below average latent heat" (I calculated average latent heat among all gasses/liquids to be 3940 j/mol and pollutant has roughly half that).

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:48, 31 July 2026
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	From a raw specific heat perspective, [[Silanol]] has highest readily available ([[Sodium Chloride]] has higher, but is much more difficult to acquire, being only partially implemented at this time, and is only useful in very high temperature applications). In addition, it has a very wide liquid range (-130°C to 550°C), making it very effective in cooling setups that require a broad temperature range. However, it is difficult to acquire (being available only from medium and large liquids traders, and rocket mining), and has a quite low density in liquid form (only 6.25 moles per litre, compared to 55.6 for water), limiting its usefulness as a coolant. Other good options include:		From a raw specific heat perspective, [[Silanol]] has highest readily available ([[Sodium Chloride]] has higher, but is much more difficult to acquire, being only partially implemented at this time, and is only useful in very high temperature applications). In addition, it has a very wide liquid range (-130°C to 550°C), making it very effective in cooling setups that require a broad temperature range. However, it is difficult to acquire (being available only from medium and large liquids traders, and rocket mining), and has a quite low density in liquid form (only 6.25 moles per litre, compared to 55.6 for water), limiting its usefulness as a coolant. Other good options include:

	* [[Pollutant]]s - Relatively mediocre from a statistics perspective (mid-range specific heat, ~~somewhat narrow liquid range~~), but are very easy to acquire (most combustion reactions create them) and are otherwise essentially useless. Note that they has a very wide liquid range (-99.8°C to 161°C), are quite prone to condensing when pressurized in gas pipes, and ''require'' a fairly high pressure (~3.6 MPa at 20°C, versus the maximum 6 MPa for liquid pipes) to keep them in liquid form, so dealing with unwanted phase changing is a common issue when using pollutants as coolant.		* [[Pollutant]]s - Relatively mediocre from a statistics perspective (mid-range specific heat, below average latent heat), but are very easy to acquire (most combustion reactions create them) and are otherwise essentially useless. Note that they has a very wide liquid range (-99.8°C to 161°C), are quite prone to condensing when pressurized in gas pipes and ''require'' a fairly high pressure (~3.6 MPa at 20°C, versus the maximum 6 MPa for liquid pipes) to keep them in liquid form, so dealing with unwanted phase changing is a common issue when using pollutants as coolant.
	* [[Carbon Dioxide]] - Has the highest specific heat of the fluids that are gases at room temperature and are relatively easy to acquire. Unfortunately, also has an unusually high condensation point amongst said commonly-available gases, and has an extremely narrow liquid range before freezing in pipes, limiting its usefulness as a coolant to higher-temperature use-cases, or to very specific temperature ranges in liquid form.		* [[Carbon Dioxide]] - Has the highest specific heat of the fluids that are gases at room temperature and are relatively easy to acquire. Unfortunately, also has an unusually high condensation point amongst said commonly-available gases, and has an extremely narrow liquid range before freezing in pipes, limiting its usefulness as a coolant to higher-temperature use-cases, or to very specific temperature ranges in liquid form.
	* [[Water]] - Has a very high specific heat (72, third highest amongst the available fluids in the game, behind only [[Sodium Chloride]] and [[Silanol]] and a fairly wide liquid range, but also has a number of other important uses (including [[Thirst\|drinking it]]), can be difficult to acquire on some worlds, and can be difficult to manage due to how little pressure is required to start condensing it at room temperature.		* [[Water]] - Has a very high specific heat (72, third highest amongst the available fluids in the game, behind only [[Sodium Chloride]] and [[Silanol]] and a fairly wide liquid range, but also has a number of other important uses (including [[Thirst\|drinking it]]), can be difficult to acquire on some worlds, and can be difficult to manage due to how little pressure is required to start condensing it at room temperature.

