Plumbing

Some mechanics of the game related to pipes will be considered.

As a rule liquid and gas pipes obey common mechanics, with some differences: for example, the gas pipe contains only 1 kg of gas and one pump is not enough to fill the whole pipe. In contrast to the liquid pipe, which holds 10 kg and 1 pump is enough. I will apply what is clearer visually, with reservations if necessary.

Many mechanics will be covered later, such as the automatics associated with the pipes.

There are also articles planned in this series: Electrics and Automatics.

The article will be supplemented.

Simple connection
Many mechanisms have a port for incoming (indicated by a white symbol) and outgoing (indicated by a green symbol) pipe. In a simple case, it is enough to connect the outlet of the mechanism (pump in fig.1) to the receiving mechanism (liquid vent on the screen). Sometimes it is necessary to engage both pipes, incoming and outgoing. Fig.2 shows the connection of the Carbon Skimmer (left) to the Water Sieve (right).

Serial connection
The inputs of several buildings can most often be connected in series. Fig.1 shows the connection of several hydroponic cells. However, in Fig.2, the water does not reach the left vent, all of it pours out in the right vent. In this case, the appropriate solution would be a parallel connection of the vents, as in Fig.3. In this case, a series connection of Gas Vent and Liquid Vent in some cases is useful. The figure shows 2 Gas Vent placed in different rooms. The left one has reached the limit pressure (1800g), the vent is blocked and the gas goes further.

Parallel connection
Fig.1 (top, left) shows the connection of 2 pumps in series. In this case, the pump on the right is not functioning because the pipe has been completely filled by the pump on the left. For both pumps to function, they must be connected in parallel, as in Fig. 2.

The connection of 2 generators is shown below. Their input ports are connected in series (one after the other) and their output ports in parallel, otherwise the right generator would stall.

Dividing and merging the tubes
In Fig.1 there is another pipe departing from the main pipe. Portions of the substance (gas on the screen) are divided equally, first into one and then into the other pipe. In Fig.2 one of the pipes (right pipe) is clogged and all incoming gas went to the left pipe. Also the gas will not go into a pipe that is not connected to anything, as in Fig.3.

Merging the pipes (Fig.4) is done as follows: the gas portions go into the outlet pipe alternately, first from one pipe, then from the other.

Divider
This gas divider network splits a single source unevenly across 4 outputs with the help of 3 sequential dividers. At the first divide, 50% of the gas goes to exhaust #1 and the remaining 50% continues in the network. At the second divide, the remaining 50% is split again, and 25% goes to output #2, leaving 25% in the system. At the third divider, the remaining 25% is split one final time, and 12.5% travels to both of the final 2 outputs.

Pipe Crossing
Fig.1 shows a simple union of pipes. Gas will be mixed in them. That the gases are not mixed use bridges (gas and liquid). In Fig.2, one pipe crosses another without mixing, and in Fig.3 the pipe crosses (passes without mixing) 3 pipes at once.

Closed Loop
The screen shows a closed circuit. The gas in it moves from the output of the bridge to its input, with no energy consumption. This simple method is very often used in various heat exchangers. It is enough to run such a circuit between the hot region of the base and the cold region, and after some time, the temperature in them will equalize.

Bridges
Bridge inputs have higher priority than normal pipe. Junctions with multiple output paths will always send fluid toward a bridge before a normal pipe (Fig.1, left). Fluid will only pass through normal pipe instead of a bridge when the path through the bridge is blocked (Fig. 2, right). Conversely, bridge outputs have lower priority than normal pipe. Junctions with multiple inputs will pull from normal pipe before pulling from the bridge (Fig. 1) unless the main pipe is empty (Fig. 2) or there are gaps in the fluid (Fig. 3).

If the same gas flows through the main pipe (the main pipe to which the bridge is inserted with its outlet) and the pipe is not filled completely (Fig. 4.) gas from the bridge and the main pipe will merge.

Heat transfer by bridges


The bridges can also be used for heat transfer. Shown from left to right are pipe bridge, gas bridge (both made of granite), wire bridge, automation bridge, and conveyor bridges (copper).

More efficient (but also more expensive than others - 400 kg of ore) turned out to be the conveyor bridge, worse than the others - the bridge of automatics. Also, the efficiency is affected by the material from which the bridge is made.

Bypass
The bridge is often used to organize the bypass. In the screenshot, gas is moving along the yellow pipe, from the outlet port of the Thermo Regulator (TR), to its inlet port. As soon as the TR stops, the gas movement stops and so does the heat exchange between the pipe and the room. This problem is solved by the bypass. When the TR stops, the gas goes through the white pipe, through the bridge, into the main circuit. Thus the gas movement in the pipe never stops.

