Pipelines!

[chihuahuawcf]

I was hoping someone would be kind enough to join my game and show me, possibly explain thoroughly how they connect and what exactly they do. I am finally at that stage where they are unlocked but I do not know how to work them. I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you.

[Mister Fabulous]

Pipes seem more complicated than they are. I recommend looking here: https://www.reddit.com/r/SatisfactoryGame/comments/jmqw9d/pipeline_infographs_fluid_update_version/ It's a lot of information, but once you start to build them, things should make sense pretty quick.

Also, for understanding splitting up flows and flow limits on pipes, take a look at the coal generator gallery in wiki to see how you can utilize a single pipe system to split up 360 water to 8 coal generators when the pipe flow limit is 300 for mk 1 pipes. https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Coal_Generator

[chihuahuawcf]

Thank you I will give that a try!

[Metalhead123]

Pipes are like belts. The MK1 Pipe will carry 300 liquid. You can split them like belts too with the pipe junction, I think you can merge with the junction too. The only difference is solid resourses can travel up and down on belts at the same speeds. With Pipes you need pumps to go up. Gravity will help when going down.

The pipes also have a graphic along them. It's like a small container which will show you if the pipes are carrying the correct amount of liquid. If this container is fully open you know you have it set up right.

[Grandaddypurple]

Originally posted by Metalhead123:

The pipes also have a graphic along them. It's like a small container which will show you if the pipes are carrying the correct amount of liquid. If this container is fully open you know you have it set up right.

Not quite true, if the flow rate is rather low and carries the exact amount needed for the production, you can have close to empty pipes and a perfectly running production line
Also you can buffer up your pipes, you'll then have full pipes but have an insufficient flow rate and they'll end up drying out
So no, fully extended windows doesn't necessarily mean functionning setup

[Metalhead123]

Originally posted by Grandaddypurple:

Originally posted by Metalhead123:

The pipes also have a graphic along them. It's like a small container which will show you if the pipes are carrying the correct amount of liquid. If this container is fully open you know you have it set up right.

Not quite true, if the flow rate is rather low and carries the exact amount needed for the production, you can have close to empty pipes and a perfectly running production line
Also you can buffer up your pipes, you'll then have full pipes but have an insufficient flow rate and they'll end up drying out
So no, fully extended windows doesn't necessarily mean functionning setup

The pipes are a bit odd. I dont fully understand them. The OP was asking how to set them up. He didnt mention running them perfectly. Obviously if say you have 100 water feeding something that requires 80 water the container would be fully open as it has the max amount. So would a half open window mean there is 150 liquid in a 300 pipe?

[Mister Fabulous]

Originally posted by Metalhead123:

The pipes are a bit odd. I dont fully understand them. The OP was asking how to set them up. He didnt mention running them perfectly. Obviously if say you have 100 water feeding something that requires 80 water the container would be fully open as it has the max amount. So would a half open window mean there is 150 liquid in a 300 pipe?

The distance between the rings indicates the amount the pipe is filled. The diameter of the rings pulsating as fluid passes through them indicates flow rate.

You can have 300 flow going straight down in a mk 1 pipe. If it never backs up, that vertical section of pipe with a downward flow will have rings close together, but pulsating wide and quickly. The pipe isn't full, but 300 fluid is moving right on through.

If the fluid was moving upwards, the rings would be pulsing equally as fast as the other example, but as the fluid moves upward, the pipe has to fill, the rings will move apart as far as they can. Moving up, it's similar to real life, moving downward not so much.

Example: https://imgur.com/euAOgxQ

[chihuahuawcf]

Yeah all this sounds confusing :(

[Tenzek]

It's not intuitive, but it's not complicated.
You're concerned with flow rate, pipe capacity, and head lift.

Flow rate is obvious, and it can be measured in a given pipe section by opening an interface with 'E'. Mark 1 pipes have a max flow rate of 300m^3 per minute, and Mark 2 can handle 600.

Pipe capacity is displayed in the same interface as flow rate. Each section of pipe has a maximum volume related to its length. You can also extend the storage capacity with tanks.

Head lift is the maximum height that a structure can push fluid above its own level. Most structures, other than pumps, have a 10m maximum head lift. The pumps display both their maximum lift and current demand when you open the 'E' interface.

There are 3 basic rules to make sure everything will work:

1) If you are pumping water above the level it started, make sure your pumps are not exceeding their head lift capacity.

2) Pay attention to the max flow rate and pipe volume. Obviously, you have to pump enough water to meet the demand, and there are two ways you can fail to do so.

The obvious way is simply not having enough flow rate on the water extractor.

The second way is related to pipe volume. Because full pipes will cause the pumps to shut down, it will take a moment for water to start pumping again. If your pipes fill up, but you lack the storage capacity in the pipes on or above the level of the object you're supplying, then it will take what it can get and stop until the pumps refill the pipes.

This can be avoided with a storage tank on the level or by making sure the flow and consumption match perfectly. If your pipes fill before you get the system started, you can get a clean start through the 'E' interface on a pipe or tank by pulling the lever to empty out the system.

3) The last rule is related to pipe junctions. When pumping water up, do not place them directly vertical. Set them horizontal or at 45 degrees and have the pipe curve up from there. It can go directly vertical on wall supports, even those connected to non-vertical junctions, without problems. Vertical junctions going down are fine.

This rule isn't exact, but the number of complaints of unexplained problems I see on these forums and my own experience in using the pipes makes me avoid that one pipe shape. It's probably related to a bug that isn't always replicated when you do this, but often is.


TL;DR:
1) Make sure your pumps have enough head lift
2) Make sure there is enough flow rate and add a tank for more storage capacity if you find that something still isn't filling fast enough.
3) Vertical junctions can be buggy.

[Kalvix]

I thought they made sense, then I setup an oil extractor sucking out 120/min of oil, and sending it to 4 refineries that us 30 each (so perfect amount for them). And for some reason it now keeps the 2 on the left constantly full, and the ones on the right slowly lose oil. BUT when I first made it it worked fine, it only broke when I tried to add a 5th to see how that would effect it, and now I can't make it work again without putting an overclocker on it.

[Grandaddypurple]

Originally posted by Kalvix:

I thought they made sense, then I setup an oil extractor sucking out 120/min of oil, and sending it to 4 refineries that us 30 each (so perfect amount for them). And for some reason it now keeps the 2 on the left constantly full, and the ones on the right slowly lose oil. BUT when I first made it it worked fine, it only broke when I tried to add a 5th to see how that would effect it, and now I can't make it work again without putting an overclocker on it.

In general, buffing the system by putting one or two machines on stanby and enabling them when the pipes are full solve this kind of problem. You can even add a fluid buffer upstream, that can help as well

[Kalvix]

annoyingly I build everything too close to the pump to try and add in a storage tank for everything to flow through which might have helped as having it so exact can make the pump go on and off causing issues, but I'll try removing the overclocker when they are both full and see if its balanced itself out. If not I might just either start over or try to pipe it sides from the extractor to a storage tank then back into the system again.

[Tenzek]

You can always make a vertical stack of foundations with a storage tank on top, and have the level just above the pipe leading to the refineries. Pump the oil up to the tank, and then let gravity feed them from there. It will only take up one square that way, and you can even build it over top the refineries if you need to.

Just avoid that harsh 90 degree turn upward to the tank.