Lightning Rod (GregTech 4)

Lightning Rod
Name	Lightning Rod
Source Mod	GregTech 4
ID Name	gregtech_addon:4059:102
Type	Block
Stackable	Yes (64)
Blast Resistance	30.0
Hardness	10.0
Solid	Yes
Transparent	Yes
Affected by Gravity	No
Emits Light	No
Flammable	No
Drops	Machine Parts (1)
Required Tool

A Lightning Rod is a device which converts the power of lightning into usable EU. One lightning bolt will instantly be converted to 25 million EU, which is emitted at 8,192 EU/t, split between the Rod's four sides.

To increase the chance of a lightning strike, Iron Fences have to be put on top of the Lightning Rod. The longer the Iron Fence structure, the higher the chance for the Lightning Rod to be struck. Only the length, not the height at which it is built, affects the probability of a strike.^[1] Thus, a Lightning Rod placed at bedrock with a structure of Iron Fences stretching to the build limit will be the most effective design. Building a lightning rod “net” will not make it more likely for a power generating bolt to strike.

Energy[edit]

Out of all machines, only the Matter Fabricator can receive power directly from a Lightning Rod. For others, HV-Transformers should be used.

The Lightning Rod distributes EU evenly to all sides. If only one Matter Fabricator were to be connected, it would receive 8,192 EU/t. Two will receive 4,096 EU/t each, three 2,730 EU/t, and four will receive 2,048 EU/t each.^[2] If it is necessary to convert power down to HV, then one must use four HV Transformers for maximum throughput, as this will properly transform the packets and keep up with the 8,192 EU/t output rate, as each HV Transformer has a throughput rate of 2,048 EU/t.

The Lightning Rod has a maximum internal storage of 100,000,000 EU. Each bolt of lightning that strikes it will fill the internal storage by 25,000,000 EU, discarding anything over the maximum storage.^[3] This means that a lightning rod has enough storage capacity for no more than 4 strikes, making it very important to drain this EU as fast as possible. If the Lightning Rod is constantly outputting power at max speed, it will take the Rod just over ten minutes for it to completely discharge the 100,000,000 EU, or over 152 seconds to discharge one lightning strike worth of EU.

During thunderstorms, the lightning generator rolls the dice every 12.8 seconds for a lightning strike:

The chance for a strike on a lightning rod at layer 5 with an antenna of 250 blocks tall is about 6.1%.
The chance for a strike on a lightning rod at layer 64 with an antenna of 190 blocks tall is about 4.6%.

It is also possible for the Lightning Rod to generate electricity via during normal rain, instead of just during thunderstorms. However, the rod must be at least 128 blocks tall for this to function at all, and even if it is 128 blocks tall or greater, it will function at 10% efficiency during rain as compared to thunderstorms.^[4]

Compatibility[edit]

The Lightning Rod cannot catch lightning strikes generated as Thaumcraft 3 flux effects. It can, however, catch lightning from thunderstorms generated as flux effects.

Lightning from Bees with the "lightning" effect as an active gene cannot be utilized by the Lightning Rod, since it only operates during true thunderstorms, and this effect only creates lightning bolts without changing the game to be raining, which the Lightning Rod depends on.

Whereas a Mystcraft age with the Charged symbol will not increase the frequency of lightning strikes and may not cause any at all, as with the above, a Mystcraft age with the Eternal Weather or the Eternal Storm symbol will. The Eternal Storm symbol will be the most effective, as whereas Eternal Weather creates a permanent rainstorm, Eternal Storm creates a permanent thunderstorm, during which the rod works at maximum efficiency.