Power Switch with meter

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TheoMarque
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Power Switch with meter

Post by TheoMarque »

TL;DR
Power switch can measure power wattage trough prongs
What ?
Add this information for better power management in non solid bases. New functionality giving few signals:
P - Measured power in Watts
D - Demanded power in network
A problem is metering "direction". Maybe add checkbox for "diode" functionality (with arrow on sprite) or detect non looped network?
If electricity is like fluid in game - why not electricity haven't own "pumps" (only for direction, not for "draining" power from other parts of factory)?
Why ?
Now I building large, module based factory, and power demand can spike up to 10 GW, but typical power consuming is around 3-4 GW. It forces me for enormous scale of Nuclear Power Plants and hundreds of accumulators (even using circuits).
It can be effective to prioritize parts of factory like defense, ammo production, mining and other usages/parts. I think, add this function is not super important, and if can be achievable by mods - will be great.

Yoyobuae
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Re: Power Switch with meter

Post by Yoyobuae »

TheoMarque wrote:
Tue Aug 11, 2020 2:35 pm
If electricity is like fluid in game - why not electricity haven't own "pumps" (only for direction, not for "draining" power from other parts of factory)?
Except it is not. There's no fluid like simulation of electrical flow.

The electrical system in Factorio could mostly be simulated using a spreadsheet with entities that produce/consume power in each of the rows. Factorio basically just calculates the power balance, kinda like an accountant. There are a few complications like priorities but in the end it is all extremely simple.
TheoMarque wrote:
Tue Aug 11, 2020 2:35 pm
if can be achievable by mods - will be great.
I made one such mod:
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/yoyobuae-transformer

It adds an entity which allows flow between networks in a single direction. And it can output the amount of power flow to the circuit network.

TheoMarque
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Re: Power Switch with meter

Post by TheoMarque »

[/quote]
I made one such mod:
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/yoyobuae-transformer

It adds an entity which allows flow between networks in a single direction. And it can output the amount of power flow to the circuit network.
[/quote]

Can you expand your mod for higher tiers od transformers? 6MW is to small in GW networks.
And add powercable connector (built in pole with 1x1 effect area), signal on sprite direction, update entity name on power tab.

foamy
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Re: Power Switch with meter

Post by foamy »

The information exists -- you can read it off power poles -- so being able to read from some entity the supply and demand for the connected electrical grids ought to be possible.

There's some issues, though, that I can see. First, using a power switch means you're overloading the circuit toggle, so your switch would have to either read data or send data (as e.g. chests do). Second, an open (disconnected) switch is connected to two power grids -- so which one does it send? Does it aggregate?

It might be better to create an entirely new entity that can do so. I think there's a mod combinator with that functionality?

You can also get some of what you want with vanilla combinators. Edge detection setups on accumulators can tell you whether your grid is charging or discharging, and if so, how fast; I use them all the time as a brownout warning and/or to trigger a power consumption stepdown. Likewise you can rig a flow sensor to track how hard your steam power setups are working.

Yoyobuae
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Re: Power Switch with meter

Post by Yoyobuae »

TheoMarque wrote:
Tue Aug 11, 2020 7:13 pm
Can you expand your mod for higher tiers od transformers? 6MW is to small in GW networks.
Planning to implement this as a mod setting. Rather than multiple tiers you just select the power capacity of transformers.
TheoMarque wrote:
Tue Aug 11, 2020 7:13 pm
And add powercable connector (built in pole with 1x1 effect area)
I'm not sure if this can be implemented cleanly.
TheoMarque wrote:
Tue Aug 11, 2020 7:13 pm
signal on sprite direction
Not sure what you mean by this.
TheoMarque wrote:
Tue Aug 11, 2020 7:13 pm
update entity name on power tab.
Done.

TheoMarque
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Re: Power Switch with meter

Post by TheoMarque »

[/quote]
Planning to implement this as a mod setting. Rather than multiple tiers you just select the power capacity of transformers.
Only 2-4 tiers, for preventing blackout from too high power consumption (power limiter ;) )
I'm not sure if this can be implemented cleanly.
Check BioIndustries mod, a biofarm have it.

Not sure what you mean by this. Information about direction is only on tool tip: Source EAST -> Output WEST. I thonk, there is a problem with direction Independence.

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