Multipipes, you cannot mix fluids at all

[darkfrei]

Something like this:


The pipe has inside multiple amount of pipes, but when you try to connect two fluids, you connect just outside pipes, but inside pipes are always separated.

The throughput by such connection will be lower, but you can use separated lines for big fluid amounts.

If to the pipe connected n fluids, then the throughput of each will be also n times slower.

[Koub]

I'm not sure this is really used as a multi-fluid pipe in real life. I would guess such an arrangement is solely for transportation purpose, as the small pipes are stacked optimally (max number of pipes in a given volume, stackable).

[AngledLuffa]

It would be nice to be able to set flamethrower turrets to use either light or heavy depending on which is more available. That used to be possible, but I don't think it is now.

[JimBarracus]

I'm not sure this is really used as a multi-fluid pipe in real life. I would guess such an arrangement is solely for transportation purpose, as the small pipes are stacked optimally (max number of pipes in a given volume, stackable).

you're right, thats just for transport
that's what a heat exchanger would look like
must be a pita to weld all the pipes

anyway, no one would use it to build a "multi-pipe"

[slippycheeze]

Most relevantly, a real life multi-pipe is actually a single, regular, huge pipe that carries multiple things. Separated by something or other -- frequently, "whatever, the mixture is fine treated as the lower grade", sometimes water or other fluids that don't mix, sometimes just thrown away.

See a real world comment about batching petrochemicals for an example.

At some point I'm certain I heard about a more advanced version of this, which used a buffer fluid -- water, perhaps, though that'd exclude lighter products -- and a packet switching design that had multiple routes, but I can't find anything documenting it now.