Kaedys: Fixed template

2026-07-13T23:10:43Z

Fixed template

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:10, 13 July 2026
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	\| name = Coolant		\| name = Coolant
	\| image = [[File:Icon-coolant.png]]		\| image = [[File:Icon-coolant.png]]
	\| heatCapacity =~~20.4 to 130 Joule / mol~~		\| heatCapacity = Varies
			\| Autoigntemp = Varies

	}}		}}

Kaedys: Expanded with new Gases Update compounds. Greatly expanded details on coolant selection and usage

2026-07-13T23:09:41Z

Expanded with new Gases Update compounds. Greatly expanded details on coolant selection and usage

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:09, 13 July 2026
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	\| name = Coolant		\| name = Coolant
	\| image = [[File:Icon-coolant.png]]		\| image = [[File:Icon-coolant.png]]
	\| heatCapacity =20.4 to ~~101~~ Joule / mol		\| heatCapacity =20.4 to 130 Joule / mol

	}}		}}
	== Description ==		== Description ==
	Coolant is a [[~~Gas~~]] in a [[~~Pipes~~\|pipe]] ~~network~~ that is ~~being~~ used as ~~a medium~~ for ~~transferring heat~~.		Coolant is a [[gas]] or liquid being used as a medium to transfer heat, typically in order to maintain temperature in a room or cool a heat-generating machine. This can be done as simply as placing the gas or liquid in uninsulated pipes in a pressurized environment, but can be augmented through more active means, such as [[Medium Radiator\|Radiators]] or [[Air Conditioner]] units, or by directly thermally linking two pipe networks, such as using a [[Kit (Large Direct Heat Exchanger)\|Heat Eexchanger]]. This is especially vital for machines that generate heat but require a cooler environment to function, such as [[Gas Fuel Generator]]s and [[Stirling Engine]]s, and is also important for maintaining the temperature of rooms used as living spaces or for growing plants.

	== Types of Coolant ==		== Types of Coolant ==
	[[~~Silanol~~]] is the ~~most effective~~ coolant, ~~however~~ it is ~~hard~~ to ~~find~~, making the ~~more abundant~~ [[Carbon Dioxide]] a ~~more preferable~~ coolant.		The choice of coolant comes down to several factors. The ''specific heat'' of the fluid, which can be found in the [[Stationpedia]], indicates how much ''energy'' (in joules) it takes to heat a specific quantity of the fluid by 1 degree (Kelvin or Celsius). The higher the specific heat of the fluid, the more energy it can absorb before rising too much in temperature to be useful, so fluids with a higher specific heat are often better coolants.

			Liquids almost invariably have superior energy storage density compared to gases, but can be more difficult to work with due to phase change mechanics. For example, liquid [[Pollutant]]s have 25 moles per litre, meaning a single 10L pipe segment can hold up to 250 moles of liquid pollutants. To pack that much gaseous pollutants into a single 10L pipe segment, assuming the gas is at 20°C, it would need to be at a pressure of ~61 MPa, which is more than gas pipes are capable of supporting. However, the lower density the liquid, the lower pressure the gaseous form would need to be at to match. Silanol has a liquid density of only 6.25 moles per litre, meaning gaseous Silanol would only need to be at a pressure of ~15 MPa to match.

			When using either liquids or gases as a coolant, it is important to remain aware of the phase change thresholds for the fluid. Not only does phase changing change the temperature of the fluid, impairing coolant efficiency, but it can very easily break pipe networks. Gas pipes are put under stress when liquids are present in them, ultimately rupturing if too much liquid accumulates, and liquid pipes have 1/10th the maximum gas pressure limit as gas pipes, potentially causing liquid pipes to burst if too much of the liquid boils off. Both types of pipes break instantly if the fluid in them freezes. As such, selection of coolant relies heavily on the temperature band one is working with. While [[Carbon Dioxide]] can be a solid coolant, its relatively high condensation point (as high as -6.8°C) and freezing point (-55.3°C) make it ill-suited for working in low-temperature environments and cooling situations.

