Alpha
Module: HardHoof_Tech
Status: Implemented in source; in-game verification is not established by docs alone.
The Coal Generator is the first source for Hard-Hoof's 24 V DC electricity and wiring system. It turns coal fuel into usable power and stored energy for the Small Electronics Lab, Electronics Frame, and later electrical machines. Build it in the Machine Workshop from components made by the Coal-Powered Metal Former.
Workshop recipe
Arrange the following pattern on the workshop's 5 × 3 surface:
_ P _ P _
_ W G _ W
_ F G P _
| Symbol | Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
P |
Any #c:plates/iron item |
3 |
W |
Any #c:wires/copper item |
2 |
G |
Any #c:gears/iron item |
2 |
F |
Furnace | 1 |
_ |
Empty slot | — |
Taking the result produces one Coal Generator. Its item ID is hardhoof_tech:coal_generator. JEI lists this pattern in the Machine Workshop category.
Fuel, output, and storage
The generator has one fuel slot. Its screen accepts coal, charcoal, and coal blocks.
| Fuel | Active burn time |
|---|---|
| Coal | 80 seconds |
| Charcoal | 80 seconds |
| Coal block | 800 seconds |
The generator produces up to 96 W at 24 V DC and 4 A. Its internal buffer holds 96 J. Fuel burns while the generator is supplying a load or filling that buffer; burn time pauses once the buffer is full and there is no demand. Stored charge remains usable after active burning stops and is conserved across save and load.
The generator checks its connected network every five game ticks. Cable resistance and gauge limits can reduce the voltage or power that reaches a distant load. These values belong to Hard-Hoof's own paired-cable DC model; the generator is not a Forge Energy source.
Controls and connections
Open the generator to insert fuel and read its current voltage and current. The screen reports Supplying DC while current is flowing and Idle — no load otherwise. Looking at it with Jade shows output in watts, stored charge in joules, and—when details are enabled—voltage and current.
There are no configurable item or electrical side buttons. Place a continuous copper-wire route next to the generator and lead it to a machine's electrical input. The generator exposes its electrical source on every side, so the first wire may touch any face. See machine interfaces for how the receiving machine identifies its terminal.
Copper wire represents a paired supply and return cable. Wire gauges limit current and add resistance. Rubber can insulate energized wire; see Rubber for obtaining it and Electricity and Wiring for gauge selection, insulation, and connection rules.
If multiple enabled generators share one wire network, the network selects one owning source instead of adding their outputs together. A network traversal also stops at unloaded chunks and after its source scan limit.
First working example
- Build and place the generator.
- Place copper wire so it touches the generator and reaches the electrical input of a Small Electronics Lab.
- Put one coal or charcoal in the generator.
- Start valid work in the lab. The generator should report voltage and current and begin using fuel.
- Stop the load. The generator fills its 96 J reserve, then pauses with unused burn time preserved.
The circuits and gates system uses the lab and frame after this first power network is working.
Common failures
- Idle — no load: the connected machine is not requesting power, the route is broken, or the wire does not touch the machine's electrical terminal.
- Fuel present but no output: check that the fuel is coal, charcoal, or a coal block and that every wire block is in a loaded chunk.
- A machine receives too little power: shorten the route, use a higher wire gauge, or reduce simultaneous demand. Wire resistance and the narrowest gauge constrain delivery.
- A second generator appears inactive: only one source owns a connected multi-generator network. Separate the networks if two independent sources are required.
- Fuel seems to burn with no current: the generator may be charging its internal 96 J buffer. It pauses after the buffer is full.
- Exposed wire causes damage: disconnect it, use the touch-safe tier 1 gauge, or insulate the placed wire with rubber.