Exchangers
Thermal Exchangers reduce the overall heat generated from weapon attacks by a fixed percentage. Unlike Heat Sink components, Thermal Exchangers are not impacted by the surrounding environment.
Exchanger
| Manufacturer: | Generic |
|---|---|
| Tonnage: | 2 |
| Critical Slots: | 1 |
| Install Location: | Any |
| Value: | 360,000 |
| Gear ID: | Gear_HeatSink_Generic_Thermal-Exchanger-I |
Equipped Effects:
- -10% weapon heat generated.
Critical Effects:
- DESTROYED: Equipped effects disabled.
Exchanger +
| Manufacturer: | Generic |
|---|---|
| Tonnage: | 3 |
| Critical Slots: | 1 |
| Install Location: | Any |
| Value: | 540,000 |
| Gear ID: | Gear_HeatSink_Generic_Thermal-Exchanger-II |
Equipped Effects:
- -15% weapon heat generated.
Critical Effects:
- DESTROYED: Equipped effects disabled.
Exchanger + +
| Manufacturer: | Generic |
|---|---|
| Tonnage: | 4 |
| Critical Slots: | 1 |
| Install Location: | Any |
| Value: | 720,000 |
| Gear ID: | Gear_HeatSink_Generic_Thermal-Exchanger-III |
Equipped Effects:
- -20% weapon heat generated.
Critical Effects:
- DESTROYED: Equipped effects disabled.
Heat Exchanger Efficiency
Generally speaking (in 6 out of the 9 biomes), the equivalent weight of double heat sinks are more efficient cooling per ton than heat exchangers until the amount of heat generated becomes greater than 120 at which point it's more efficient to fit the exchangers (e.g. a 'mech producing 110 heat in a Highlands biome will get more value out of 2 double heat sinks than it will fitting an Exchanger). As the tonnage and effectiveness of exchangers scales linearly this is true regardless of what type of exchanger you have.
The table below lists the amount of heat in each biome you need to be generating in a 'mech in order for exchangers to be worth fitting. Depending on how much space you have available, in colder biomes (especially Polar) where heat sinks become even more efficient it might actually be worth removing the exchangers from your 'mechs in favour of more sinks.
| Biome | Heat Effect | Heat Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar | +35% | >78 |
| Martian | +25% | >90 |
| Badlands | +15% | >102 |
| Desert | +15% | >102 |
| Highlands | 0% | >120 |
| Lowlands | 0% | >120 |
| Jungle | -10% | >132 |
| Tundra | -15% | >138 |
| Polar | -20% | >144 |