The configuration on the right is a more compact version.

Filter
The simplest filter is the regular gas (liquid) filter (Fig.1). It is enough to select the desired gas, and it will go into the yellow (side outlet). Its disadvantage is 120W consumption.

Mechanical filter (Fig.2.) consumes nothing, but is a little more complicated to build. Connect the pipes as on the screen and set it to the minimum flow - 0.1 g/s. On the downside: this 0.1g/s (0.01%) will not be filtered and will go into the main pipe. Also, if the outgoing pipe (right in the screenshots) gets clogged, all the gas will go into the main pipe. The filter on the sensor is shown in Fig. 3. In the sensor settings you select the desired gas and it will go into the right pipe. The disadvantage is serious - if there is a power failure, all the gas will go into the main pipe.

For filtration of gases and liquids quite exotic schemes can be used, such as the one shown in the bottom screen.

Filled pipe sensor
It can be useful to know when a pipe is clogged. For example, if the oxygen consumption from a electrolyzer has dropped, it must be stopped so that it does not consume idle energy and water. This is what a clogged pipe sensor is for.

On the sensor, you select the desired gas. In normal mode, the gas goes by the bridge rule through the main pipe (left in Fig.1), and only if the outgoing pipe is clogged, the gas will go to the right pipe, through the sensor. The sensor, through the NOT-gate, will turn off the electrolyzer (the screenshot turns on the lamps).

The right screen shows the same thing, but in a more compact form. The options are equivalent.

Pipe Seal
Many installations, such as a natural gas generator, emit a resource (carbon dioxide) in small portions (22g/s). It is not possible to cut into this pipe with a bridge - the bridge will be infinitely inferior. To solve this problem and serves as a pipe seal. Small doses of gas at the inlet, gas at the outlet in fuller portions.

There was a question about how it is arranged. I hope the screenshot will help:

Balancer
The screenshot shows a scheme for mixing gases in equal proportions. I don't know where it can be used, but it might be useful.

Compressors
For storing gases/liquids, you can use conventional storage facilities or you can use compressors (endless storage facilities). The advantages of the former are that they are elementary to build and do not require a pump to pump the resource out of the tank. The advantages of the latter are that their capacity is not limited.

Figure 1 shows a gas compressor. It is enough to fill the grid with liquid below its blocking threshold (e.g. 1kg). Fig.2 shows a liquid compressor. The doors are needed to withstand the high pressure of the liquid. If you surround the pump with regular blocks, they will break from the high pressure.

It can be useful to add a pressure sensor to both squeezers: atmospheric (the first one) and liquid (the second one).

Hot Fluid Pumping


This scheme can be used to pump hot liquids (up to and including magma, liquid steel, etc.). It has been used by here and here.

The pump pumps alternately a portion of magma, with a temperature of about 1650°C and a portion of naphtha, a drop of which is cooled by a separate circuit. This technique allows the pump to heat slightly above the temperature of the naphtha, and it can even be made of copper (a steel pump was used for reassurance). The naphtha drips back under the pump every time it passes the elemental sensor on the tube.

Naphtha was chosen because it has the highest viscosity of the liquids available. There can be a 30 kg drop on the tile without flowing, unlike crude oil/petroleum at 0.3 kg or ethanol and all types of water at 0.03 kg.

The pump will still be slow to heat up, so a cooling circuit with regular water goes through the naphtha.

Temperature overshoot
If the liquid (in the screenshot) or gas in the pipe is cooled below the freezing threshold or heated above the vaporization threshold, the pipe will start to get damaged and the liquid/gas will flow out of it. Eventually, the pipe will break and transportation through it will stop.

This can be avoided by moving less than 10% of the pipe's capacity through it: 99g or less for gases, and 999g for liquids. In the screenshot, a pipe with water heated to 1400°C passes through the magma, and the pipe does not break.

Another way to avoid pipe damage is the property of bridges - they sort of teleport the substance, not allowing heat exchange with the surrounding space, which reduces the probability of transition of the substance to another state.

Ejector


The Oil Reservoir scheme required the addition of 10% (1 kg) of normal temperature water to the circulating water, superheated to 500°C and with a volume of 10% (1 kg). An ordinary bridge (left-hand scheme) would add one more of the same ball of water to 1 kg and the pipe would burst, as the volume would become 2 kg, and the 10% rule would no longer work.

