Issue with transformers and HW [SOLVED]

[CantBreathe]

The batteries of my power system are being drained at a 2X rate. I have two transformers connected to the batteries and it says both are pulling 720W of power 1.4kW total. Only one transformer is using 720W of power, the other isn't using any. However my batteries are still being drained faster than 3 wheels (1.2kW) and a hydgen can charge them. I've tried moving around the wiring configuration, please help!

[Vilda]

Hmm, normal and heavy should not connect like that but the description accept the wheels...

Try to see this how to connect that "legally", might help.

 

[NanoD]

I havent check it out. But I got the feeling that transformers pulls continues load of 1k watt. No matter how much you actually use on the circuit. so if you have 2 it will pull 2k watt. 

But I guess I should try it out.

[CantBreathe]

I disconneted the normal to heavy, but the issue persists.

The first image shows the heavy watt network consuming 1.1kW of power. 720 and 400

The second image shows the second transformer only consuming 240W at the time.

[Xuhybrid]

You can't input it like that through low and heavy wire together. You have it all wrong anyway. You will want a Transformer leading from the manual generators into the battery storage you have. Then lead the batteries into the two Transformers you have for output. Wouldn't your batteries be empty if it really was consuming double?

Just seems like you're not getting enough input. 

[CantBreathe]

I've disconnected the manual generators entirely, I'm not sure they are the issue and have connected them directly in the past.

In the image below the batteries are connected to the transformers and then output through normal wire. 

The issue persists without the manual generator connection.

 

[CantBreathe]

Below is the .sav file.

PowerTest1.sav

[Xuhybrid]

Well i think you're just misreading the results. The Transformer acts like a consumer and a battery. If the buffer empties, it will refill faster or slower based on the draw. Try my idea with the 3rd Transformer and your batteries should fill up.

[Xuhybrid]

5 minutes ago, CantBreathe said:

Below is the .sav file.

PowerTest1.sav

I unpaused it for 2 seconds and it changed to 240W on that Transformer. For quite a long time too. Only spiking to 400 for a second at most, at random. Presumably filling the buffer.

[CantBreathe]

You may be right, let me run more tests.

Another issue I had with connecting the generators to the battery network through a transformer is that the dupes would run the wheels constantly even though all batteries were fully charged. It may be that the batteries were consuming the storage of the transformer and thus called for immediate recharge. Either way I found that connecting directly to the network allowed wheels to monitor when battery was low and act appropriately. It's worked well before, but this seems to be a different issue.

[Xuhybrid]

If i let the batteries run out, it reports both of them consuming 1KW, which must be what it's demanding, not what it's actually consuming.

You need a battery between the gen and the transformer

[CantBreathe]

Okay. Thanks for your help Xuh, in this .sav there are not machines consuming power on the second transformer. 

If you view the energy tab of the battery network you will see that the second transformer will demand 360/400W of power 

in short and long bursts. If you click the second transformer you will see that its Power Available is already 1kW.

If no machines are drawing power from the transformer, and it's internal storage is already full, how can it be sucking up 360-400 power every few moments?

Please load the save view the networks unpause and monitor.

Thanks for your help!

PowerTest2.sav

[Xuhybrid]

I imagine the Transformers also decay like batteries then? Do you notice a hit on your batteries?

[CantBreathe]

Even if they did thats a LOT of decay. If you unpause and let the system run out of power you will notice the first transformer goes dark with 0.0J Power Available requesting 1kW from the network. The second stays at full charge indefinitely. I don't see decay especially not at the rates exhibited during power flow.

In short this network is sending 360-720W of power into the void.. 

[Darkfoxx117]

Are you using wire bridges with HW cable? 

[CantBreathe]

Yes I am. I'll remove them and re test.

[CantBreathe]

2 hours ago, Vilda said:

Hmm, normal and heavy should not connect like that but the description accept the wheels...

Try to see this how to connect that "legally", might help.

The purpose of this test is to measure the time it takes for dupes to charge the 4 empty batteries. I've run this test with both the direct connection of the generators to the batteries and the "legal" connection through a transformer. In both tests the results are approximately the same. If only the first transformer is connected then the batteries recharge at the expected rate. However if both transformers are connected then the batteries are drained nearly twice as fast even though the second transformer is not "in use".

The attached save will load the game with the generators connected to the batteries through a transformer and set to recharge them to full. The batteries are empty, both transformers are connected. There is a deconstruct order on a heavy wire connecting the second transformer.

If you cancel the deconstruct order and run the test with both transformers connected, you should experience the ridiculous power drain. Recharge time will be nearly doubled. If you do not cancel the deconstruct order and run the test, the batteries will recharge appropriately with only the one transformer connected.

Thanks again for your help everyone.

Crashpad.sav

[CantBreathe]

1 hour ago, Darkfoxx117 said:

Are you using wire bridges with HW cable? 

I've rerun the test without using wire bridges on heavy wire. Now this really SHOULD work properly; but it doesn't.

If you unpause this save and observe the energy consumption tabs you will see the second transformer is eating up random amounts of power. The dupes will require nearly twice as much time to charge the batteries as they should. 

Crashpad.sav

[CantBreathe]

Reconstructing the transformers seems to have solved the issue. -_-

Also I learned that connecting the generators directly to the heavy wire with normal wire works fine. It also prevents the dupes from constantly trying to recharge the 1kW supply of the transformer and instead directly monitor the battery levels. It works fine for me.

I also am inclined to believe the wire bridges will work fine connecting heavy wire too, but I will test that now to be sure.

Edit: The glitched transformer seems to have also caused a massive memory leak. Had to restart my PC.

[NanoD]

is it working now?. when I look at the last picture it looks fine?

I have try you save and I really cant find the problem. it is very strange glitch and I cant reproduce it on my own save. not same set up but about same wiring. 

[CantBreathe]

It's working now. One of the transformers was glitched and caused a memory leak.

[NanoD]

it is strange glitch. I just try to rebuild them and the same problem was there. To fix it you had to destroy it, save and reload the game and then rebuild it. At least it was how I could fix it.

[NanoD]

I will put it on Bug forum and let them know about it. I will use your save for the bug report.

[CantBreathe]

Thanks NanoD

[Xuhybrid]

6 hours ago, CantBreathe said:

Reconstructing the transformers seems to have solved the issue. -_-

Also I learned that connecting the generators directly to the heavy wire with normal wire works fine. It also prevents the dupes from constantly trying to recharge the 1kW supply of the transformer and instead directly monitor the battery levels. It works fine for me.

I also am inclined to believe the wire bridges will work fine connecting heavy wire too, but I will test that now to be sure.

Edit: The glitched transformer seems to have also caused a massive memory leak. Had to restart my PC.

I tried using low to heavy and it kept Overloading the circuit. I had 4 Transformers on almost full load though.

I am guessing you had a small power loop in the Transformer or something then, where maybe you accidentally connected the input and output for a moment and it never got fixed. I'm glad it was a simple fix.