Header

Deuterium Synthesizer

Deuterium Synthesizer

The Deuterium Synthesizer extracts heavy hydrogen from planetary water sources for use as fuel and in advanced research.

Overview

Property Value
Type Production Building
Produces Deuterium
Requires Energy
Prerequisites None

Description

Deuterium is a heavy isotope of hydrogen, extracted through complex molecular separation. It serves as the primary fuel for spacecraft and is essential for advanced research. Production efficiency depends heavily on planetary temperature and position - colder planets produce significantly more deuterium.

Production

Deuterium production is affected by both planet temperature and position in the solar system. These bonuses stack multiplicatively.

Base Formula

Production = 100 * Level * 1.1^Level * Temperature Modifier * Position Bonus * Universe Speed * Production Factor

Production Factor drops when your energy is negative.

Temperature Modifier

Temperature Modifier = (2.0 - 0.00321 * (MaxTemp + 130))

Deuterium production decreases linearly with temperature. Colder planets produce more deuterium.

Temperature Modifier
-130°C 2.00x (maximum)
-40°C 1.71x
0°C 1.58x
65°C 1.37x
100°C 1.26x
150°C 1.10x
200°C 0.94x
260°C 0.75x (minimum)

Position Bonus

Planet position affects production based on typical temperature zones:

Position Bonus Notes
1 0.75x Hot inner planet
2 0.88x
3 1.00x
4 1.16x
5 1.19x
6 1.23x
7 1.26x
8 1.29x
9 1.33x
10 1.36x
11 1.39x
12 1.43x
13 1.56x
14 1.68x
15 2.00x Optimal - cold outer planet

Production Table

Base production at Level 10 (before modifiers): 2,600/hour

Level Base/Hour At Optimal (4x)
1 110 440
2 250 1,000
3 400 1,600
4 590 2,360
5 810 3,240
6 1,070 4,280
7 1,370 5,480
8 1,720 6,880
9 2,130 8,520
10 2,600 10,400
15 6,270 25,080
20 13,460 53,840

"At Optimal" assumes position 15 (2.00x) + temperature -130°C (2.00x) = 4.00x total

Construction Costs

Formula

Metal = 225 * 1.5^(Level - 1)
Crystal = 75 * 1.5^(Level - 1)

Cost Table

Level Metal Crystal
1 225 75
2 338 113
3 506 169
4 759 253
5 1,139 380
10 8,638 2,879
15 65,476 21,825
20 496,359 165,453

Energy Consumption

Formula

Energy = 20 * Level * 1.1^Level

Double the energy consumption of Metal/Crystal mines at the same level. Plan your energy infrastructure accordingly.

Strategy

Optimal Planets

For maximum deuterium production, look for:

  • Position 14-15 - Best position bonuses (up to 2.00x)
  • Low temperature - Best temperature bonus (up to 2.00x)
  • Combined optimal: up to 4.00x base production

Upgrade Priority

Deuterium Synthesizer is typically 4 levels below Metal Mine:

  • Metal Mine: Level 15
  • Crystal Mine: Level 13
  • Deuterium Synthesizer: Level 11

Planet Specialization

For maximum deuterium:

  1. Choose position 14-15 (coldest)
  2. Focus synth upgrades on that planet
  3. Transport deuterium to other planets

Fuel Management

Deuterium is consumed by:

  • Fleet missions (fuel)
  • Research projects
  • Fusion Reactors (energy production)
  • Sensor Phalanx scans

Plan your consumption carefully to avoid running dry.

Optimization Tips

  1. Cold planets - Massive production bonus on outer positions
  2. Energy intensive - Ensure power supply before upgrading
  3. Balance with usage - Don't overproduce if not needed early
  4. Late game critical - Large fleets need lots of fuel

Comparison to Other Mines

Aspect Metal Crystal Deuterium
Base Production 300 200 100
Cost Growth 1.5x 1.6x 1.5x
Energy Cost 10x 10x 20x
Best Position 9 (middle) 1 (inner) 15 (outer)
Best Temperature 65°C 260°C (hot) -130°C (cold)

Related Buildings