While the game is designed to be operated by at least 2-3 players, sometimes you may want to play alone. In that case it might be difficult to control the Cooling Panel, as it requires constant supervision. However, you can automate this process and focus on more important tasks, like reactor and turbine control.
In order to enable automated cooling management, you will need to activate all the pumps on the Cooling Panel. Additionally, ensure that all switches are in the neutral position. This should result in seven green lights on the automatic control panel. Your next step will be to set the proper setpoints. The suggested levels are 0 for Hotwell and 2 for Deaerator and Reactor. Begin by generating some steam flow, and then you can press START on the panel to initiate the automation process.
The computer will do its best to maintain the proper Reactor level and will also adjust the Deaerator level accordingly. It has no control over the Hotwell level because steam flow is controlled by the turbine operator. However, when the flows are balanced, it will use a makeup valve to fill or drain the Hotwell to the proper level. Since, at the beginning, the flows may not be well-balanced, it is wise to set the Hotwell level to a lower value, such as the suggested 0 m, so the computer won't inject outside water too early.
Please be advised that the automatic control has its limits. It will not be able to balance flows quickly because it only reacts to water levels and not to flows. Therefore, it may go out of balance if you change the flow too quickly. Be patient and increase reactor power and turbine flows slowly, and give it some time to balance everything out after every change. Also, keep in mind that you will earn fewer points when playing with automatic control enabled. There is also a switch used to adjust how strongly the computer reacts when levels change. You can experiment with it. Generally, a faster setting should be preferred when changing power levels, and a slower one for stable power output.