			From a raw specific heat perspective, [[Silanol]] has highest readily available ([[Sodium Chloride]] has higher, but is much more difficult to acquire, being only partially implemented at this time, and is only useful in very high temperature applications). In addition, it has a very wide liquid range (-130°C to 550°C), making it very effective in cooling setups that require a broad temperature range. However, it is difficult to acquire (being available only from medium and large liquids traders, and rocket mining), and has a quite low density in liquid form (only 6.25 moles per litre, compared to 55.6 for water), limiting its usefulness as a coolant. Other good options include:

			* [[Pollutant]]s - Relatively mediocre from a statistics perspective (mid-range specific heat, somewhat narrow liquid range), but are very easy to acquire (most combustion reactions create them) and are otherwise essentially useless. Note that they has a very wide liquid range (-99.8°C to 161°C), are quite prone to condensing when pressurized in gas pipes, and ''require'' a fairly high pressure (~3.6 MPa at 20°C, versus the maximum 6 MPa for liquid pipes) to keep them in liquid form, so dealing with unwanted phase changing is a common issue when using pollutants as coolant.
			* [[Carbon Dioxide]] - Has the highest specific heat of the fluids that are gases at room temperature and are relatively easy to acquire. Unfortunately, also has an unusually high condensation point amongst said commonly-available gases, and has an extremely narrow liquid range before freezing in pipes, limiting its usefulness as a coolant to higher-temperature use-cases, or to very specific temperature ranges in liquid form.
			* [[Water]] - Has a very high specific heat (72, third highest amongst the available fluids in the game, behind only [[Sodium Chloride]] and [[Silanol]] and a fairly wide liquid range, but also has a number of other important uses (including [[Thirst\|drinking it]]), can be difficult to acquire on some worlds, and can be difficult to manage due to how little pressure is required to start condensing it at room temperature.
			* [[Hydrogen]] or [[Helium]] - Jave fairly poor specific heat (~21 J/K), but can be used as a gaseous coolant even at very low temperatures (in the case of Helium, it never changes phase and cannot exist as a liquid), making them good options for coolant cryogenic cooling setups, such as condensing [[Oxygen]] for use with a liquid-fueled rocket engine.
			* [[Nitrogen]] - Has a similarly poor specific heat, but has a fairly low max liquid temperature (-83.1°C), is generally quite readily available (being found in both Nitrice and as a combustion output when using [[Nitrous Oxide\|NOS]] as an oxidizer)), doesn't have as many other uses as some other fluids, and is inert from a combustion perspective.

