Sandustry Steam Turbine Guide: Energy and Depleted Steam
Each Steam pixel processed by a Steam Turbine produces 10 Energy and Depleted Steam. The turbine must reach a non-full battery through an Energy Connector. Send Depleted Steam to a Condenser to recover Water, and keep it separate from ordinary Steam because it does not create rain.
On this page
Understand the machine's job before placing it
The Steam Turbine combines a material route and an electrical route. Steam must reach the machine, and generated Energy must have a connected destination that is not already full. Checking only one side leads to common false diagnoses: visible Steam does not prove the turbine can export power.
Its material output is Depleted Steam rather than ordinary Steam. That distinction preserves the cost of generation. Route the depleted product deliberately instead of returning it to a chamber that expects rain-producing Steam.
Follow the documented input and output rules
The official turbine page states that one Steam pixel produces 10 Energy and one Depleted Steam. It also requires connection through an Energy Connector to a battery with free capacity. A full or disconnected battery stops useful conversion even when the intake looks supplied.
A Condenser turns Depleted Steam into Water. The official page warns that Depleted Steam cannot become rain, so do not copy a normal Steam rain collector for this output. Keep the two gas streams identifiable until they reach their intended destinations.
Build a serviceable layout
Place a visible Steam intake above or beside the documented receiving area, connect the turbine to a dedicated test battery, and give Depleted Steam a clear route to the Condenser. Add Water collection below the condenser with enough space to prevent backup.
Keep an Energy Connector visible and avoid hiding it behind another system during commissioning. Separate the test battery from a large network at first. A small battery makes energy gain easy to observe; once the ratio and flow are confirmed, connect the module to the wider grid.
Diagnose the first failed boundary
If Steam is present but energy does not rise, check the connector, battery path, and free capacity before changing the gas route. If energy rises but stops early, compare battery state with Steam inventory. A full battery is an output blockage, not an input shortage.
If Depleted Steam accumulates, inspect the route to the Condenser and the Water destination. If expected rain never appears, confirm that the gas is Depleted Steam; its inability to form rain is documented behavior. Use condensation for recovery.
Apply the v0.5.6 version notes
The official v0.5.6 announcement does not state a turbine ratio change, so the current wiki value of 10 Energy per Steam remains the documented basis. Still label measurements v0.5.6 because power supply from Voltblubs and connected factory demand changed around the same update.
Update #3 boosts general Voltblub output without publishing an exact new rate. When comparing turbine and critter-assisted power, measure both on the same version and observation interval. Do not remove the turbine because a temporary petted-creature boost fills a small battery.
Field facts
| Input | 1 Steam pixel |
|---|---|
| Energy output | 10 Energy |
| Material output | Depleted Steam |
| Required connection | Energy Connector to a non-full battery |
Troubleshooting
- Steam reaches the turbine but Energy stays flat.
Trace the Energy Connector to a battery and confirm that battery has free capacity.
- Depleted Steam fills the output.
Clear the Condenser route and Water destination before reopening Steam input.
- Depleted Steam does not make rain.
That is expected. Send it through a Condenser to recover Water.
Frequently asked questions
How much Energy does a Steam Turbine make?
The official page documents 10 Energy for each Steam pixel processed.
Why is my Steam Turbine not working?
Check that Steam reaches the intake and that an Energy Connector reaches a non-full battery.
What does a Steam Turbine output besides Energy?
It outputs Depleted Steam.
Can Depleted Steam make rain?
No. Condense it into Water with a Condenser.
Sources
Official references used for this field guide.