The right-hand scheme is devoid of this disadvantage, because the valve, unlike the bridge, will not add liquid to the pipe, even if the same liquid passes by it.

The valve must be supplied with a logical "1" (e.g. with a signal switch). There is no need to change its state in operation.

Full heat exchanger
The normal version of the heat exchanger (such as the one under the turbine, left in the screenshot), does not retain fluid. Even if the fluid intake has stopped or the fluid was not flowing in full packets, it will follow on without stopping.

In the right screenshot, the heat exchanger will not only compact the fluid to full volume (10kg), but it will not let the fluid out further if the incoming flow has stopped. This will allow the fluid to circulate much longer. In addition, the cooler liquid, which has already been through several laps, will be the first to leave the heat exchanger. All this increases the efficiency of the heat transfer.

The same can be applied to a gas heat exchanger.

Resource dispenser


In some schemes it is required to precisely count the volume of inputs. For example, in the scheme of petroleum cooking, the chamber had to be fed with strictly 5010 g of oil. An ordinary valve will not help - if there is an interruption in oil supply, the last ball would go into the cooking chamber, a smaller quantity.

In this scheme, the valve doses the right amount of water, excess water circulates in the circuit. As soon as the sensor stops detecting water, the Liquid shutoff closes, the valve passes the last portion, and the circuit begins to "wait" for water.

Bottom screen too, but in a more compact form.

Resource counter


The article "Automation" describes this simple resource meter.

Some other piping based schemes are also described there.

Escher Falls


Build a structure like the one in Fig. 1. There should be oxygen above the water and carbon dioxide in the tube.

Fill up with water, break first the tube and then the gas vent (Fig. 2). You have 1 cube each of carbon dioxide and oxygen surrounded by water.

Add more water, remove the excess. You have an endless waterfall without any input of energy (Fig. 3). The water will rise up, fall down, squeeze through the 2 gas cells, rise up...and so on forever.

This scheme is used to lift liquids upward, without expending energy. Unlike a pump, it has a much higher capacity and can be used to move not only normal liquids, but also very hot liquids such as magma, molten steel, wolframite, etc.

If you build it up a bit and put a heavier liquid (the oil in the gif) on the step, you get a waterfall. It is used for vertical heat exchangers, as a airlock, etc. If you turn it to the left, you get a cluster pump. It is often used for pumping gases.

Toilet
Closed toilet system is very popular. I do not use one, for several reasons at once. The screenshot shows an approximate view of the toilet I use in the early to mid game. It is designed for 13 dupes. Why this is the case:
 * 13 dupes is a nice number, 10 of them will stay at the base, 3 will become astronauts and won't get out of the rockets
 * Less than 4 toilets is enough for all of them if you schedule them differently
 * This is the "no sweat" version of the game, for which hand-washing facilities are basically unnecessary. There is one at the back of the map, not hooked up anywhere, just to get the "no handwashing facilities built" message out of the way
 * You need one shower. It quickly removes debuffs and increases morale
 * All polluted water goes into the synthesizer fertilizer - and the plants grow faster and do not need a large farm. It also reduces the consumption of water. It is periodically turned off, because so much fertilizer is not needed (the automatics in the screen is not shown)
 * Remaining water goes to the Thimble Reed. It steadily lacks water, so there is no overflow of the system. But nevertheless, its fibers are enough for Snazzy suits, and by the time of space exploration, for atmosuits as well. A lot of fiber goes into the insulator. That's why I start growing it as soon as I build the toilet
 * The farm is small, because at first the Mealwood helps, a little later Pacu, and then Pacu closes the issue with food.

As the colony grows, the number of reed cells should be increased. And 4 toilets is enough for a colony up to 20 dupes.

Thus, I don't recommend using self-contained toilet systems: you'll just waste energy, sand, and space on water purification. You will still have to find polluted water, pump it out (waste energy again) and grow reed.

Toilet, closed loop
I was rightly rebuked on reddit for not showing the classic closed loop toilet. I stand corrected.

The principle is simple - polluted water goes to the water sieve, and its residue to the hydroponic farm to the Thimble reed. The storage bin contains filtering material: sand and/or regolith.

You can add a Auto-sweeper to the circuit so that duples don't have to run to add filtrate to the water sieve. To prevent PO exhale from polluted dirt, it make sense to add compost pile in the sweeper range, or drop pokeshell.

Brief conclusion: By cycle 500, a typical base looks something like this:

I hope this article helps you figure out the pipeline in this game.