better Electric Network management

[Tami]

For easier electric managment, it would be nice to add a new power pole. The new power pole is not linked with anything by default. You have to link them manual by using copper cables. In addition there is needed the new sub station. It is not linked automated too, it has 2 wire spots, one for incoming and one for outgoing power.

[NPP] new power pole
[NSS] new sub station

[common electric nework]--link--[NPP]--link--[NSS input][NSS][NSS output]--link--[NPP]--link--[storage]--[Laser Turret]

[Eruyaean]

You can place both of them unlinked if you hold shift while placing.

[Tami]

Nice to know, thanks, but i still need a one direction supplier.

[Garm]

I have no idea how hard it would be to code that in. How about energy inserter that could transfer energy between capacitors. I think that would be easier to implement and use.

[kovarex]

I have some list of things I thing should go into the circuit network:
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... uit#p11678

I had a different idea there, by just using the substation we have, and when it has the signal, the connection is deactivated, so it can split the network in two.

[ssilk]

I had a different idea there, by just using the substation we have, and when it has the signal, the connection is deactivated, so it can split the network in two.

Hehe. Nice.

Question: Is a connection to another network possible with that? Like with the accu?

Some notes:
It has not always a use to have the power-network-info (what does it make sense to see the statistic 1 hour back for one pole with an inserter?), I mean this depends on the size of the network and how many power it uses. Eventually this could spare some CPU to switch the statistics off? Maybe, if the network is too small, generate it only, if you directly click on it...

I found some usages for the accu as an power-limiting element (https://forums.factorio.com/wiki/inde ... ical_times and https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... 871#p11871). It could make sense to make this easier by connecting the accu like the substation (or eventually making the substation also possible to reduce power consumption and priority). Low priority.

It's difficult to keep power networks distincted. The problem is, that the poles try to connect in every case. One of the best ideas I had, to avoid this, is to have some kind of "flag" (a letter or something, which is hissed on every pole, when you assign it). The algorithm to search for a connection to a pole avoids connections to poles of different flags. And "same" is that flag, to which pole you are standing nearest. Or to which network you placed a pole before.

[Tami]

how about managing this via items?

We need 2 new items and 2 new structures.
- empty battery
- filled battery
- battery recharge station
- battery uncharge station

battery have a fixed intern kilojoule value like coal/wood, but batteries can not used in a burner (it would be boom) and they have only 2 states, full or empty.

The battery recharge station produces filled batteries like smelter produced smelted items, it requires empty battery.
The counterpart to recharger is the uncharger, it uncharges a battery and produce power and an empty battery.

some stats about structures:
recharger
Energy consumption: 300W
Production Time: 10 Seconds

uncharger
Energy consumption: 0W (it uses the battery to work)
Production Time: 10 Seconds (for empty battery)
Produced Energy: 250W (or 2500 J)

Batteries can used with the new electric lokomotive, the locomotive consumes 1 battery every 5 seconds (500 Watt used), each car increases the consumption by 100 Watt, so a lokomotive with 5 cars needs 1000 Watt, 1 battery every 2.5 seconds. they are stackable by 64 and trains have 2 slots, one for filled and one for empty batteries. A train with 5 cars can travel 160 seconds until its empty.

If you connect a charger with an uncharger with the same charger via inserters, you have a 2 different power networks.

[kovarex]

Some notes:
It has not always a use to have the power-network-info (what does it make sense to see the statistic 1 hour back for one pole with an inserter?), I mean this depends on the size of the network and how many power it uses. Eventually this could spare some CPU to switch the statistics off? Maybe, if the network is too small, generate it only, if you directly click on it...

This is not an issue, as the statistics are generated only for entities used in the network (just inserter in this case).