Bulk Blast Furnace
Feed the beast
<&multiblock>
The Bulk Blast Furnace smelts crushed ore into §lmolten metal§r in large batches.

The multiblock has a GUI with a 4x4 input grid, everything within the grid is considered a single §lbatch§r.

A batch needs three things to work:
- §lOre§r, which sets the size.
- §lCoal Coke§r for fuel, from the <link;cokeoven;Coke Oven>.
- §lCalcium Oxide§r for flux, burnt from calcite in the <link;immersivegeology:rotary_kiln;Rotary Kiln>.
<np>
§lRatios§r
Coke and flux are measured §lper unit of ore§r.

When making a batch, it's output is a ratio between metal and slag, slag is always a partial output, however, bad ratios in the batch will turn more of the metal to slag.
The green band on the fuel and flux gauges is a range that will provide a mostly metal output provided everything is within that range.

<np>
§lHeat§r
Fuel sets the §lheat ceiling§r. Without any fuel, this ceiling is zero and the furnace isn't possible to operate.

Heat carries over between batches. So continuous use will discount the coke cost of a followup batch.

Each batch has a minimum heat:
<np>
§lPreheaters§r
<link;improved_blast_furnace;Blast Furnace Preheaters;preheater> fit on either side. They create a minimum level of heat.

This means that:
- The furnace can start smelting sooner.
- With both preheaters you can reach §l160§r heat.

You need at least one preheater running to start a recipe.

<np>
§lInput and Output§r
- §lItems§r are inserted from the §ltop§r.
- §lMolten metal§r is extracted from the §lfront§r, whilst §lslag§r is extracted from the §lback§r.
- Both outputs will eject into any connected tank or pipe.
- A §lredstone signal§r stops the furnace.

Coke can be added as blocks, worth §l9§r coal coke each. Ore can be added in as pellets from the <link;immersivegeology:pelletizer;Pelletizer>, which require less coke and makes less slag.
<np>
§lPig Iron and Steel§r
Create a batch with iron and §lmore coke than required§r the furance will then output §lMolten Pig Iron§r instead of Molten Iron.

You can then use this same furnace to process it into steel. Leave the pig iron in the internal tank, add flux and a small amount of coke, and ensure that the furnace remains above §l150§r heat.

This will create §lMolten Steel§r.