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Buildcraft Pipes/Engines/Pumps?


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I want to run geo-thermal power from 2 volcano's really close to my processing plant. I also will be building some quarries. I have been reading up on Buildcraft pipes and engines and have a few questions.

To operate the pump for the lava I will need a combustion engine. Which will need oil and water and I should refine the oil into fuel. So then I will also need combustion engines for the pumps pumping the water, oil, and running the refinery. I will also need each combustion engine to have a source of fuel and water. I do not want to have to manually fill these all the time.

1. So does that mean I will have to have two pipe systems going to each and every combustion engine, one with water and one with fuel? As well as the original output pipes that are pumping out the water, oil, lava, and fuel?

2. If that is correct can the water pipe and fuel pipes be split off into several directions going to each engine?

3. Can a redstone engine pump the water, lava, oil, fuel, etc out of the storage tanks regardless of distance?

4. Is there a waterproof version of a teleport pipe that could be used to teleport the fuel, water, and lava to where they need to be?

5. I have read in most places that redstone engines cannot overheat and cannot explode, but then I have also read in some that they can, so what is correct regarding this?

I think I understand what needs to be done, but I'm not sure, it seems like a lot of work for something as simple as trying to get some lava down to my processing plant to provide me with some EU's during the nighttime as I slowly acquire the materials to cover my roof with Solar flowers. Although maybe it's supposed to be this much work to make it automated.

Thanks in advance for your help.

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I would use redstone engines to pump the fuel out. Use 4. Never seen on explode. I would

If you use combustion engines for anything, they need water or they will overheat and explode. They accept either fuel or oil.

I would have have the lava pumped directly into the geo-thermals, perhaps with a few buffer tanks for overflow. I would then use an energy link to power the quarrys (make sure to place it directly aganst the quarry and NOT put a pipe between).

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1.) Yes, you'll have two waterproof lines going into each engine. They are smart enough, however, that you don't need to worry about what side to put things into.

2.) Yep, they can be split. Be aware that generally, one pump with four redstone engines can reliably only cool 3 combustion engines. It's better to separate these lines.

3.) Yes, it is fine. Only thing that really matters is the capacity of the line. I would stick with golden waterproof pipes for maximum effect.

4.) Yes. The recipe should be an item teleport pipe with waterproofing.

5) Redstone engines will not explode as long as they have something to pump the energy into. This includes a wooden pipe, or the pump itself.

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I have more questions. I have been reading about building power generator stations. Using combustion engines all connected to conductive pipes. I have also been looking into using teleport pipes rather than long pipe systems running all over the place from water, lava, oil, and fuel pumps. I would also setup a tank station where all the lava, water, oil, and fuel is stored in a bunch of tanks and distributed out from there using teleport pipes. So here's the questions:

1. If I build enough for expansion later on and say 2 rows of 6 combustion engines hooked up to conductive pipe. Can I put a single teleport pipe on that and distribute power to all the various pumps, refineries, quarries, etc using 1 sending teleport pipe and multiple teleport recieving pipes all on the same frequency?

2. If I use the above build with 12 combustion engines, if properly cooled, is there a chance that they generate more power than is being used and can cause problems, explosions, etc or is that not an issue?

3. With the tank storage, teleporting water and fuel to the engines can they also use 1 teleport pipe sending the liquid to the engine area then distributing it to all 12 engines on 1 line split off to each engine or is that too many splits?

4. Will storage tanks overflow if the liquid inside is not being used fast enough?

Thanks for all your help. I am trying my best to wrap my head around all this and get some more advanced stuff up and running. I think I spend more time watching YouTube videos than I actually do playing the game. Haha.

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1. Yes, you can have multiple reciver pipes for one frequency if I recall right. But there is a catch. Teleport pipes have distance related loss just like other pipes. It is less then the golden pipes, but over very far distances you'll find the energy is lost entirely. As far as I am aware if you want to go /really/ far you will either need a huge amount of engines, or to use an item based soltuion (ender chests with EU crystals e.t.c.)

2. Combustion engines will not explode if properly cooled, regardless of use.

3. Not sure what your saying, but a common problem people get with teleport pipes is having to much liquid being teleported into one pipe. If you have a lot of liquid in the system, make multiple teleport pipes.

5. I am honestly not sure, but I'm pritty sure they don;t. not sure what happons to the left over liquid.

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Awesome, thank you. I don't know why I didn't think of this before, I guess because I am doing all this legit, without giving myself items with the NEI mod. However I think I am going to give myself some equipment and then go out somewhere and do some testing then trash the stuff and use legit materials to make my real stuff.

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