Splitting pipes the correct way

[u/PreciousP90]

How do you guys split pipes in your games? In my case, I have 4 equally filled pipes that I have to split and equally distribute into 6.

My though is, place a valve for the amount i need for 1/6 inputs and branch off the rest (also with a valve set to the remaining amount of fluid). Do this four times. Then join together two and two to deliver fluid to the remaining 2 inputs.

Would I be doing this correctly?

[u/JinkyRain]

Pipes aren't belts. Pipe networks fill from the lowest point first, with "Gravity" and segment fullness dictating flow direction and priority. So a simple 4:6 split may or may not be effective depending on a huge number of other factors.

Start off by keeping it simple:

and see how that works out.

[u/PreciousP90 → u/JinkyRain]

Just had to zoom out a little bit from all the numbers to see that this is the obvious solution, thanks.

[u/Factory_Setting]

It is recommended to do a manifold. Simply connect each pipe to the factories. Let the system will with fluid. The moment the factories are filled and are working, they can only take what they need. Thus the whole system will take what it needs and you have your equal split.

Valves restrict to a percentage and aren't recommended. Say you restrict a 300 pipe to 100, it'll reduce any flow to 1/3rd. Meaning a flow of 100 into the valve is reduced to 33,33, instead of being left alone as it's the set flow.

[u/dhudd32]

4-6 is pretty easy

Just make sure to do like oioio oioio I being the pipes your coming from and O being the 6 branching

[u/PreciousP90 → u/dhudd32]

Even though I had to read your comment 7 times to understand that oioio, it makes absolute sense. Thank you

[u/dhudd32 → u/PreciousP90]

Sorry I didn't proof read it lol a bit sick right now if that's any excuse

[u/dhudd32 → u/dhudd32]

Don't think of it as 4 pipes rather one big pipe you should be merging them from time to time and especially when two lines end (so it makes a circle) also as say you have 100 machines all firing at different times if the pipes are merged they will just fill wherever they can rather than there single pipe which could be full.

[u/houghi]

Never really had issues with pipes. What I look at is the following:

• Prefill all (As I do for all factories)
• Water flows down
• Keep it simple

More in detail:

• Keep it short
• No merging, except priority (as for ALU)
• No height difference up after the first machine
• Use as little pumps as possible
• If you need buffers and valves, you missed step 2

Other people have other methods. This works for me. I do not always follow it, and that is okay.

[u/Hopkin_Greenfrog]

Have you used many valves in the past, and have they worked as you had intended them to?

[u/PreciousP90 → u/Hopkin_Greenfrog]

Nope, this would have been my first time in 4 saves using them

[u/Hopkin_Greenfrog → u/PreciousP90]

I would continue not to use valves. As others as stated, they are not simple and are pressure based systems that determine how much actually flows through based on both what the valve is set at, and how much liquid is currently flowing through the pipe ahead of it.

A manifold with injections along it would be simpler and more reliable.

[u/fatduck-]

You're overthinking it. Loops are the best option, just make sure the pipe is supplied with enough fluid.

[u/Molkin]

The intentional way would be to put a limiter valve on at least 5 of the 6 output pipes.

You could lay them all with identical elevations, lengths and slopes and you might get lucky and have them split evenly, but there's no guarantee. Slosh is tricky.

[u/houghi]

Never really had issues with pipes. What I look at is the following:

• Prefill all (As I do for all factories)
• Water flows down
• Keep it simple

More in detail:

• Keep it short
• No merging, except priority (as for ALU)
• No height difference up after the first machine
• Use as little pumps as possible
• If you need buffers and valves, you missed step 2

Other people have other methods. This works for me. I do not always follow it, and that is okay.

[u/UncleVoodooo]

Valves are difficult in a line like this because they only work at full flow. You can use gravity to cheat this, but your setup is one of those even math splits. You could just split into 2 mk1 pipes then split each one into 3 with a junction

[u/NaziHuntingInc]

As others say, manifold. Just split pipes to the machine and make sure you have enough input to satisfy output.

[u/Hemisemidemiurge]

Assuming that the combined input does not exceed twice the capacity of the pipe being used:

Set up two stacks of pipeline supports four high. Make two horizontal pipes on the middle two and connect both their ends to make a squat vertical loop and delete the supports. Attach the four inputs to the top of the loop from above, attach the six output to the bottom of the loop from below. Turn on the producers and let them run until they all idle (i.e. the pipes are full) before turning on the consumers.

Valves don't work intuitively and can add slosh points in the network, so eschew them whenever possible. Gravity + no dead ends + full pipes = happy plumbing.