Oxygen Diffusers- Do you put them at the bottom or top of your base?

[Seirith]

I have seen people say to put them at the top of the base ao that the air goes down and people who say to put them at the bottom because air rises. Does it matter where they are or is air flow more important as long as your are producing enough oxygen?

[snuggleform]

Oxygen naturally rises with respect to C02 and chlorine, so I don't know what is meant by "air goes down."

That being said, it doesn't really matter where you put your diffusers, because what you should do to ensure good oxygen circulation is use gas pipes/vents to pipe the gas from the diffusers to areas where your dupes are working. So if you choose to build them at the top, you'll pipe some gas to areas down below where dupes are working, and if you choose to build them at the bottom you'll be piping some gas to the top.

You cannot hope to just build them at the bottom and hope it all rises to the top because diffusers will reach maximum oxygen pressure within the small radius around it; you will have to pipe some away to areas with lower pressure or you will not be using the full potential output of a diffuser.

Pipes are cheap and don't cost power so it's a really good idea to pipe oxygen to different areas of the base (but keep your diffusers together/organized).

[Raz]

Oxygen rises above the carbon dioxide, so I usually put them near the bottom, and then make air vents/mesh tiles in the floors to keep the airflow rising
Then I make sure theres a few ditches towards the bottom, beneath the diffusers for all the co2 to collect.
Placement 'sort of' matters, though oxygen will slowly, eventually make its way to wherever its needed.

Also, don't forget deodorizers. They're super cheap, and you usually have more sand for them than you'll ever need anyway.
Slap those things anywhere you see slime or polluted water, and they'll turn polluted air into clean oxygen (sort of)

[Cotaks]

air does go up, not down.

that said if the pressure is enough it will get pushed down, best location is in mid height of the base, it fills top first then spread to bottom.

and dont build to much of em.

i just take 4 dupes and 8 suits with one ox diffuser.
make a room for it, put the diffuser near the entry, place a pump 5 tiles away from the diffuser, put an air pressure sensor 2 tiles from the difuser between pump and diff. set it to 800.

now you can easily supply 4 dupes and 8 suits.

[SKull]

I would say that you should have a little space around them so the O2 can spread easily. But other than that I don't think it matters. And "air" doesn't "rise.
Different gases rise or sink depending on pressure and which other gases are around. Hydrogen is lighter than O2 and CO2 and chlorine are heavier.

[GMC]

Originally posted by wsc150:

Pipes are cheap and don't cost power

However, you can't get gas into a pipe without using a pump, which does cost power.

Ideally, you should have enough airflow that gases can diffuse around the base on their own. I normally have a central shaft consisting of (ladder - mesh tile - fire pole). Diffusers sit on some of the mesh tiles. To the extent that placement matters, CO2 produced by dupes will flow downward, so there may be a slight benefit to putting oxygen production toward the top so that oxygen is following the CO2 flow rather than against it. Once you start using exosuits, you'll need pumps and pipes to supply oxygen to the docks. Once you switch to electrolysers, you'll want pumps and filters to separate the hydrogen (for cooling loops, rocketry, power, drecko ranching, or whatever).

[RTG]

I put one in or near every important room. (as long as i use diffusers anyways, i do of course try to quickly get to electrolysers, but that requires a bit more power.)

[Just a dog]

Also don't forget to place some manual airlocks where your base ends, or you'll start supplying larger and larger chunks of the map with oxygen the more your explore (especially upwards).

[Markus Reese]

First bit, up and down is a bad way to think for this discussion since it essentially is floats or sinks if considered correctly.

So diffusers, I try to keep near critical buildings such as dinner and especially sleeping.

Because it all displaces, I prefer to try and keep it in the areas critical. If you let it bubble, it can "splash" The gases around keeping masses matched. Remember, two different elements cannot occupy same space. If you bubble, a small mass of gas/liquid will displace a large mass as it bubbles. This is a big issue with the oxyferns. Place oxyfern on level you want to be bottom of of O2 so it doesnt bubble the CO2 as bad.

So think in layers. Use bowls, caps and pits to layer out. Keep stuff where you want it. Hydrogen layers, oxygen layer, chlorine layer, etc. Stuff that outputs, always have it output to that layer area. Later use sensors and pumps to control and clear the contamination.

[Markus Reese]

Originally posted by KucheKlizma:

Also don't forget to place some manual airlocks where your base ends, or you'll start supplying larger and larger chunks of the map with oxygen the more your explore (especially upwards).

Separate comment cause saw after post. Dont use manual, they open/close slow and will still let stuff in and out as peeps go through. Use S traps like in a sink. Some will get out from pressure differential, but then can also dump waste gases outside end of the trap. Can use pressure sensors to normalize it. If outsides not above threshold and inside is? Pumps junk from in base to outside. Is a fantastic isolator.

[Bokonon]

I think by "air goes down" what the OP is referring to is pressure related air movement. If the pressure of the oxygen (g/kg per tile) is higher than what's below it, what's below it will compress (rise in pressure) to a certain point and the oxygen does move down. I'm not sure I worded this correctly but it makes sense in my jumbled head anyway.

[Bokonon]

Originally posted by twistedmelon:

Separate comment cause saw after post. Dont use manual, they open/close slow and will still let stuff in and out as peeps go through. Use S traps like in a sink. Some will get out from pressure differential, but then can also dump waste gases outside end of the trap. Can use pressure sensors to normalize it. If outsides not above threshold and inside is? Pumps junk from in base to outside. Is a fantastic isolator.

I've never tried a S trap, I use liquid locks and don't have to worry about regulating pressure. Got a screenshot by any chance, I'd much prefer a dry way of sealing an area from gas intrusion.

[FDru]

Horizontal distribution is more important than vertical distribution, IMO. Air quickly rises/falls to where it should go but it's harder to spread air left and right.

[Kittenpox]

I would usually have oxygen production up high, rather than down low.
It's less likely to be blocked by high air pressure, that way.

[Strygald]

I put them up top because they generate heat and heat rises.

[Just a dog]

Originally posted by twistedmelon:

Originally posted by KucheKlizma:

Also don't forget to place some manual airlocks where your base ends, or you'll start supplying larger and larger chunks of the map with oxygen the more your explore (especially upwards).

Separate comment cause saw after post. Dont use manual, they open/close slow and will still let stuff in and out as peeps go through. Use S traps like in a sink. Some will get out from pressure differential, but then can also dump waste gases outside end of the trap. Can use pressure sensors to normalize it. If outsides not above threshold and inside is? Pumps junk from in base to outside. Is a fantastic isolator.

Like I said a single manual door works just fine.This isn't about aesthetics.