Insulated vent pipes losing temperature in space

[Silverspeedy]

Start new map, now having nothing but issues with steam in insulated pipes to fill my rocket. All the hot air vents are near or in the oil biome. The 2 cool steam vents are also close to the bottom of the map. I started with igneous rock normal, then change to insulated granite and ceramic pipes. My steam room is 214 F time it hit the pipes, down to 212 F. time the steam gets to the rocket the steam temp is 206 F. Last game pulled off a normal steam vent at very long distance with insulated walls through winter biome without breaking vent pipes. This game the pipes are in space and the temp has big drop off. I have enough steam for 2 rocket trips but losing all my steam from pipes breaking. From cold damage. there is Co2 vent close by but still waiting on it, 35 cycles before do something. Strange in how my transformers will overheat in space while my steam insulated pipes break from cold damage. Using the old building for the steam room, average temp in there is 324F. Redid the walls, added metal blocks with tempshift plates which leads up and out to some metal blocks for heat. Water coming in is 187 F, tempshift plates from 207 F in the water to 217 F by the air pump. Some titles around 220F, metal blocks exposed to space/direct light sits around 224F. I have 5 storage bins full of space rock that was around 324 F, some was over 400 F. The rocket only has 97 Kg of steam at 206 F

[JRup]

"Cold damage" will happen once any substance in your pipes reaches a temperature that triggers a state change for said substance in the pipe. Note that I did not specify types of pipes (liquid, gas, insulated or non-insulated) on purpose.

Buildings that produce heat will overheat in a vacuum (not only in space) if a way to remove said heat is not provided. Usually a dab of liquid (crude oil or petroleum are very common choices) on the floor touching the building and using some kind of cooling loop is a common method to remove heat.

Bear in mind that even insulated ceramic pipes will exchange heat with its contents... just slower.  A way to pump substances safely is in the spoiler, it's a game mechanic that has its defenders and nay-sayers:

Spoiler

Limiting the flow to 10% of total pipe capacity will keep you out of trouble.

Every time the material for pipes is swapped out you'll have to take into account that the pipe segment itself will have its temperature reset. Tiles behave similarly.

CO2 will lose heat in pipes very quickly.

I could recommend raising the temperature of your steam until it's all working ok. (Pipes will eventually heat up and the problem will no longer present itself.)

[Silverspeedy]

I had to wait about 10 or so cycles before it hit 219 F and allow me to finish the rocket. Need the higher temp so rocket was at 210 F

 

Still trying to play with Co2 vent. Had to pump the other gases out to hit higher temp with steel pump. Still seeing if it will heat the water. Also had to change design for piping. Co2 upper part of the room is between 240 F 324F. Co2 vent temp is 906 F. If the room is tall enough temps will not be an issue. Already found out with a steam vent.

 

Finally got the steam done for the rocket and wanted to air out my room, steam in space was pretty nice picture.

[Steve8]

The content still exchanges heat with the pipes themselves. And if your pipes are cold (which they will be after built) they will exchange a lot of temperature with very cold or very hot things. Check out the pipes themselves. They have their own temperature like every other building. For many things that isn't much of issue. You can easily pipe around hot oil for example. But with steam you just don't have a much of a temperature range to work with before it condenses back into water.

For steam rockets, keep the pipes as short as possible so the steam simply doesn't have time to cool down much. You also can't let it sit in the pipes after the rocket is full

[simonchvz]

Doesn't look like it's at the source of your original issue, but if you're running the pipes in vacuum it's often easier to start with radiant pipes, limit the flow to 10% of pipe capacity until temperatures between fluid and pipe equalize, then fully open up the valve.  The equalization takes very little time with radiant pipes since the thermal mass is so much smaller than other piping.