Train experiments

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kel
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Train experiments

Post by kel »

trains are a intresting subject for me, and naturaly i wanted to see what i could do to learn about them. so i conducted i couple of experiments.
Most of this should be fairly obious, but i described the experiments in detail for those who are intrested.

Code: Select all

experiment #1 - train speed
===============================
=            Note:            =
= This Experiment is outdated =
= parts may be wrong and      =
= will be edited later        =
===============================
Materials:
===========
(106) Straight rail
(7)    Curved rail
(2)    Rail signal
(1)    Cargo wagon 
(1)    Diesel locomotive
(-)    Item(s) useable as fuel

(-)     stopwatch

space requirements:
==================
25 * 236

Execution:
===========
1) Use 6 Curved rail and 2 Straight rail pieces to build a loop.
2) Place the 7th Curved rail piece facing out of the loop in order
to ensure that the train can exit the loop.
3) Place the remaining 104 Straight rail pieces in a straight line 
after the loops exit.
4) Place a Rail signal facing (yellow arrows) into the loop at the end of the switch track.
5) Place the second Rail rignal the at least 4 rail pieces (8 blocks) 
after the loop-exiting Curved rail piece (same facing).

6) Place the train in the loop and fuel it.
7) Enter the train and accelerate it, the preset key for this is "W".
8) Wait for the train to reach its top speed, then exit by the 
switch track (exit), the preset key for this is either "A"or "D".
9) When you see the the Rail signal change state, immediately start the stopwatch.
10) Stop the watch when the train reaches the end of the line.

Results:
========
Note: results may be slightly
incorrect becuse of lag or timing inaccuracy.  
==============================================================================
=  test #  =  vagons   =       fuel      = time  =     notes    = terminal.v =
==============================================================================
=    1     =     0     =  (10) Coal ore  = 2,88s =  reference   = 259.2 km/h =
==============================================================================
=    2     =     0     =  (10) Coal ore  = 2,81s =  reference   = 259.2 km/h =
==============================================================================
=    3     =     0     =  (20) Wood      = 3,02s =  fuel test   = 259.2 km/h =
==============================================================================
=    5     =     0     =  (20) Wooden.c  = 2,77s =  fuel test   = 259.2 km/h =
==============================================================================
=    6     =     1     =  (10) Coal ore  = 2,90s =  vagon test  = 259.2 km/h =
==============================================================================
=    7     =     1     =  (10) Coal ore  = 2,90s =  full vagon  = 259.2 km/h =
==============================================================================

Conclusion:
============
Trains alvays travel at the same top speed, hovever their rate of acceleration appears
to be different and is to be tested later in Experiment #2.

a train travels at a top speed of 66.66 tps (tiles per second)
according to the hud info, the train travels 72 m/s (meters per second)
this implies that a tile roughly is 0,9 meters wide.

Code: Select all

Experiment # 2 - train acceleration and retardation
Materials:
===========
(106) Straight rail*
(7)    Curved rail
(2)    Cargo wagon
(2)    Gate
(2)    Rail signal** 
(1)    Diesel locomotive
(-)    Item(s) useable as fuel

(-)     stopwatch

**items used in previous
experiment
*3 Straight rail is used
in this experiment 

space requirements:
==================
25 * 236

Execution:
===========
1) Build the same structure as described in
expeiment 1, step 1 to 6.
2) Place the Gates on the first Straight rail piece, located
at the switch track that is exiting the loop.

3) Place the train in the loop and fuel it.
5) Enter the train, the preset key for this is "Enter".
6) Accelerate and simultaneously start the stopwatch.
7) Stop the watch when the train reaches its top speed.
9) Document the time and reset the watch.
10) Start the watch and stop accelerating the train.
11) When the Gate closes, stop the timer.
12) Document and repeat with other fuels and loads.

Results:
========
Note: results may be slightly incorrect to
due of lag and timing inaccuracies.
=================================================================================
= test # = vagons =         fuel        = deac.time = acce.time =     notes     =
=================================================================================
=   1    =   0    =  (10) Coal ore  =    13,37s   =      5,84s    =  reference  =
=================================================================================
=   2    =   0    =  (10) Coal ore  =    13,08s   =      5,89s    =  reference  =
=================================================================================
=   3    =   0    =  (10) Coal ore  =     4,4s    =      5,87s    =breaking.tes =
=================================================================================
=   4    =   0    =  (20) Wood      =    12,82s   =      5,87s    =   fuel test =
=================================================================================
=   5    =   1    =  (10) Coal ore  =    13,48s   =     11,09s    = vagon test  =
=================================================================================
=   6    =   1    =  (10) Coal ore  =    13,08s   =     11,20s    =  full vagon =
=================================================================================
=   7    =   1    =  (10) Coal ore  =    13,24s   =     28,08s    =train as.vago=
=================================================================================
=   8    =   2    =  (10) Coal ore  =    13,23s   =     28,47s    = two vagons  =
=================================================================================

Conclusion:
===========
The total load on a locomotive will slow down
acceleration, but not retardation. 
Therefore trains will always take 13 seconds to 
coast to a halt and 4 seconds to brake when traveling at
the top speed of 259,2 km/h. 
costing train ratardation rate:   19 km/s
breaking train retardation rate: 64 km/s 

another intresting thing is that all items are completly massless when
contained within a Cargo vagon or Diesel locmotive* (witch is a good thing,
try moving 1500 oil refineries weighing 10 tonnes each)

a Diesel locmotive has the weight of two Cargo wagons*

*comfirmed by MadZuri as of Jan 06, 2015

Code: Select all

Experiment #3 - Fuel effiency
Materials:
==========
(106) Straight rail*
(7)    Curved rail
(2)    Cargo wagon 
(1)    Diesel locomotive
(-)    Item(s) useable as fuel

(-)     stopwatch

Execution:
===========
1) Build the structure described in step 1 within Experiment #1

2) Place the locomotive within the loop.
3) Fuel the train with an variable type and amount of fuel.
4) Enter the Locomotive, the preset key for this is "Enter"
5) Accelerate the train the preset key for this is either "A" or "D"
6) Imidiately start the stopwatch
7) When the train starts to deaccelerate, stop the watch
8) Repeat step 2-7 with various fuels and cargo.

