Power transformers info

[Atomico]

Hello, i don't understand how work power transformers. I know that power transformes output a max of 1kw, the problem is that i have a circuit linked at a power transformers that go in overload. What is the utility of PT if it go always in overload?

[Oozinator]

can you show a screenie with energy overlay?

[WhatTheDuck]

I did the same mistake at the beginning. The PT dont output at 1kw max. 

The amount of drawed power depends on the devices in the circuit

"What is the utility of PT if it go always in overload?"

You can draw power from your high voltage (10kw) power wire to a smaller circuit with low power (1kw or 2kw with refiend wire)

The load on your small circuit (right side) is 5w now, if you build additional devices with a load of 1000w you are at 1005W and the circuit could overload.

 

 

You can connect the low watt wire to the big or small end, they have both the same purpose (splitting circuits)

[Gurgel]

The transformer does not limit the power it delivers. The 1kW is the amount of power on the low-power side it can _safely_ output. If available on the high-power side, it can output more but wires and the transformer itself may will get damaged.

Incidentally, for 2kW of power, you can use two transformers in parallel, they will load-balance and not get damaged. The wire used need to be the 2kW wire though.

[trukogre]

A lot of incorrect information being spread here.  Transformers 'protect' the wire after them in the sense that connecting a small wire directly to your heaviwatt wire would almost surely destroy that wire, whereas setting up the transformer properly will protect the wire after them, but they don't protect it magically so that setting up the circuit improperly is ok because the transformer 'shields' the wire somehow. No magic, no shield. The ingame description of a transformer is not helpful so people make a lot of wrong assumptions. One of these is that transformers are not limited to 1kW transmission, they can transmit 5kW, or 10kW with a battery in the circuit after them.  (Last tested in ranching update mark 1, I believe.)  A single device drawing more than 1KW power will only operate from a single transformer if there is a battery on the output circuit side of the transformer.  Since transformers transmit so much power, but don't protect the circuit after them, that leaves the limiting factor, almost always, as the capacity of the wires on the output side.

[Neotuck]

37 minutes ago, Gurgel said:

Incidentally, for 2kW of power, you can use two transformers in parallel

I prefer this setup for 2kW power and it reduces heat generation.  Just set the smart battery to 10% active so there are no power outage.  The circuit will draw 2kW from the battery and the transformer only turns on when it needs to be charged 

[FIXBUGFIXBUGFIX]

The latest test was done in R1, about 1 month ago.

 

With enough power input, a transformer can output max to 5/10kw.

If no battery is connected to the output of a transformer, the transformer can provide 5kw, but the max power of a single machine should be less than 1kw.

If at least one battery is connected to the output of a transformer, the transformer can provide 10kw, and no more single machine power limit.

If no battery is connected to the output, two parallel transformer can provide 10kw, single machine limit 2kw.

[Leyline]

The biggest thing to remember is that the power rating for a wire is consumer based, you can see that if you click on a wire and view the Energy tab. If your consumption doesn't go over the wire rating you won't get an overload. Remember that it's the total value of all active consumers that determines overload, not the total theoretical amount, since things like doors only consume power when open but they'll show as taking up 120v. This can let you put more than 1 or 2 kw of consumers on a line if you limit things so only a few use the power at any given time.

You'll notice that batteries don't count as consumers but the left side of transformers do. This means if you want to get fancy about how your batteries, generators, transformers and various consumers are wired together you can abuse the power mechanics in creative ways, like constantly running 5kw of consumers off a common 1kw main power line instead of using heavy watt wire.

But until then, if you follow the above picture from the Wiki you can't go too wrong.

[0xFADE]

That is nice for reducing heat. I'd used two for a 2k line and never bothered checking if one would work but if a single will work then all the better.

[Gurgel]

4 hours ago, Neotuck said:

I prefer this setup for 2kW power and it reduces heat generation.  Just set the smart battery to 10% active so there are no power outage.  The circuit will draw 2kW from the battery and the transformer only turns on when it needs to be charged 

Good to know, thanks.