Suggestion: Regulator

    What is wanted in a variety of posts that I have seen listed is some way to direct power down one path if it is needed else direct the remaining down another path. This was inspired specifically by this thread.


    Thus I propose the Regulator. The name is not quite accurate for what it does so perhaps a new one would be better, but it works for a temporary name. Starting with an example:

    Code
    / Storage(MFE/MFSU/BB's/whatever) -> Primary facilities
Power Gen -> Regulator
               	\ Mass_Generator/Etc...


    A Regulator could be a block where when wrenched, have its primary output on that side, and the secondary on the opposite side, taking power on all other sides. Whatever power it receives would be directed to the primary for everything that wants however much power it supplies, any remaining goes to the Secondary output.


    An example, the above Power Gen feeds 64EU/t to the Regulator:

    • The Storage is empty because all manner of devices are in use down the line so all 64 EU/t goes to the Storage line.
    • Now say the storage is almost full, has a 16 EU/t drain due to one or two devices down the line taking that, thus the Regulator feeds 16 EU/t to the storage/Primary line and the remaining 48 EU/t goes to the Secondary/Backup/Whatever line.
    • Or if nothing is in use on the primary and all storage is full then all 64 EU/t would go to the Secondary/Backup/Whatever line.
    • Or if nothing needs energy on both sides then no energy is passed at all.


    I leave it up to you all to determine which voltages it can handle and/or if their are multiple tiers of it like the Transformers and so forth.

    I whole-heartedly approve of this suggestion, and I'm going to try to make it into an addon. My perspective is that there be 3 tiers to match the low side of the transformers. I'm not sure about designating primary/secondary sides, my current idea is top/bottom is primary/secondary, but that strikes me as rather inflexible. I am interested in input on side designation. I don't want it to be too complex, but maybe wrench right click designates primary, and the prior primary becomes the new secondary?

    It actually seems like this is impossible as a single block(the way the Energy Net works) so it would have to be 2 blocks (or more). Still investigating.

    Quote from CovertJaguar

    Personally, a EV or HV version is probably all that's needed. No one cares about power overflow on low capacity grids.


    I leave no range out(although I didn't do a EV version, I think EV is just too high power for anything but transformer to transformer, but if someone wants it, I can probably add it).


    Some may want a LV version for some reason, and I didn't want to make it so you'd have to use the HV one for it.


    Link to addon post http://forum.industrial-craft.…page=Thread&threadID=1143

    Quote from CovertJaguar

    Well if you are using it for grid to grid overflow, you will want it to be EV.

    O.O
    I've honestly never had a grid that big.
    I'll see about adding EV on the next version though, but I gotta go to bed in a few minutes.

    That was quick, woke up this morning to find that someone already made an addon of this suggestion?


    Actually, considering if it needs to be broken into two blocks, if it could be put into the normal game then perhaps one of the blocks should be an existing block, like a power storage or a transformer, and the regulator itself could be the block next to it that just siphons off extra power.

    That would be possible, but would either need to be like the electrolyzer(siphon off if above 95%) or need to alter existing blocks. My main concern is to not tie up a lot of energy just to allow excess to be siphoned. I dont like to have an mfsu that needs to be filled, I usually have a main HV line that gets transformed down to MV/LV as need be.