Coal power generation fluctuations (solved maybe?)

[aByZMal]

So I've had 2x120 coal going into 8 coal power generators each with mk2 belts and been trying to upgrade the setup to 2x240 lines of coal going into 16 coal power generators.
However at the end of each line of 16 coal power generators there are 3 generators each that keep running out of coal and result in fluctuations in my power grid.

I've checked my water generators are all working fine and my belts are all indeed now mk3 and been struggling to find the issue.

I assumed running an overflow system for coal distribution would manage fine in supplying 16 generators in a row, but it seems that by the time coal can get to the end of the line, more coal is required at the start and the sheer distance the coal has to travel means that future coal intended for the generators at the ends get consumed before they get there.

Is this line of reasoning correct? Is there a limit to how many machines there should be on an overflow belt system?

Having split the 2 lines of 240 into 4 lines of 120 and sending 120 lines to 4 groups of 8 coal generators each I'm not sure if this will rectify the problem.

I've caved in and just ended up supplying 270 coal pm so there's a surplus of 15 coal coming onto each of the 4 lines now so should not have any problems but it feels like a waste of 60 coal pm

[Dragonmaster]

sounds like your using a manifold system. Note that manifold systems take some time before they run at full power. Distance the coal runs doesn't matter as its used at the same rate. Manifold systems all the front machines need to fill up to max storage first before the back end machines can run at 100% efficiency.

[aByZMal]

In my manifold system if half of all coal goes to the first generator and the rest is goes to the next splitter, of which 25% of the original total goes to the second generator, and so on, then surely as more machines are added to the manifold system, the system takes exponentially longer to get to 100% efficiency. So probably just have to wait a heck of a long time for it to reach as such

[Dragonmaster]

One thing i started doing with manifolds such as coal systems is I either run the coal line first into a box just to get it going with stored coal and then manually load the machines to a full stack from that box just to get them running at peak efficiency sooner instead of waiting for the manifold to fully saturate.

[aByZMal]

I see I'll try that thank you

[umop-apisdn]

Originally posted by Dragonmaster:

One thing i started doing with manifolds such as coal systems is I either run the coal line first into a box just to get it going with stored coal and then manually load the machines to a full stack from that box just to get them running at peak efficiency sooner instead of waiting for the manifold to fully saturate.

This. Preload your manifold setup's inputs while the machines are off; if they start off full, then they should stay that way.

[WhamyKaBlamy]

Also, if you don't preload the machines but have smart splitters, it's worth using them for a manifold system. Set all of the splitters to priority into the machine and overflow down the line, it will fill it up from the start to the end a lot more efficiently; Once a machine starts to work, it will stay working rather than going on and off for ages as the system fills up.

[Dragonmaster]

Originally posted by WhamyKaBlamy:

Also, if you don't preload the machines but have smart splitters, it's worth using them for a manifold system. Set all of the splitters to priority into the machine and overflow down the line, it will fill it up from the start to the end a lot more efficiently; Once a machine starts to work, it will stay working rather than going on and off for ages as the system fills up.

This is also a good way (abit just a tad more expensive) :P.

[WhamyKaBlamy]

We at WhamCo, being a subsidiary of Ficsit Inc, spare no expense to make things needlessly over-engineered in a pursuit of slightly better efficiency.

[umop-apisdn]

Originally posted by WhamyKaBlamy:

Also, if you don't preload the machines but have smart splitters, it's worth using them for a manifold system. Set all of the splitters to priority into the machine and overflow down the line, it will fill it up from the start to the end a lot more efficiently; Once a machine starts to work, it will stay working rather than going on and off for ages as the system fills up.

Interestingly, this works equally well if you reverse the sorting, and set priority to the continuing line with overflow going into the machines... but the end of the line fills up first, instead of the beginning.

Of course, it's all the exact same in the end; the manifold system will eventually saturate all but one machine (which will receive its input product "just in time"), and the whole line will function properly.

Note: even using regular splitters results in the same eventual result, assuming there is enough incoming product to fill the inputs. The solutions proposed here merely reduce the operating time before that occurs.

[Veeshan]

Finally, a use for power switches :)

... wait no cause machines won't load until powered... dang.

[Vanyel]

Another option that works well is to start the feed in the middle of the group - the first splitter sends it right and left feeding 8 plants on either side before being split off to the individual plants. So now instead of a long 16-plant manifold, it's 2 8-plant manifolds. At least it solved the problem for me. Just need to make sure you take that into consideration when laying out your plants.

[DrNewcenstein]

Originally posted by Veeshan:

Finally, a use for power switches :)

... wait no cause machines won't load until powered... dang.

You can connect generators to a pole, but not connect that pole to the grid. The generators will run so they can be loaded, but won't eat through coal as quickly as if they were on the grid. Once your generators are full, and belts are backed up to the miners, then you can connect them to the grid.

[Veeshan]

Originally posted by DrNewcenstein:

Originally posted by Veeshan:

Finally, a use for power switches :)

... wait no cause machines won't load until powered... dang.

You can connect generators to a pole, but not connect that pole to the grid. The generators will run so they can be loaded, but won't eat through coal as quickly as if they were on the grid. Once your generators are full, and belts are backed up to the miners, then you can connect them to the grid.

Hm I thought they always produced at full power except for burners