	{\| class="wikitable sortable"		{\| class="wikitable sortable"
	\|-		\|-
	! Name !! Specific Heat		! Name !! Specific Heat !! Fluid Density (mol/L) !! Max liquid temp (°C) !! Freezing temp (°C) !! Notes
			\|-
			\| [[Oxygen]] (O<sub>2</sub>) \|\| 21.1 \|\| 33.3 \|\| -111°C \|\| -217°C \|\|
			\|-
			\| [[Nitrogen]] (N) \|\| 20.6 \|\| 28.7 \|\| -83.1°C \|\| -233°C \|\|
			\|-
			\| [[Hydrogen]] (H<sub>2</sub>) \|\| 20.4 \|\| 35.7 \|\| -203°C \|\| -258°C \|\| Lowest condensation and freezing point of any phase-changing fluid.
			\|-
			\| [[Methane]] (CH<sub>4</sub>) \|\| 20.4 \|\| 25 \|\| -78.1°C \|\| -192°C \|\|
			\|-
			\| [[Pollutant]] (POL) \|\| 24.8 \|\| 25 \|\| 161°C \|\| -99.8°C \|\| Cannot condense at standard pressure, requires at least 1.8 MPa.
			\|-
			\| [[Carbon Dioxide]] (CO<sub>2</sub>) \|\| 28.2 \|\| 25 \|\| -6.8°C \|\| -55.3°C \|\| Cannot condense at standard pressure, requires at least 517 kPa.
			\|-
			\| [[Water]] (H<sub>2</sub>O) \|\| 72 \|\| 55.6 \|\| 371°C \|\| 0°C \|\| Highest liquid density of any fluid in the game (tied with Polluted Water)
			\|-
			\| [[Polluted Water]] (PW) \|\| 64 \|\| 55.6 \|\| 361°C \|\| 3°C \|\| Highest liquid density of any fluid in the game (tied with regular Water)
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[~~Oxygen~~]] (O<sub>2</sub>) \|\| 21.1		\| [[Nitrous Oxide]] (N<sub>2</sub>O) \|\| 37.2 \|\| 38.5 \|\| 158°C \|\| -21.7°C \|\| Cannot condense at standard pressure, requires at least 800 kPa.
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[~~Nitrogen~~]] (N) \|\| 20.6		\| [[Ozone]] (O<sub>3</sub>) \|\| 38.6 \|\| 38.5 \|\| 31.5°C \|\| -222°C \|\|
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[~~Volatiles~~]] (~~VOL~~) \|\| 20.4		\| [[Silanol]] (SiOH) \|\| 101 \|\| 6.25 \|\| 550°C \|\| -130°C \|\| Lowest liquid density of any fluid in the game, by a significant margin.
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[~~Pollutant~~]] (~~POL~~) \|\| 24.8		\| [[Hydrazine]] (N<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>) \|\| 48.4 \|\| 33.3 \|\| 248°C \|\| -26.9°C \|\| Extremely toxic. Auto-combusts with itself at 247.7°C, resulting in pure Pollutants.
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[~~Carbon Dioxide~~]] (~~CO<sub>2</sub>~~) \|\| 28.2		\| [[Alcohol]] (ALC) \|\| 33 \|\| 17.2 \|\| 150°C \|\| -41.5°C \|\| Only exists as a liquid, evaporates into Methane.
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[~~Water]] or [[Polluted Water~~]] (~~H<sub>2<~~/~~sub>O)~~ \|\| 72		\| [[Helium]] (He) \|\| 20.8 \|\| N/A \|\| N/A \|\| N/A \|\| Only exists as a gas, cannot phase change.
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[~~Nitrous Oxide~~]] (~~N<sub>2</sub>O~~) \|\| 37.2		\| [[Hydrochloric Acid]] (HCl) \|\| 37 \|\| 35.7 \|\| 158°C \|\| -25.9°C \|\| Extremely toxic.
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[~~Silanol~~]] (~~SiOH~~) \|\| ~~101~~		\| [[Sodium Chloride]] (NaCl) \|\| 130 \|\| 25 \|\| 2526°C \|\| 333°C \|\| Only exists as a liquid, evaporates into Pollutant. Highest max liquid temperature and specific heat of any fluid. Freezes into [[Salt]].
	\|}		\|}

GoldIDm: Corrected max Joule/Mol of Coolant

2026-03-27T09:06:09Z

Corrected max Joule/Mol of Coolant

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:06, 27 March 2026
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	\| name = Coolant		\| name = Coolant
	\| image = [[File:Icon-coolant.png]]		\| image = [[File:Icon-coolant.png]]
	\| heatCapacity =20.4 to 72 Joule / mol		\| heatCapacity =20.4 to 101 Joule / mol

	}}		}}

GoldIDm at 09:05, 27 March 2026

2026-03-27T09:05:20Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:05, 27 March 2026
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	== Types of Coolant ==		== Types of Coolant ==
	[[~~Water~~]] ~~(specifically, steam)~~ is the most effective coolant, however it is ~~harder~~ to find, making the more abundant [[Carbon Dioxide]] a more preferable coolant.		[[Silanol]] is the most effective coolant, however it is hard to find, making the more abundant [[Carbon Dioxide]] a more preferable coolant.

