Suggestion: Balancer

1st Official Post

    Name:
    Balancer


    Describtion:
    This would be a type of special Block that attaches only to storage units. The purpose of this would be to even out the amount of energy in the storage units next to it. It would have 2 options, one is to balance amount of energy by percent, the other by absolute amount of EU. It should have a Limit of maybe 512 EU/t. An additional feature this block could have is that when it gets an input, it automatically distributes the energy to the Storage unit with the lowest amount of energy.


    This would be extremely useful for making parallel storage units, as as of now, usually such Energy storage systems usually get used one by one.


    Recipe:
    :Refined Iron: = EU detector cable


    :Refined Iron: :Advanced Circuit: :EC Meter:
    :Glass Fibre: :Advanced Machine: :Glass Fibre:
    :EC Meter: :Advanced Circuit: :Refined Iron:

    Not sure if it has been suggested before, but this seems like it would be useful for many things. Is the 512/EUt the limit for the maximum transferd, or the amount it can take for direct input? Anyway, I like this suggestion.

    Haikus are poems

    They don't always make sense

    Potato

    Quote from Sebra

    I do not see any single use for it.
    Can you show an example where it needed?

    For example to run your machine on a side, your massfab on the others, when knowing the percentage of the energy you produce needs your machine.
    +1 for the suggestion, as I would use it too.


    Soon with Molten Salt Reactors, right ? :D
    NERF THA FUSION REACTOR!

    • Official Post
    Quote from MatLaPatate

    For example to run your machine on a side, your massfab on the others, when knowing the percentage of the energy you produce needs your machine.
    +1 for the suggestion, as I would use it too.

    Massfab? I use my "MISEL Mk II"-Design to limit its consumption 100% effectively on fresh Scrap, so thats not a valid use. Also it got already suggested as a new Energysystem, which balances the Energy like Redpower, this is pretty much the same useless Stuff.

    Well, in most cases, if you have 4 Storage units that all output directly to the machines, they suck up the EU all from one storage units, meaning 3 fill up and one is empty. This prevents having the maximum amount of output, so you can't really use high OC machines effectively without having an extremely large input. This block would remove this need, and allow you to use all the storage units evenly, removing the need to fill up some of the storage units before the others even get enough.

    Quote from GregoriusT

    Massfab? I use my "MISEL Mk II"-Design to limit its consumption 100% effectively on fresh Scrap, so thats not a valid use. Also it got already suggested as a new Energysystem, which balances the Energy like Redpower, this is pretty much the same useless Stuff.

    We know you're really proud of what you "invent", but we aren't speaking about scraps (as I play very often with locked blockbreaker, because I consider it's a bit OP), and RP is a bit more complicated than this simple block. What I said about MassFab do not concern scrap, I just say that was a way to run your mass fab with the same Energy-Setup, but just with leaving enough ernery to run your machine in the Meantime.
    If you don't want to add "Useless stuff", we could add it as a function for Transformer (It would need a guy).


    Soon with Molten Salt Reactors, right ? :D
    NERF THA FUSION REACTOR!


    So what your asking for is a machine similar to the balance pipe in build craft but for EU storage?


    I dont see a use for it and probably wouldn't use it.

    Alblaka says:

    "People using their intellect in attempts to discuss other people into the ground could be considered less intellectual then people using their intellect for something beneficial :3"

    Having multiple energy-storage units increases the amount of EU that can be delivered on short notice (say, into a Massfab).


    Example:

    • 1 MFE = 128 EU/t
    • 4 MFE = 4*128 EU/t = 512 EU/t
    • One MFSU = 512 EU/t
    • 4 MFSU = 2048 EU/t

    Advantages:

    • Lower voltage wires (4*128 is still just MV)
    • Burst rate: You can run your nuclear plant and keep watch on it in case your control systems fail, and then go mining/exploring while your safer massfab runs and your nuclear plant is in cooldown/ice generation.
    • Looks more like an energy substation (okay, perhaps a minor point).


    Bringing this into the balancer discussion, if these are wired in parallel
    :Rubber Log: :MFE-Transmitter: :Rubber Log:


    :MFE-Transmitter: :Cable: :MFE-Transmitter:


    :Rubber Log: :MFE-Transmitter: :Rubber Log:
    with the generator(s) above the center wire spire (and the outputs pointing outwards radially and coming together again underneath), then you have little problem. They will charge equally and discharge equally. Having more storage blocks simply means having additional blocks of 4 MFEs/MFSUs strategically wired to take advantage of equal splits in EU.
    However, EU wire-loss puts a cap on how many splits can be accomplished.


    Also, wiring the outputs of the above to the input to accomplish balancing is likely laggy in large applications (I've tested it in miniature on a Creative world, and it does balance the EU).


    Wiring a bank of storage blocks like some have their wind-gens (like the above in cross-section, but stacked directly atop one another) is more compact, but as the Original Poster stated, the ones nearer the generator(s) get charged the most.


    Multiple storage blocks and the balancing thereof does have a valid use, and I do like the suggestion. However, I fear that even a bank of balancer blocks would suffer from difficult lag in such a configuration. If someone more familiar with the internals of the E-net were to find a viable algorithm this could be worthwhile.


    It might be worth it just to see someone pipe nuclear output into a huge bank of Batboxes :P (only on SSP, of course).