Bob's Pipes sizes

[Name Lips]

OK. Bob's Mods gives options for pipes that have different sizes. For example, a copper pipe is size 5, an iron pipe is size 10, and a stone pipe is size 20. This indicates how much fluid can be held in a single unit of pipe.

I think the intention was that the larger pipes could carry more -- that they could handle the input from more oil wells than smaller pipes, for instance.

But I seem to remember hearing a while ago that, when he created them, Bob didn't quite understand how fluids move. It turned out that the bigger pipes just take longer to fill up, and no matter how many oil wells you have, they just seem to be slower. The way the fluids are coded, a small pipe actually works better to move fluid quickly from point to point.

But I can't find the place I read that. It might be wrong, or might have been a random post from somebody who didn't know what was going on.

What I'm trying to do is make a fluid bus for a very large, but very organized Bob/Angel base. I have most of my organization mapped out, but there are a few places where I need a pipeline. For example, to supply water to a large row of Steam Crackers, or to get acids from my liquid area down to my railyard so I can send them to my mining outposts.

This is all within one base, but bob/angel bases get pretty big.

I want to use the best pipe size for providing a constant flow of liquid a sizable distance away.

I have in the past used robots to move barrels, but I'm wanting to minimize robot use this time. I've "done that" too many times. I could also create intra-base rail lines, but that doesn't fit my aesthetic. They're the right choice for moving massive quantities of liquid, but I'm not moving MASSIVE quantities -- just "fairly large" quantitites.

So I'm specifically trying to figure out if there's a right or wrong pipe size for efficient throughput.

[KrysisMode]

I have no real experience with bob's mods (I tried once, and ran screaming because dear god I'm not ready yet) or even heard of a fluid bus but if it works like a mainbus then you'll want high volume along the pipes and use pumps to forcefully divert flow from it to the required setups.

I'm possibly an idiot for suggesting it but using storage tanks at the start would help and using some pumps to flow into the bus could make large stone pipes useful as they allow maximum flow when pumped into like this. From there you could use more pumps and smaller pipes picked for potential requirements at the factories. The general idea being use high volume pipes to allow mass fluid transit to each of your factory setups requiring it and diverting the flow via pumps and some rough math to select smaller pipe sizes to speed it along.

Edit because enter posted instead of making a new paragraph wtf: You could possibly even optimize and control the flow even better with circuits and keep it from draining the bus itself somewhat smartly. And quite honestly I usually spaghetti the hell out of my fluids. I could be completely wrong on this but it's just an idea to consider right?

[stlyau]

Found this in a reddit post which link this as source [0.12.x][v0.12.10] Bob's Logistics mod [forums.factorio.com]

There are 3 chains of pipe, each chain has a size, small (half capacity), normal or large (double capacity), and several tiers for each chain.

Capacity of the pipes actually effects the flow speed. note that the storage tanks are basically just a big pipe with a high storage capacity, you'll notice that fluids take a while to flow through a chain of storage tanks, the same effect can be seen with larger pipes, each pipe section will take longer to fill, before "spilling" into the next pipe, so bigger pipes cause the flow to be slower. in kind, smaller pipes make fluids flow faster.

Therefore, the faster flowing fluids (like gasses(which now have the same flow as liquids again, due to the yoyoing "unstable simulation" effect)) work best in the large pipes, and viscous slower moving fluids (like heavy oil, and tungstic acid) work best in the small pipes.

Small pipes are: Copper, Bronze, Brass. These work for a faster flow.
Normal pipes are: Iron(original), Steel, Titanium, Tungsten. This is the only group with a T4 pipe in it.
Large pipes are: Concrete, Plastic, Ceramic.

T1 is as the normal pipe, 50 health, underground pipe length is 10.
T2 pipes have 100 health, and underground length of 15
T3 pipes have 150 health, and an underground length of 20
T4 (Tungsten) pipes have 200 health and an underground length of 30.

*Edit* Remember that with the larger sized pipe, there is more of the material potentially sitting idle in the pipes instead of being actively used. I'm guessing the real determination would be the amount needed at the machine at the end of the pipe.

[Ryan]

I checked out Bob's pipes. My findings are that the large pipes are not worth using. The volume of water seems to be half that of the stock iron pipes when the distance of pipe gets to be about 20 tiles. I put pipe runs side by side with pumps pushing water through them. The large pipe volume dropped off dramatically and quickly versus the stock pipes. A long pipe run with a large pipe barely has any flow at the other end.

If I need to push fluid longer distances I run my pipe to a tank and then use a pump on the other side. If I need to push fluid a long ways I just use trains as they work really well for this. I liked the idea of using other resources for pipes, but they ended up bogging down the system.

TLDR; just use iron pipes for everything. Consider using large pipes for runs less than 5 pipes.

[stlyau]

As I mentioned earlier, I think the larger pipes could be usable depending on the input/output needed on both ends of the pipe. I use Stone Pipes from Offshore to Boilers, and from Boilers to Steam Engines. This allows for more water/steam to be actively available for power or use in Electrolyzers/Steam Crackers. Basicly anything that takes a larger quantity of fluid per craft when you have several connecting to same source pipe. By doing this, I run Stone Pipe connecting the back end of the second Steam Engine (end away from Boiler) and utilize the leftover Steam that passes through both Engines by running it to a Steam Cracker converting Naphtha into Propene Gas for Liquid Plastic. I'm sure there are other recipes that can utilize such methods if you don't want or like lots of fluid back-ups.

[Name Lips]

Thank you all!