Ignite the reactor and sync the turbines

Use this after you can join Reactor Operations: 8,000 XP on Logistical Operations, or the 400 Robux gamepass. A Shift Manager or Plant Director must authorize startup. Only one Shift Manager is allowed, and that player is removed from the role when the shift ends.

Before you press ignition

The community reactor guide says not to authorize startup unless all of these are true:

• Coolant pumps, feedwater pumps, and the feedwater valve are on.
• Reactor water level is 100 percent.
• No hostile players are already inside the facility.
• The external grid is available, and the grid is on the external configuration.

Feedwater is the system you do not use as a heat button. Keep the feedwater valve open. Keep each pump just under 80 percent utilization. Published setpoints are 79.5 percent and about 79.9 percent. Above 80 percent, turbine vibration rises and a feedwater pump can fail. Normal flow for one pump is given as 0.92. Below about 1,740 K the plant can lose one feedwater pump. Above that, losing one pump drops the water level quickly.

Ignition sequence

1. On the Shift Manager panel, turn on power orders and authorize ignition. Player shorthand for the authorization switch is Bravo 8.
2. Turn on the shutdown pumps, then press the reactor ignition button.
3. Leave the coolant pumps running, but turn the coolant valve off while temperature is climbing.
4. Set both turbine valves near 42.7 percent.
5. Once the core is ignited, around 650 K, move control rods to 55 percent. Q raises rods and E lowers them on the rod panel. Lower insertion means a hotter core. 0 percent is the fastest heat-up, about 11 K per second. 100 percent is the fastest cooldown, about 9 K per second. 55 percent is the stable point when fuel is above about 75 percent.
6. Near 1,415 K, turn the coolant valve back on and hold about 1,420 K.

A shorter role summary says to open the coolant valve before ignition. The longer procedure separates pumps (on the whole time) from the valve (off only during the climb). If the live panel labels do not match this sequence, follow the labels and the Shift Manager.

Synchronize both turbines

A turbine only exports power after it is synchronized. It can explode at 5,000 RPM while desynchronized, or when wear hits 0 percent if Plant Maintenance is on the server and not repairing it. A synced turbine sits at 3,000 RPM. It can trip if flow falls below 1.5.

1. Hold a stable temperature, rods at 55 percent, coolant and feedwater available, water at 100 percent, and fuel above about 76 percent.
2. Set the accelerator to S (slow) while the turbine is still desynchronized. F is fast and M is medium. The accelerator does nothing useful once the turbine is synced.
3. If RPM is under 2,700, set flow near 3.80. If RPM is over 3,300, set flow near 3.40.
4. Between 2,950 and 3,050 RPM, hold flow at 3.61. At about 1,420 K that flow is about 42.7 percent valve opening.
5. Between 2,990 and 3,010 RPM, press Synchronize when the synchroscope mark is at the top, on the green zone.
6. Use single plus or minus on the valve, not the double step, and keep both turbines near the same valve percent. That cuts vibration.

The lowest temperature cited for a successful sync is about 530 K. Sync both turbines as soon as you can. If the external transformers die, only synced turbines can carry the station.

After sync

Ask the Shift Manager to leave power orders on, then use the power-order guide. Do not change grids in the middle of an order unless the plant is actually losing power.