Precision Cooling

[KittenIsAGeek]

So I decided to try using the new in-pipe thermal sensors to create a feed back loop allowing a single Thermo Aquatuner to bring a feed of liquid down to a specific temperature.  Using the free oil from a leaky oil fissure, I decided to create a pool of petroleum at around -50c.  Other uses include sending cold water to sleetwheat.  For the petroleum pool I want, the process is somewhat slow.  As it comes out of the refinery, petroleum is about 74c, so it has to go through the aquatuner about 9 times to reach -52c.

Spoiler

On the left is a variation on @Luminite2's Method 2 cooling system. Rather than pumping coolant somewhere, I placed an aquatuner in the cold side to feed the petroleum through.  I'll not go into the details for that portion of the system and just focus on my feed back.  The location I built was not the best for easy pipe laying, so here's a simplified version.

Spoiler

The thermal sensor is set to "above -45c."  As long as the temperature is above -45c, the liquid shutoff remains open, passing the petroleum back into the aquatuner.  The bridge connects after the shutoff, so that new petroleum will only be added if there's room for it.  Once the liquid drops below -45c, the valve closes and the cold liquid spills into the reservoir.

For power reasons, I used a NOT gate in the cooler to make sure that only one of the aquatuners will run at a time.  So far, it works like a charm.  The average temperature of the output is about -50c, right where I wanted it.

Hope this idea is useful to some of you. 

[Denisetwin]

THIS is great!  Thanks for sharing, I can immediately think of several builds of mine that this would improve a lot!  I really like keeping all water coming into my base just barely above freezing, with the demise of the borg cube, I was trying a series of bridges and loops with an aquatuner that was not working well, this would replace that mess with a small, elegant solution.  Two Thumbs Up!  EDIT:  Just realized this is a perfect build to keep sleet wheat, YAY I love sleet wheat farms!!  This could be built to use the aquatuner to heat the PH2O and use that for pepper farm of which I always struggle to keep it hot enough in mid-game, and the clean cold water for sleet.

[FullMetalArthur]

I did not understand well when read it, but by seeing the colorful pictures I got the idea! and is amazing, no longer I need a series of aquatunners, that can cycle with the same one and help cool it just fine! and as Denisetwin say, for wheet farms!

Amazing, thanks

[KittenIsAGeek]

2 hours ago, Denisetwin said:

 This could be built to use the aquatuner to heat the PH2O and use that for pepper farm of which I always struggle to keep it hot enough in mid-game, and the clean cold water for sleet.

Oh, that's a perfect idea.. Hmmm.

[JonnyMonroe]

I've been using a setup like this since mk2 and I wouldn't call it 'precise'. It's accurate to within 14 degrees. I designed but didn't keep a more precise system that uses a series of shutoff/valve combinations to feed back a percent of the output based on how close it is to the desired temperature. This was able to cool accurately to within 2 degrees, which is the kind of precision I wanted for a sleet farm.

 

I scrapped the whole thing after I realised sleet is a pretty bad thing to farm now. Bbq and omelettes are superior.

[KittenIsAGeek]

I've had difficulties with Sleet as well.  The whole "grows WELL below freezing, but uses water" problem.  However, as for precision, it will depend on your source water.  Each trip through the aquatuner is -14c.  Some temperatures will 'bleed' during the trip through the pipe, but not a lot if the water keeps moving.  If you start with 40c water from a sieve, you can get the water down to about 12c without problems.  If you want closer to 0, then you'll have to use a pool solution.

 

[JonnyMonroe]

8 minutes ago, KittenIsAGeek said:

then you'll have to use a pool solution.

 

Or feed a portion of your output water back into your input water as I described above. No need for a pool and another pump.

[0xFADE]

Very clean. I was wondering what actual uses there would be with the pipe temperature and there it is. 

[Denisetwin]

21 hours ago, KittenIsAGeek said:

Oh, that's a perfect idea.. Hmmm.

If you build it post a screenshot!