How do you test an element power usage?

[Cipupec2]

How do I test an element power usage? For example, I'd like to confirm wither gas shutoff consume power only when changing states. On the energy tab, I found a detailed power consumption for the grid, but according to it the shut off (and element sensor) consume 0 all the time :/

[FutureJohny]

This is old, probably, bug in the shutoff. It just never consumes any power.

[Saturnus]

52 minutes ago, FutureJohny said:

This is old, probably, bug in the shutoff. It just never consumes any power.

For a while it did consume power when changing state however so only for 0.1s each time which is basically 0 but that seems to not be case anymore. Now it actually doesn't consume power at all.

I made a test. New game. Filled up a gas reservoir with hydrogen. Hydrogen generator is the only power source. No batteries.

I tested shut off valves and gas element sensor. shut off valve running on a automation timer to shut on and off. And gas element sensor in a 2 tile room with oxygen and polluted oxygen which will change place randomly. Both consume no power at all.

Except the gas element sensor did something strange when you didn't select any elements to be sensed it used 6W, not the 25W it supposedly would use and it's listed as "duplicant checkpoint". Very strange indeed.

 

[Cipupec2]

2 minutes ago, Saturnus said:

I made a test. New game. Filled up a gas reservoir with hydrogen. Hydrogen generator is the only power source. No batteries.

So the only method to test this is a setup a controller environment with just the element you want?

30 minutes ago, FutureJohny said:

This is old, probably, bug in the shutoff. It just never consumes any power.

Alright,  I am still going to make my designs like it is, any idea what is the intended behavior consume power when switching states or when active?

[Saturnus]

19 minutes ago, Cipupec2 said:

So the only method to test this is a setup a controller environment with just the element you want?

Well, yes. You want to remove any other potential source of power use. If you want to test if something uses any power at all, and exactly how much, you basically have to remove anything else that can potentially use power. And that's how I found the interesting nugget about gas element filters consuming 6W if you don't select an element. It's still not listed in the circuit power use, and only appears in the daily report as "duplicant checkpoint" power use for some inexplicable reason.

[Risu]

Are you sure the duplicant checkpoint isn't the one in the useless POI that is always dead by the time you find it?
 

[Saturnus]

11 minutes ago, Risu said:

Are you sure the duplicant checkpoint isn't the one in the useless POI that is always dead by the time you find it?
 

Good point. It seems to be the case. I deleted one but there was actually a second I didn't find at first. Strange coincidence that it ran out of power at the exact same time as I changed from no element to oxygen.

Anyway. Good to know that there's no power consumption. And equally good to know there can actually be two POIs with check points on a map. I forgot about the the oil biome POI with a duplicant checkpoint because I frankly haven't seen it for a long time on a random map.

[Cipupec2]

33 minutes ago, Saturnus said:

Except the gas element sensor did something strange when you didn't select any elements to be sensed it used 6W, not the 25W it supposedly would use and it's listed as "duplicant checkpoint". Very strange indeed.

Not sure about the supplicant checkpoint part, it doesn't show in my reports nor on the energy use tab. But the behavior of the element sensor is exactly what is said on its description "remains on standby while the element is not present". Which is why I used it as very simple fail safe system to vent anything except what I need (useful to start up many systems like the electrolizer one)

 

Spoiler

 

The problem is that it returns false whether there its wrong type of gas or no gas at all, so its not optimal solution on pipe that isn't packed full, thus why I need the asnwer in the OP to figure out how to optimize this.

[Saturnus]

A mechanical filter would be better if you need it to be completely fail safe.

[Cipupec2]

A mechanical filter is useful to purge system on startup, but will vent everything wasting some of what you need and requires dupe handling (which often can take annoyingly long) Meanwhile the filter above main weakness that its vulnerable to power shortage, but works fine for the same role and is automated. And if needed you can further improve on the design to make it work more like the gas filter (deal the power shortage issue and output pipe block on the vent cases)  overall there are no best filters/designs, only those that does what you want, anyway that is a but off topic

[Saturnus]

23 minutes ago, Cipupec2 said:

A mechanical filter is useful to purge system on startup, but will vent everything wasting some of what you need and requires dupe handling (which often can take annoyingly long) 

Mechanical filters require dupe handling? How so? And how will it vent everything?

[Cipupec2]

I mean the gas valve, do you refer to gas filter? if so then there is there is much less energy hungry (even more than I thought with this bug in mind) that does the same thing and is as safe

[Kabrute]

the valves outside the electrolyzer are mechanical filters, 0 power, 0 failure, 99% throughput rate

basically use a valve to create a small loop of gas of a few grams per packet, then use bridges to feed into the loop, since the valve holds 1 gas type looping forever the bridges can only add pressure to the line, which then bleeds off at the valve, as the valve is only passing a few grams back every things else now filtered continues on down your pipe works

[Saturnus]

1 hour ago, Cipupec2 said:

I mean the gas valve, do you refer to gas filter?

What do you think a mechanical filter is because if you think that it requires dupe interaction or vents anything you don't set it to vent or can fail if set up correctly then it's definitely not what everyone else on the forum considers a mechanical filter.