Solar Sail

End Product

Use the EM-Rail Ejector to launch a large number of solar sails to form Dyson Swarm, which can effectively obtain the radiant energy of stars.

Life		5400 s
Made In		Assembler
Hand-make		Replicator
Stack Size		200

2

4 s

1

Summary

Solar Sails are consumable items required to create a Dyson swarm. After the player has designed an orbit in the Dyson sphere editor, an EM-Rail Ejector can send Solar Sails into that orbit. The energy transmitted by Solar Sails can only be collected using a Ray Receiver. Additionally, once a Dyson shell is designed and enough Small Carrier Rockets have been launched, Solar Sails will automatically integrate into the Dyson shell.

Solar Sails have a limited lifespan of 5400s (1.5h). This can be upgraded to up to 9000s (2.5h) by researching the Solar Sail Life upgrades. Once a Solar Sail becomes part of a Dyson shell, its lifespan becomes indefinite.

The energy generated by a Solar Sail depends on the star's luminosity. Unlike real life, the energy generated does not depend on the distance from the star. Around a star with a luminosity of 1.0, a single Solar Sail generates 36 kW. Each structure point in the Dyson shell yields 96 kW, and each solar cell yields ~15 kW of power (both multiplied by luminosity).

A single EM-Rail Ejector firing continuously can maintain a maximum of 1800 Solar Sails in orbit with their default lifespan of 5400s. Around a star with a luminosity of 1.0, this generates 64.8 MW.

Production Chain

Recipe	Building	Replicator?	Technology
2 4 s 1 1		✔

Total Raw Materials

Costs per 4 sails:

Using Fire Ice (also produces 2 hydrogen):

2

1

12

2

Using Sulfuric Acid:

2

1

12

6

1

Using Oil and Water (also produces 0.75 hydrogen):

2

1

14

6

1.5

1

Using Grating Crystal and Fire Ice (also produces 2 hydrogen):

2

1

2

Used In

Recipe	Building	Replicator?	Technology
1 8 s 3 3 3		✔

Player Tips & Tricks

Since Solar Sails have a limited lifespan, the power generation of a Dyson swarm is dependent on the rate that Solar Sails are launched. If Solar Sails are not produced and launched faster than they expire, the number of Solar Sails in the Dyson swarm will gradually dwindle until it is balanced with the current launching rate. This equation determines how many Solar Sails much be produced and launched per minute in order to produce a certain stable amount of power: Solar Sails Per Minute = ( Target Power ) / (Lifetime of Solar Sail * Star Luminosity * 600)

For instance, to produce 50MW (or 50,000,000 W) around a star with 0.75 luminosity without any Solar Sail Life upgrades, a total of (50,000,000) / (5400 * 0.75 * 600) = 20.57 Solar Sails must be produced and launched per minute (about 1 per 3 seconds).