Results:
=======
Note:
Results may be inaccurate to due to lag or timing inaccuracies.
=================================================================================================================================================
= test # = vagons      =       fuel(1)           =            fuel(2)           =           fuel(3)            =  runtime  =        notes       =
=================================================================================================================================================
=    1    =     0      =        (1) Coal ore     =             None             =             None             =   13,85s  =   Reference  test  =
=================================================================================================================================================
=    2    =     0      =        (1) Coal ore     =             None             =             None             =   13,87s  =   Reference  test  =
=================================================================================================================================================
=    3    =     1      =        (1) Coal ore     =             None             =             None             =   13,85s  =  1vgn Cargo test   =
=================================================================================================================================================
=    4    =     2      =        (1) Coal ore     =             None             =             None             =   13,84s  =  2vgn Cargo test   =
=================================================================================================================================================
=    5    =     0      =        (1) Wood         =          (1) Wood            =          (1) Wood            =    9,95s  = Fuel priority test =
=================================================================================================================================================
=    6    =     0      =        (1) Coal ore     =          (1) Wood            =   (1) Small electric pole    =   22,50s* = Fuel priority test =
=================================================================================================================================================
=    7    =     0      =        (1) Raw wood     =            None              =            None              =    7,24s  = Fuel effiency test =
=================================================================================================================================================
=    8    =     0      =          (1) Wood       =            None              =             None             =    4,17s  = Fuel effiency test =
=================================================================================================================================================
=    9    =     0      = (1) Small electric.p    =            None              =             None             =    6,97s  = Fuel effiency test =
=================================================================================================================================================
=   10    =     0      = (1) Wooden chest        =            None              =             None             =    6,97s  = Fuel effiency test =
=================================================================================================================================================
=   11    =     0      =      (1) Solid fuel     =             None             =              None            =   42,27s  = Fuel effiency test =
=================================================================================================================================================
=   12    =     0      =        (2) Wood         =             None             =             None             =    7,05s  = Fuel stacking test =
=================================================================================================================================================
*this time is an aproximation because of its insignificance

Conclusion:
==========
Diesel locomotives will consume fuel at a constant rate while accelerating, despite cargo.
This means that a train with two locomotives will always consume twice the fuel of one.
This may be useful if you want to conserve fuel or use Combinator logic to control trains.

Wood (4th place):
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Wood has a burn time of 4 seconds per item.
Burning of this item is almost exclusively done at the
start of a world or if there is a surplus present.
becuse of its short burn time, Wood can potentialy be used
as a way to accurately restricting the run time of a train

Small electic pole , Wooden chest and Raw wood(3rd place):
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
these three wooden items have a burn time of 7 seconds per item.
The small electric pole has such a low energy cost to generation ratio that
it is almost completely useless as a fuel.

Coal ore (2nd place):
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Coal ore have a burn time of 14 seconds per item
Because Coal ore does not require any prossessing after mining 
to be used as a fuel, it is a common fuel to be used to power trains.

Solid fuel (1st place):
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Solid fuel has the highest burn time of 42 seconds per item.
Solid fuel is not only the most effient fuel but also a renewable item
Currently there are only 2 renwable items in the game.

Unfinshed experiment
feel free to use my results, just dont forget to leave credit
(Experiment # 4 is a work in progress)
Last edited by kel on Mon Nov 16, 2015 9:56 pm, edited 13 times in total.

MrDoomah
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Re: Train experiments

Post by MrDoomah »

vagons will slow down acceleration, but not retardation
witch is against the concept of inertia.
While only the locomotive has an engine, every wagon has brakes.

kel
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Re: Train experiments

Post by kel »

MrDoomah wrote:
kel wrote:vagons will slow down acceleration, but not retardation
witch is against the concept of inertia.
While only the locomotive has an engine, every wagon has brakes.
I was very tired at the time of writing that is also why parts of the
text was unreadable.

thanks for pointing it out!

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MadZuri
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Re: Train experiments

Post by MadZuri »

In the game code, locomotives have a weight of 2000, and cargo wagons 1000 regardless of what's IN either. Every unit has a "friction" value, and I believe its the same for both. Power-to-weight ratio is not the sole determinate to acceleration and top-speed, as the added friction from length will reduce both of those values. Turns have no effect on train speed or acceleration.

kel
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Re: Train experiments

Post by kel »

MadZuri wrote:In the game code, locomotives have a weight of 2000, and cargo wagons 1000 regardless of what's IN either. Every unit has a "friction" value, and I believe its the same for both. Power-to-weight ratio is not the sole determinate to acceleration and top-speed, as the added friction from length will reduce both of those values. Turns have no effect on train speed or acceleration.
its kinda hard to make any good asumptions of the data i collected, as trains
seem to choose wich laws of physics they want to obey.
another intresting thing i noticed when testing from (not included in result section) 3 Vagons to 5 vagons was that the
speed cap seemed (might be wrong) to remain the same, but the trains started to accelerate slower as their speed increased.

thank you for confirming my conclusion

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