Is there a way, in vanilla alpha 11, to automate the shifting of fluids, so that e.g. my factory automatically activates some Pumps or Chemical Plants if some of my Tanks are more than 90% full of Crude Oil? The purpose would be to automate the starting and stopping of various cracking processes or barrelling processes.
I'm guessing the answer is no, since the red/green wire system requires Smart Chests to work and there is no equivalent Smart Tanks. But just in case the answer isn't no, I'm asking...
Is there a way to automate oil/fluid handling?
Re: Is there a way to automate oil/fluid handling?
No, but there probably will be way to do that .12 (aka logic update) and there is chance it will appear in ~5 weeks according to some unofficial and not reliable info I got 
Re: Is there a way to automate oil/fluid handling?
Using the "Stall Resistant Oil" procedure (found here https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=8&t=8151 ) you can force the priority of oil/fluid production. For instance, if you want to store several tanks of crude prior to refining it, you run the crude into a storage tank. From one outlet you place a pump that forces the crude into more crude oil reserve storage tanks. From another outlet you run a pipe to your refineries. No crude oil will make it to your refineries until your crude oil storage is filled or there is a power failure and the pump stops working.
I don't see a reason to reserve crude, but here is a schematic I developed to prioritize the other fluids. Shaded arrows are pumps.
I don't see a reason to reserve crude, but here is a schematic I developed to prioritize the other fluids. Shaded arrows are pumps.
- OIL HANDLING.gif (39.14 KiB) Viewed 3156 times