[SOLVED] Coal Plant Issue With Water

[AdApt*]

I jumpstarted my first coal plant after letting the water and coal fill up.

I have 8 coal generators and 3 water extractors.

Before building it, I searched online for some info and watched a few videos to get a basic setup. Everything said 3 extractors for 8 generators.

After the generators started running I saw the tanks in the extractors starting to empty, with the right-most one only having a drop, the middle one and left-most one are gradually becoming empty, with the left-most one having the most water.

This is the pipe setup I used, from a video - https://imgur.com/a/ic1HZXI

The first setup is what I'm using:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYE0SKB9Xk4

Problem in this short vid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7vulGqvjCw

:/

[AdApt*]

Originally posted by Wolfgang:

But by that reasoning Extractor #1 would only provide 60m³/min to Generator #1 and #2 while they need 90m³/min in sum if it splits evenly across pipes. Same with Extractor #3 and Generator #7 and #8.
So unless I don't understand something in the reasoning this setup starves generators of water.

The problem was the extractors emptying out from right to left (#3, #2, #1), with #3 being almost empty, #2 about halfway, #1 nearly full but steadying towards empty.
Not #1 and #3.

I don't know exactly how the displacement works since I'm still new. The video has over 3k upvotes and a lot of comments from players saying the setup worked for them.

I'm starting to think it's bugging out like some have mentioned in this thread. I'll try once more then I'm throwing in the towel. I already spent hours on this.

I appreciate the help anyway.

[apdsmith]

Originally posted by AdApt*:

I'm starting to think it's bugging out like some have mentioned in this thread. I'll try once more then I'm throwing in the towel. I already spent hours on this.

Well, the good news is that you can build this in sections for easier trouble shooting. There's no reason you can't build all the Coal Generators, only hook up #1 and #2 to Water Extractor #1 using those T-junction (for later) and unit-test that before moving onto the next one.

I'd also echo what previous commenters have said about starting a single coal generator at a time, and giving each one time to fill it's internal tank before starting on the next.

[AdApt*]

Same thing, even with just 6 generators running on 3 water extractors and water tanks full on the 2 generators which are powered down..

[Wolfgang]

Okay, I know this questions sounds obvious but can you please confirm the clock rate of your coal generators to be 100%?

[TH3R4BB!T]

At my fuel plant it also happens, when I just stand there for a while all generators started to work again, while I see some drops in power when walking around the map. Or at load, the generated power is a bit less than when I closed the game.

[AdApt*]

Originally posted by Wolfgang:

Okay, I know this questions sounds obvious but can you please confirm the clock rate of your coal generators to be 100%?

Yep, 100%.

[info]

Looping pipes helps a lot when you are pushing towards the limit of the pipe, that is simply feed from both ends of each run.

The suggestion of turning off one or two plants to get it running is solid advice, also make sure head pressure isnt an issue. Sometimes just moving pumps a little is the solution.

Final consideration I would look at is pumps stalling out then restarting. This will happen with miners that are overfeeding belts too. Underclocking the pumps to better match the pipe if thats the case may help but pumps are highly variable so maybe not and the Buffer may be the better option.

What happens on the stalling is the time it takes to spin up reduces the total over time output so even if the the numbers say it can provide thats only when they are running 100%.

[info]

In your picture I would place a T between each Extractor and water manifold, run a line parallel to the manifold there and tie it back in at each end of the Coal Gens to loop it.

[Mister Fabulous]

AdApt*, do you have a picture of what you built instead of one from a video? Seeing what you actually built can help.

[Kimo]

Just to add another working design:

I have 8 coalplants connected with one main waterline. One end feeding with two water miners through a small tank, the other end with a third water miner through a small tank.

Jumpstarting all coal plants at once even with full tanks in this design will collapse, because of MK1 pipes.

However, waiting for the internal coal plants tank to fill before starting the next works well.

The design the OP uses is better than mine. But to connect the water miners to the t-junctions from coal plant #2, #5 and #7 should work even better in theory. The 360 m3 gets a finer distribution because of 9 entry points instead of 4.

Gonna try in my next build. :)

[kimba-rip]

Originally posted by apdsmith:

Originally posted by kimba-rip:

the ratio is 5 coal power too 3 water extractors (works lovely)....

Five coal generators is 5 x 45m³/min = 225m³/min, considerably under the (standard clock) maximum 360m³/min provided by three water extractors. You could actually get by with just two water extractors delivering 240m³/min for five generators...

should have said, thats the ratio i use at normal running pace...(no slugs)

[apdsmith]

I've made the 3-to-8 ratio work, but I had the coal plants far below the pumps, with a couple of fluid buffers in the way (strictly speaking, it was 3 water extractors into 2 Mk.I pipelines, each into a fluid buffer, from there feeding opposite ends of the coal generator water feed)

[Elder.Mous]

Originally posted by Wolfgang:

Originally posted by AdApt*:

"The reason this works is how water flowing works in pipes. Everytime water hits a junction, it splits evenly across the pipes. So because the water extractors are inserting at different places in the main pipe, and there are machines taking the water in between, it works for all 8 with the 3 extractors because there is not 1 pipe in there that NEEDS to go over 300 due to the proper water displacement mechanic."

( ^ From video uploader). I was wondering about this too.

But by that reasoning Extractor #1 would only provide 60m³/min to Generator #1 and #2 while they need 90m³/min in sum if it splits evenly across pipes. Same with Extractor #3 and Generator #7 and #8.
So unless I don't understand something in the reasoning this setup starves generators of water. The only way it can work is by not evenly splitting the water at the junctions. Which in return then can run into sloshing issues and/or throughput issues.

For those that have commented and are curious of how, why and if the setup is supposed to work, here is the math:
First, start from the center and work outward, not from the end. WE2 will split evenly, providing 60m³ each direction. Moving to the left, the first generator, CG4, will take 45m³, sending the remaining 15m³ to CG3. Now WE1 will attempt to push 60m³ to the right, but once the pipe, and the genny, are full, only 30m³ will be sent as that is all the room there is. the remaining 90m³ will be pushed to the left, CG2 taking 45m³ and CG1 taking the final 45m³. The process toward the right will be a mirror image. No genny gets starved.

Now on to the the actual problem. Unless the OP misspoke, they said the EXTRACTORS are running empty, not the generators. If that is indeed the case then that is a whole different problem and I doubt any of the suggestions so far would have any effect.

If indeed it IS the extractors that are running out of water, my suggestion would be to check your current power level. I have seen where if you are running close to your production limit and the water extractors push it slightly above production, SOMETIMES the extractors will simply shut off rather than trip the breaker, causing not enough water flow. If that is the case, shut down part of your factory to relieve the power load until the generators come fully up to speed and can supply the needed power. Then you can restart the shut down portion and resume operation.

I hope this helps. If this cures your problem, there is a failsafe setup I have come up with that I have not seen posted anywhere. Once I figure out how to do it I'll post the setup. If anyone is interested I'll do my best to describe it.

Good luck.

[info]

Never seen a machine shut down from low power. They will cycle on and off with back pressure if they are making too much and so will Miners as I mentioned earlier in this thread.

[AdApt*]

Thank you for the replies.

Here is a short video of the problem including showing the piping.

Production rate is stable.

The generators are full, obviously unless I wait for an extractor to run dry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7vulGqvjCw