Automated Combustion Engine Cooling System

[ThatGamingGnome]

As the image suggests this is my automated combustion engine regulator. With the help of computercraft and opencc sensors this system will automatically turn off your combustion engines if they are going to explode.

Check out the video for a bit more detailed explanation of what this is all about and how you can get this working on your Tekkit world!

More pictures available at http://imgur.com/a/bCgVP

Startup Program (http://pastebin.com/xq2dzKgs)

shell.run("power")

Power Program (http://pastebin.com/uSSLzH4n)

os.unloadAPI("ocs/apis/sensor")

os.loadAPI("ocs/apis/sensor")

local prox = sensor.wrap("top")

local targets = prox.getTargets()

local running = true

local water = 0

function engine()

--Read data from sensor

    for k, v in pairs(targets) do

        --If there are any combustion engines we will read

        --their internal water tank data

        if ((v.Name) == "Combustion Engine") then

            local targetsDetail = prox.getTargetDetails(k)

            for key, value in pairs(targetsDetail.Tanks) do

                --We run through every tank checking the water

                water = (targetsDetail.Tanks[2].Amount)

            end

        end

    end

    --We compare if the water is greater than 1000 units

    --If it is not greater we turn off the engines

    if (water > 1000) then

        rs.setOutput("back", true)

    else

        rs.setOutput("back", false)

        sleep(3)

    end

    sleep(2)

end

while true do

    --This checks if the lever is on or off

    if rs.getInput("front") == true then

        rs.setOutput("back", false)

    else

        engine()

    end

sleep(1)

end

[Viktor_Berg]

This is very interesting. However, this functionality can be easily achieved using some pretty simple buildcraft gates (I think iron ones would suffice). How about expanding your program? For instance, you can add a system to "juggle" the engines between red and yellow states with no coolant, so that you can get the best efficiency possible. Or maybe a system to automatically shed (disconnect) one combustion engine at a time until the water supply is able to support the engines remaining online. Or how about the same system for fuel? How about you combine the fuel monitoring system with the "juggling" one, and create a system which constantly monitors fuel supply, and ensures that the amount of running combustion engines is EXACTLY at the point where every engine can juggle between red and yellow states with the given amount of fuel? Think of your possibilities as if it was a modern car engine, with electronic injection and throttle controls.

Also, since this is Tekkit, you can use the RedNet color coded outputs to connect each engine individually.

[ThatGamingGnome]

If you check out the video I actually mention some of this briefly. I plan on making this program far more robust once computercraft can support the RedNet cables (most likely next update). This program actually used to include alot more with the RP2 bundled cable, but I had to cut all that out for obvious reasons. I hope to add the above mentioned and hopefully I can include a separate computer that will output data onto some graphs, because shit becomes more scientific when there's graphs.

I think as far as trying to do this with just iron pipes or anything without the computer is against the point, unless there is some way to ensure engines will not explode with iron pipes.

[cerevox]

If you have an aqueous accumulator pumping straight into a combustion engine which is pumping energy into a redstone energy conduit, I don't think it will ever explode. I can't promise that, but from how I understand it to work, that should be perpetually stable.