An example of transformer usage

[Vilda]

As the hint says - The power flows from LEFT to RIGHT.

The primary usage is having a central generator area on heavy wire (reeeealy bad decor, can not go through walls) with transformers each providing 1 kw on regular wire.

But you can also connect such generator circuit on the right side and bring power over normal wire from outside - see the white power line. This way you can setup manual generators in a way that duplicants don't suffer from the heavy wire low decor.

[Masterpintsman]

1 minute ago, Vilda said:

This way you can setup manual generators in a way that duplicants don't suffer from the heavy wire low decor.

Fun part is that you can connect as many manual generators (and batteries to store your duplicants work for the transformer to transform it to the heavy wire 1KW/s a time) as you like without the wire melting.

[Vilda]

1 minute ago, Masterpintsman said:

Fun part is that you can connect as many manual generators (and batteries to store your duplicants work for the transformer to transform it to the heavy wire 1KW/s a time) as you like without the wire melting.

Exactly - limit 1KW of a transformer means it can immediately transfer 2 and a half of a manual generator. So if you want a steady stream of hamster power, have 3 wheels and a battery on one transformer providing for the generator circuit.

[Zervo]

all of your dupes will become usain bolt in no time

[Kasuha]

Here's my take on example of transformer usage.

Overview:

Detail - generators, two transformers, and bottom of battery storage bank:

Point is, the ugly, ugly heavy wire is far away from where dupes usually go.

[enterflux]

So, I still haven't fully figured out the electricity system. Would doing something like this allow you to have your power centralized and then have a transformer somewhat create its own "circuit"? i.e. I could have one main power source, and then each loop (kitchen, pump system, etc...) would be only limited by its 1 kw wire?

[Masterpintsman]

7 hours ago, enterflux said:

I could have one main power source, and then each loop (kitchen, pump system, etc...) would be only limited by its 1 kw wire?

Yes. And each consumer grid will be protected from overload by the transformer as it'll only deliver 1KW max.

Build the backbone out of heavy wire (20KW limit) and connect your consumers with transformers (left side=input=heavy, right side=output=normal).

You can also connect generators to the backbone via a transformer (left side=input=generator, right side=output=heavy) so your duplicants won't be exposed to heavy wire decor penalty (which is hefty) - then you're limited to 1KW energy flow by the transformer but you can eg. connect 3+ wheel generators (1200+W) and enough batteries to soak up the excess (over the 1KW the transformer will suck away) generated by the wheels to keep the transformer input side saturated (and feeding the heavy with 1KW/s) over the night while your duplicants sleep and the wheels are idle.

I suspect that the currently existing quirk that batteries and transformers do not count toward wire overload will go away at some point, so going for a safe setup (two wheels -or one other type of generator- per transformer feeding the heavy wire backbone) could be a good plan.

[Xuhybrid]

I am pretty sure Transformers act as both a consumer and a battery. It basically consumes the power it is sent and puts it into it's internal buffer. From there it is dragged out into batteries or machines. This is evident from looking at it's tooltip.

[Kasuha]

1 hour ago, Xuhybrid said:

I am pretty sure Transformers act as both a consumer and a battery.

The transformer does work as a battery, it even has a battery gauge on it. It has very small capacity (1000 J, 10% of the small battery) so it cannot quite be used as a battery, but all power goes through that - It is charged from the producer side, and used to power the consumer side. No power goes straight through.

[Zervo]

 

10 hours ago, Masterpintsman said:

Yes. And each consumer grid will be protected from overload by the transformer as it'll only deliver 1KW max.

it can still being overload though. when you connect & use to more than 1KW in the consumer area, the 1KW cable will still fried.

10 hours ago, enterflux said:

So, I still haven't fully figured out the electricity system. Would doing something like this allow you to have your power centralized and then have a transformer somewhat create its own "circuit"? i.e. I could have one main power source, and then each loop (kitchen, pump system, etc...) would be only limited by its 1 kw wire?

Yes you can, for as high as 20KW.. This is the idea behind why they introduce transformer.

This is my setup for my Power Generator Base

Spoiler

The coal generator are acting for backup Generator when the Natural Gen failed to accommodate.

I put several switcher in the transformer to cut the line and only let the main system run on Coal (important stuff like oxygen, food and pump).

On the right side, I put all of my transformer and several batteries to store some juice.

Spoiler

This is power line overlay so you could see the mapping & my power usage.

Another tips: you can build the generator first without connecting the gas input, just build the gas pipe but don't let them connect.

When you need more generator, just drag the pipe and it will be connected (without using dupe)

 

Spoiler

This is how i manage decor value in the area. As you can see, I can keep the decor value high in the corridor, and basically no dupes require to enter the generator room.

The purple brush is my path to bring the heavy wire across my base. I create manhole and special corridor for the wire (similar to real life in buildings).

 

Spoiler

This is the whole power grid. The white one is producer (heavy wire). yellow is consumer (normal wire)

 

 

[Lifegrow]

So do you guys go for batteries on each 1kw branch as opposed to stacking batteries on the heavy watt wire?

i'm getting intermittent issues when trying to set up a "main battery bank" on the heavy watt...

[Vilda]

Yeah, I have a large row of batteries on main heavy, and none on leaf circuits.

[Xuhybrid]

I have one battery after the manual generator and before the transformer. This stops them jumping on and off the wheel constantly.

[Vilda]

Well, yes, but that is not a leaf circuit per se, that one provides power to the main backbone.

[Xuhybrid]

3 minutes ago, Vilda said:

Well, yes, but that is not a leaf circuit per se, that one provides power to the main backbone.

Yep. The main battery bank pulls it's power so ideally the manual generators will keep going until the main bank is full.

[Zervo]

14 hours ago, Lifegrow said:

So do you guys go for batteries on each 1kw branch as opposed to stacking batteries on the heavy watt wire?

i'm getting intermittent issues when trying to set up a "main battery bank" on the heavy watt...

Depends.

If the circuit always consume large amount of power from 1 transformer (let's say 900-1000W), you gonna want/need to put at least 1 battery. Without the battery, the transformer will become out of juice every 1-2 seconds. What this do is your machine will stop working for a split seconds.

The battery will act like somesort of UPS and make power flow in the circuit stable

[Lifegrow]

Just now, Zervo said:

Depends.

If the circuit always consume large amount of power from 1 transformer (let's say 900-1000W), you gonna want/need to put at least 1 batteries. Without the battery, the transformer will become out of juice every 1-2 seconds. What this do is your machine will stop working for a split seconds.

The battery will act like somesort of UPS and make power flow in the circuit stable

Yeah I figured this was the case, the 1000j isn't all that much of a buffer  

[0xFADE]

I have not had any meltdowns and have not used any heavy watt wires. That is with 2 wheels 5 gas generators and a dozen batteries all on one 1kw main section with several output transformers feeding the rest of the base.  Perhaps the wires currently only calculate consumed power not produced power with respect to meltdowns.