Fluid buffers screwey as hell

[Pyrin1701]

I've got a long single pipe running to for extractors, 1 impure, 2 normal, and 1 pure, I've got all three extractors cranked up to 250%, and for some reason, the buffers I have at the end of the pipeline are not filling up. They just fluctuate back and forth, and when I look at the next buffer in the chain, it's not fluctuating at all. It's like random, non specific buffers just magically have a third pipe, pumping oil into them, and then sucking it back out. The pipes attached show no flow. The buffer attached shows no flow. What the ♥♥♥♥ is going on here? I'm on build 7, I thought this ♥♥♥♥ was stable and fixed already.

[info]

The planet where Ficsit was created has its own math system unlike any other in the universe. I think maybe they have 11 fingers.

[apdsmith]

The pressure mechanics take quite a bit of getting used to.

As I understand the problem, it's trying to do the "correct" thing but because it calculates head and therefore pressure once-per-game-tick it's in a constant state of adjusting and then over-correcting to previous mistakes. See the "slosh" problem you get in long strings of fluid storage buffers.

FWIW, I find that fluid buffers work best at the highest part of whatever system you're building. If there's going to be variance, much better to have it happen in a fluid buffer that can deliver the required flow rates from about 12-20% full than a pipe that has to be full to perform as specified.

[Doc✪Hollywood]

Originally posted by info:

The planet where Ficsit was created has its own math system unlike any other in the universe. I think maybe they have 11 fingers.

This is true. Also Pi is different there so it's not surprising that many scientiest are travelling there to research these phenomenons.

Since you can't rely on alien math the only ways to make fluids not swap back or forth is either to build only one tank or to use a valve between them.

Howerver, there is also a bright side of it. For instance when you are building plastic and you have no sue for the HOR just build a few tanks and the HOR magically disappears. Thus keeping the plastic production going on.

It's also fun to make a grid of 3 x 3 Industrial Fluid Buffers with cross junctions to connect every tank with 3 other tannk and admiring the alien in all its glory.

[Doc✪Hollywood]

Probably the human mind is just not capable of fully grasping the extra dimension of alien physics.

But this is between us. Don't tell the scientists - they're getting mad when hearing that!

[Pyrin1701]

I replaced the buffers with the larger tanks and it seems to have evened out a bit. However, I still have 840 m3 of fluid coming out of 4 extractors down one mark 2 pipe, (yes I know it can only handle 600) but at the end of the pipe, I'm only getting 300 m3 of flow.

[Pyrin1701]

*SIGH* A single, tiny piece of pipe in front of a pump got missed on my three trip pass over the pipeline to upgrade it. That was bottled necking the entire pipe from there on out, so, it's fixed now, oil is flowing at 600 m3, however, the buffers do not appear to be filling up very fast. I know I'm not using a full 600 m3 of oil at the moment, I only have 10 refineries running.

[Cheesecake]

Originally posted by Pyrin1701:

*SIGH* A single, tiny piece of pipe in front of a pump got missed on my three trip pass over the pipeline to upgrade it. That was bottled necking the entire pipe from there on out, so, it's fixed now, oil is flowing at 600 m3, however, the buffers do not appear to be filling up very fast. I know I'm not using a full 600 m3 of oil at the moment, I only have 10 refineries running.

Turn off the refineries until the supply pipe is full then turn them back on. Or just pull the power as it might be easier and faster.

[apdsmith]

"Until the supply pipe is full"

This is probably the most important thing to ensure for predictable fluid management.

That's why I tend to use my own practice of fluid buffers at the head of a pipe network.

[Doc✪Hollywood]

Originally posted by Pyrin1701:

A single, tiny piece of pipe in front of a pump got missed on my upgrade

This happens to every player at least one time. Nevermind. In future that will be the first thing you check.

[kLuns]

Originally posted by Doc✪Hollywood:

This happens to every player at least one time. Nevermind. In future that will be the first thing you check.

Even then you miss it sometimes ;)
just emptied 3 unconnected refineries :)

[Doc✪Hollywood]

Originally posted by kLuns:

Even then you miss it sometimes ;)
just emptied 3 unconnected refineries :)

oh man. that reminds me also to something ...