Fluid Handling Systems - Factorio-Access/FactorioAccess GitHub Wiki
Fluid Handling Systems
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Prerequisite: This page covers advanced fluid systems. For pipe and fluid fundamentals, read Fluid Handling Basics first.
How fluid systems work
All pipes and tanks that are connected together form a single fluid system. Fluid distributes itself by equalizing the percentage fill level across the entire system — not the absolute volume. This means a 25,000-unit storage tank and a small section of pipe connected to it will both settle at the same percentage fullness, not the same number of units.
Pipe length has no effect on flow rate. A pipeline moves fluid instantly regardless of how long it is, up to a 320-tile limit. Beyond 320 tiles, flow stops entirely without a pump to bridge the gap.
Storage tank
A storage tank is a 3×3 drum-shaped metal tank that holds up to 25,000 units of a single fluid. It is unlocked with fluid handling technology and has two rotations. Two diagonally opposite corners of the tank have pipe interfaces, and rotating the tank switches which diagonal is active. This allows a row of tanks to be interconnected by alternating their rotations.
Storage tanks participate in the same percentage-equalization behavior as pipes. If a stabilized system has a tank at 20% full, every connected pipe is also at 20% full. Removing a non-empty tank causes its fluid to redistribute into nearby pipes and tanks, though some may be lost in the process.
Pump
A pump is a 1×2 electric machine that forces fluid to flow in one direction through a pipe system. It has a pipe interface on its front and back. Without power, no fluid passes through it.
Pumps are needed when a pipeline exceeds 320 tiles, and are also useful for preventing backflow between two fluid zones, for fully pressurizing a segment before it enters a machine, and for toggling fluid flow via circuit network signals. They are also used to load and unload fluid wagons on trains.
Fluid wagon
A fluid wagon is a 6×2 train car with three interconnected storage compartments holding up to 25,000 units of a single fluid in total. It is loaded and unloaded using pumps placed alongside the rail. A pump facing into the rail loads the wagon; a pump facing away unloads it. The wagon has three connection points on its roof that pumps reach automatically when the train is correctly parked.
Correct alignment requires the train to be in automatic mode and docked to a nearby station. In manual mode, the train must be stopped and nudged forward or backward to park at the right position.
Barrel
A barrel holds exactly 50 units of any fluid and can be moved like a regular item — on belts, in inventories, and via inserters. It costs one steel plate to craft, has a stack size of 10, and is unlocked with fluid handling technology. Barrels are filled and emptied in tier 2 or tier 3 assembling machines using the relevant recipes. An emptied barrel is immediately reusable.
Barrels are useful for transporting fluids in situations where pipes are impractical, such as shipping crude oil by train before fluid wagons are unlocked. The downsides are the overhead of managing empty barrels and the generally lower throughput compared to piped systems.
See also:
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