	{\| class="wikitable sortable"		{\| class="wikitable sortable"

Taparu: /* Types of Coolant */ Added Silanol to chart

2026-03-21T23:57:55Z

Types of Coolant: Added Silanol to chart

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:57, 21 March 2026
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	\| [[Nitrous Oxide]] (N<sub>2</sub>O) \|\| 37.2		\| [[Nitrous Oxide]] (N<sub>2</sub>O) \|\| 37.2
	\|-		\|-
			\| [[Silanol]] (SiOH) \|\| 101
	\|}		\|}

Evilkeeper: fixed heat capacity range

2025-10-21T13:50:07Z

fixed heat capacity range

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:50, 21 October 2025
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	\| name = Coolant		\| name = Coolant
	\| image = [[File:Icon-coolant.png]]		\| image = [[File:Icon-coolant.png]]
	\| heatCapacity =24.8 to 72 Joule / mol		\| heatCapacity =20.4 to 72 Joule / mol

	}}		}}

Evilkeeper: update list of coolants to include every gas/liquid

2025-10-21T08:29:08Z

update list of coolants to include every gas/liquid

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:29, 21 October 2025
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	== Types of Coolant ==		== Types of Coolant ==
	[[Water]] (specifically, steam) is the most effective coolant, however it is harder to find, making the more abundant [[~~Pollutant~~]] a more preferable coolant.		[[Water]] (specifically, steam) is the most effective coolant, however it is harder to find, making the more abundant [[Carbon Dioxide]] a more preferable coolant.

	{\| class="wikitable sortable"		{\| class="wikitable sortable"
	\|-		\|-
	! Name !! ~~Molar~~ Heat ~~Capacity~~		! Name !! Specific Heat
			\|-
			\| [[Oxygen]] (O<sub>2</sub>) \|\| 21.1
			\|-
			\| [[Nitrogen]] (N) \|\| 20.6
			\|-
			\| [[Volatiles]] (VOL) \|\| 20.4
			\|-
			\| [[Pollutant]] (POL) \|\| 24.8
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[Carbon Dioxide]] (CO<sub>2</sub>) \|\| 28.2		\| [[Carbon Dioxide]] (CO<sub>2</sub>) \|\| 28.2
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[~~Pollutant~~]] (X) \|\| ~~24.8~~		\| [[Water]] or [[Polluted Water]] (H<sub>2</sub>O) \|\| 72
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[~~Water~~]] (H<sub>2</sub>O) \|\| 72		\| [[Nitrous Oxide]] (N<sub>2</sub>O) \|\| 37.2
	\|-		\|-
	\|}		\|}

Starviking: Added an icon for coolant

2024-08-05T07:38:21Z

Added an icon for coolant

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:38, 5 August 2024
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			{{Fluidbox
			\| name = Coolant
			\| image = [[File:Icon-coolant.png]]
			\| heatCapacity =24.8 to 72 Joule / mol

			}}
	== Description ==		== Description ==
	Coolant is a [[Gas]] in a [[Pipes\|pipe]] network that is being used as a medium for transferring heat.		Coolant is a [[Gas]] in a [[Pipes\|pipe]] network that is being used as a medium for transferring heat.

Wildlore at 19:19, 6 May 2024

2024-05-06T19:19:21Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:19, 6 May 2024
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	= Description =		== Description ==
	Coolant is a [[Gas]] in a [[Pipes\|pipe]] network that is being used as a medium for transferring heat.		Coolant is a [[Gas]] in a [[Pipes\|pipe]] network that is being used as a medium for transferring heat.

	= Types of Coolant =		== Types of Coolant ==
	[[Water]] (specifically, steam) is the most effective coolant, however it is harder to find, making the more abundant [[Pollutant]] a more preferable coolant.		[[Water]] (specifically, steam) is the most effective coolant, however it is harder to find, making the more abundant [[Pollutant]] a more preferable coolant.

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	\|}		\|}

	= See Also =		== See Also ==
	* [[Air Conditioner]]		* [[Air Conditioner]]
	* [[Wall Cooler]]		* [[Wall Cooler]]
			{{:Gases and Liquids/Menu}}
			[[Category:Gas]][[Category:Liquid]]