Please help me understand large scale power

[rottielover]

So once you work your way up to, let’s say 20 solar panels and 6 large batteries, *cough* you know hypothetically speaking... what’s the best way to configure things?

So I’ve never been real great at electricity, we tend not to get along in games or IRL either.

So currently I have heavy cable that connects all the solars with all the “in” ports on the batteries. For the “out” side of the batteries I have heavy cable that runs to APC’s and from the APC’s I have segments of buildings and machines on normal cable.

I have this far not used the large transformer, but certainly it’s got to have a purpose. The small transformers I have only used to feed certain items like battery charging stations and air conditioning units.

I have read that if you connect an empty battery to a full battery it will burn out the cable trying to xfer 1/2 it’s energy, I have not had this issue probably because every time I added a battery the others were low or empty and then I added more solars to charge quicker.

In my head this just cannot be the ideal way of doing this. Has to be a better way but I completely lack understanding.

One friend suggested I should put the batteries in series and run the “in to out” down the chain?

Thanks in advance!!

[Flippy]

Over 10 solar panels you will need to use heavy cable, but you can just run those into the power in for 1, 6 or more batteries and it will charge them all. When drawing power from the batteries however it will only pull from one battery at a time, but as one dies another will take over.

If you ever want to put batteries in front to draw from your other batteries just make sure to use a transformer (good for separating a critical power system and making sure that will always have power over your "main" battery bank - i used this for making sure my airlocks will always be the last things to lose power if the sun never rises.)

Hope that helps a little.

[rottielover]

Helps kind of. I’m using heavy cables. For the airlocks I’ve given them APC (area power controllers) and large battery cell inside (suit sized) hopefully keep the airlocks runing.

I guess I’m confused still on the large size transformer uses

[Flippy]

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1296087448

This is my 6 battery setup at the entrance, on the right is a large transformer so if i use the solid generator it won't overload the cables in front leading to batteries and solar panels.

then out of my batteries i put them directly to small transformers to power the things in my base.

i recommend always using small transformers for the normal cables especially when using APC's because Nuclear batteries can draw 3MW of power when charging (small/large batteries have a much lower power draw i believe)

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1296087497

[rottielover]

Isn’t there a “waste” associated with using a transformer between the solid gen and battery? Heat I would imagine if it were in an atmosphere??

Don’t get me wrong excellent idea I’m just wondering if in the game if you are loosing anything then in terms of KWH per unit of coal “burned”?

[Flippy]

Ive always placed my large transformers outside, ive just assumed they make heat, they might not though.
And yea the transformers do take some power (still very small compared to what the Solid gen outputs) but only when it is limiting the power passing through it i think (correct me if im wrong community?)

The only reason to use them is to stop cables from burning out so only use them where needed, but when they are needed i think there pretty efficient.

[rottielover]

Ok that makes sense. I guess the cable fuses exist for early game before you make and solder?

[Flippy]

yea, fuses only got brought in a few updates back, from feedback i think. Players having to open sealed walls to replace burnt cables early game forcing them to lose atmosphere. Now you can just use a fuse inside the base.

[[BTW] Nicj]

Solid Gen only outputs upto 20kw and heavy cable is rated at 50kw. I have never needed or used a large transformer and my base is running 30 solar panels and 3 large batts. My usage is on average 7kw with everything running. The only use I have found for tx is using a small one to turn off my solar logic at night.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1296282843

[Flippy]

I should first point out that i don't know why i build this way as it far exceeds my needs but maybe its just because i can, but this is why i use large transformers:

i have 2 gens being added either end of my base (i like symmetry) all feeding back into that line along with 20 solars hence the large transformer for each gen as the power potential for the battery line is around 50kw total.

Then, batteries in front of a batteries do need a transformer of some kind. This is how i create redundant electrical systems.
batteries1 > large transformers > batteries2 > small transformer > stuff2
batteries1 > small transfomer > stuff1
stuff2 will allways be the last things to lose power.

I have this grand idea of eventually staggering each system so if power ever did stop coming in first the lights and furnaces stop, then lathes and fabs stop, then atmos systems and lastly airlocks.

You could however just do it using logic circuits and probably be easier.

edit: i forgot heavy cables are 100kw now so rarely a need for large transformer before batteries

[bastian74]

I like to segregate my power and use regular coils. You can have up to 10 cells per power-net. Feed each one into a power controller, then feed the power controllers into a mesh of station batteries. Then on the other side of the station batteries, use transformers to supply 5kw of power to various sections of your base.

[[BTW] Nicj]

Originally posted by bastian74:

I like to segregate my power and use regular coils. You can have up to 10 cells per power-net. Feed each one into a power controller, then feed the power controllers into a mesh of station batteries. Then on the other side of the station batteries, use transformers to supply 5kw of power to various sections of your base.

Each to their own I suppose. Seems unnecessarily complex for no real advantage that I can see. Keeps us all busy though I suppose :)

[Kevin]

This is how i do it.
power generator(solar etc..) -> big battery array -> big transformer >little transformers > Multi apc's > Consumers
Like a tree.
This way you set the big transformer to the total of the little ones then the little ones each draw no more than 5kw and you can fine tune them.
I think the apc's have some regulation.
could be wrong, but i dont blow out wires or cause fires.

[Weyland-Yutani HR]

Originally posted by Kevin:

This is how i do it.
power generator(solar etc..) -> big battery array -> big transformer >little transformers > Multi apc's > Consumers
Like a tree.
This way you set the big transformer to the total of the little ones then the little ones each draw no more than 5kw and you can fine tune them.
I think the apc's have some regulation.
could be wrong, but i dont blow out wires or cause fires.

This is how I've done it except without the large transformer. It's really not necessary.