Help me understand the new fluid system.

[LASci]

So if I understand this fluid system, you can theoretically run an infinite amount of fluid through a single pipe system? Here's my example that I'm trying to wrap my head around. On Vulcanus I'm thinking about lava and offshore pumps and the molten iron output from the foundries. So a single offshore pump is 1200/s flow rate, but there's no limit on the pipe system so I should just be able to hook up as many pumps as I want? Which means a single lava pipeline can supply an infinite amount of foundries making molten iron. Those foundries in turn should be able to supply all of their output to a single molten iron pipeline. If I want molten iron on my bus, a single pipeline can handle all the molten iron demand that my imagination can dream up (as long as I keep adding foundries). There's never a need to run parallel pipelines? Does all of this sound right? About the only limit I've found is that output slows as pipeline storage fills up, so perhaps some strategically located fluid tanks are required?

Edit: I guess thinking about it now, one problem is the 320 pipe distance limit. I should be able to run as much as I want through a single pipeline, but as soon as I go over 320 I'd have to lay down a pump. Which will only pump at 1200/s. So my molten iron pipeline could have 12k/s no problem coming from the foundries, but just before I hit that 320 distance I'd somehow have to add 10 pumps in parallel to maintain that flow rate. Sound right?

[Hurkyl]

Think of it more like the electric network -- fluid doesn't flow, it just goes in and out of the network as a whole.

Fluid networks are limited by geographical size, though -- they can only operate in a finite area. If you want to move fluids further than that, you need to have separate networks and use pumps to move fluids from one network to the other.

E.g. if you placed an offshore pump and then ran a really really long pipeline somewhere else, eventually you'll get an alert on the pipeline and it will stop working. Replace pipes with a pump before the alert, and you can continue running the pipeline even further. Although you will be limited by 1200 fluid/s because you're limited by the pump moving fluid between networks. (you could use more pumps to increase the transfer rate, though)

[malogoss]

I think you understand it pretty well.

[LASci]

Originally posted by Hurkyl:

Think of it more like the electric network -- fluid doesn't flow, it just goes in and out of the network as a whole.

Fluid networks are limited by geographical size, though -- they can only operate in a finite area. If you want to move fluids further than that, you need to have separate networks and use pumps to move fluids from one network to the other.

E.g. if you placed an offshore pump and then ran a really really long pipeline somewhere else, eventually you'll get an alert on the pipeline and it will stop working. Replace pipes with a pump before the alert, and you can continue running the pipeline even further. Although you will be limited by 1200 fluid/s because you're limited by the pump moving fluid between networks. (you could use more pumps to increase the transfer rate, though)

Thanks for that. Yeah that thought crossed my mind just after I posted this and then I included the edit. So I guess technically you're limited to a length of 320 for your monster pipeline and after that you start running into problems. Throwing a pump down as soon as any branch to a consumer would allow the main pipeline to stretch the full 320 though.

[god bless you]

655 pipes, I don't have any problem. Bug?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3405905222

[Khaylain]

Originally posted by god bless you:

655 pipes, I don't have any problem. Bug?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3405905222

No

Originally posted by Hurkyl:

-snip-

Fluid networks are limited by geographical size, though -- they can only operate in a finite area. If you want to move fluids further than that, you need to have separate networks and use pumps to move fluids from one network to the other.

-snip-

[Chindraba]

Originally posted by god bless you:

655 pipes, I don't have any problem. Bug?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3405905222

No bug. The 320 limit is not length, it's a 320x320 zone. Just like a pitch, and out of bounds needs a pump to cross the line and start a new zone.

[god bless you]

Originally posted by Chindraba:

Originally posted by god bless you:

655 pipes, I don't have any problem. Bug?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3405905222

No bug. The 320 limit is not length, it's a 320x320 zone. Just like a pitch, and out of bounds needs a pump to cross the line and start a new zone.

Can we use tank instead of pump?

[Chindraba]

No.
Only pumps can 'cross the line'.

[Khaylain]

Originally posted by god bless you:

Originally posted by Chindraba:

No bug. The 320 limit is not length, it's a 320x320 zone. Just like a pitch, and out of bounds needs a pump to cross the line and start a new zone.

Can we use tank instead of pump?

Tank is just a larger pipe

[LASci]

Originally posted by Chindraba:

Originally posted by god bless you:

655 pipes, I don't have any problem. Bug?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3405905222

No bug. The 320 limit is not length, it's a 320x320 zone. Just like a pitch, and out of bounds needs a pump to cross the line and start a new zone.

Ah thanks for this. I too didn't know this. I thought it was the total number of pipes in the system.

[Maltsi]

one thing that is important and not mentioned yet, is that while pipes are infinite throughput, machines are not. each input/output slot can only move 6000/s at most. So for example chem plant with only 2 output slots can at most output 12000/s and anything it produces past that is wasted.

[Billdro]

If I understand it correctly, you should still be able to use a single pipeline over the max distance as long as you branch into multiple pumps them merge it back into a single pipe.