Guide to Optimizing Steam Engines/Steam Propellers

Overview

The purpose of this guide is to infrom users about the mechanics of steam. Allowing users the gain the knowledge to optimize and create effecient steam engines in the game. Updated to contain information about steam propellers as well.

Overview

These tests were made so that could gather information on the mechanics of the steam engine in game.

• Game Version 1.96
• More tests will come at a later date.
• I will continue to add designs to the workshop that are efficient and informative.
• This guide assumes you went through the basic in game guide to steam power.

Note: Not all Engines tested full load. But its approx half power and power per resoure at full load.
*By approx i mean its really close, so close that i didn’t bother testing them all on full load.

[link]

ADDED Steam Propellers at end of file. This was added in 2.4.5

1. Piston Placement

If you place all your pistons on one crankshaft or in a line with each its own, the output power will be the same.

Conclusion: Placing 4 pistons on 1 crankshaft costs slightly less. But makes it a bulky engine. This mostly effects looks.

2.Single or Multiple Boilers?

This test proves that to generate the same amount of power you can have 3 boilers linked or completely separated. If separated it will cost more resources initially however it adds redundancy and the ability to manipulate shape more extensively.

Conclusion: The redundancy and ability to manipulate shape with multiple boilers over weighs the slight cost effectiveness of 1 large boiler.

3. Small or Large Boilers?

Small boilers produce more pressure and steam volume.
I.E. they produce more power with less resources, however the take up slightly more space, which becomes redundant the larger you get. The initial cost of small boilers is higher than a equal value large boiler. Small boilers are much more flexible in design and carry redundancy.

Large boilers are very simple to make and take up slightly less space than matching small boilers.
(and cost less initially)

Conclusion: small boilers are better,the redundancy and flexibility of design outweigh benefits of a large boiler.

4.Does length of pipe effect my power?

Another theory test that demonstrates the fact that the length of the pipe or shaft does not decrease power output.

Conclusion: Keep pipe length and shaft length as short as possible.

5. How many pistons should i have?

This proves that having equal boilers, the only difference being the number of pistons will produce the same amount of power. However the more pistons you have the slower the Rpm’s of the shaft making it safer to operate.

Conclusion:Use as few pistons as possible, If your rpm’s are too high then start to add more pistons.

6. Large or small Piston?

Another test that confirms the fact that the piston does not matter whether small or large. Given the same size boiler a large and small piston will output the same power. However the Rpm’s of the smaller one will be higher, increase the risk of piston damage if you exceed 1800 Rpm’s. Also note that the larger piston has a higher initial cost and takes up more space.

Conclusion:I recomend using small pistons,small pistons allow you to get closer to 1800 rpm’s before placing another. You want to get as much power from your boiler as possible, so you add pistons when your rpm exceeds the limit, not turn down the boiler. also you should not vent steam to save the pistons for any reason, unless you take damage from an outside source(or for looks).

7. Multiple gearboxes?

Many tests have given us mixed results and so far sometimes the same setup can have different outcomes, proving that this experiment is hard to replicate.
Multiple gearboxes have a higher initial cost,better redundancy, but take up space.
Also note that multiple gearboxes seem to charge to full potential faster than one large one.

8. Turbines

In this picture I compare equally large boilers. The difference is the size of the turbines.
The one on the right has a mini .8m^3 turbine while the one on the left has a 24m^3 turbine.

• The mini turbine produces 8253.1 energy.
• The large turbine produces 8511.6 energy.

That does make the large one more efficient, But only by a marginal 3.08%.

You can Clearly see the size difference, so i suppose if you have a lot of initial material and more importantly a lot of space you could get the larger turbines.

But I would recommend the small one. (Its not worth a small increase in energy)

Turbine conclusion= all aboat the boilers, just use mini-turbine.

9.Electrical Generators

The workshop file shows tests done on electrical generation.
There does not seem to be a optimal way to use these. Because it comes with a trade-off. The more generators you add the more energy you produce but the less power you make.
1. Engine Power follows -sqrt(x)

• Adding More generators will progressively cut your power in half each time.

2. Energy follows sqrt(x)

• Adding More generators will progressively increase your energy by half each time.

So it depends whether you want more energy or power.
Generator conclusion = Its a trade off between power and energy.

——Worthy Notes—–

• When batteries are full the pistons ran as if no generators are attached.
• Additional wheels do no add a load to the pistons.
• Adding generators decreases your rpm’s, effectively making you steam engines less likely to take damage from spinning too fast.

10. Example engines

Example engine’s in the workshop with statics on some notable designs.

[previewimg=6979423;sizeOriginal,floatLeft;201
This is the smallest design that can be created.
-Length: 6 Width: 2 Height: 1
-Power output: 314
-Resources Per Second: .2
-Initial cost: 54
-1578 Power Per resource.

[link]

More tests? send them in.

Workshop item.

Will be taking more tests, test ideas, and optimized designs.

I would greatly appreciate contributors.

1. Steam Propellors

Here is a ship I modified for this guide.

here is a link to my example of steam propellers:
[link]

2. Basic Propeller

1. You need to have an engine shaft after your cranks.
2. You can then start by placing your reduction gears or shifting your axis.
3. Try not to use Axis-Shifting gears as they will reduce your maximum rpm’s.

3. Reduction gears

You need at least one reduction gear for your propeller. This allows it to switch from engine shaft to propeller shaft.

You want your propeller to hit maximum rpm.

You can do this with a big engine and lots of pistons to hit this rpm or by using multiple reduction gears.
Using multiple reduction gears does reduce efficiency and sap some engine power.
However this tends to be cheaper than a large engine and requires less material in the boiler.

I recommend using reduction gears until you hit the propeller max rpm for max force. Prepare accordingly this can take a lot of length to accomplish. Usually 2-4 reduction gears.

4. Recommended

• Avoid Axis-Shifting Gears
• Hit maximum rpm’s for your Propeller
• Use more reduction gears instead of more steam/pistons
• Check to make sure there is a shaft between each component.

The max speed I got from a single propeller so far is ~52m/s.
Here is the ship in question used. (Note. it is not balanced, I threw it together to see how fast i can get with 1 propeller[HUGE])
link to the steam ship to see how fast i could go with 1 propeller:
[link]

Note: Also have a spin/block rudder example in first Steam propeller file.

Also note there is a small glitch with large reduction gears that allows you to shift them by 1 without using an Axis-Shifting gear. (So its a free Axis-shifting gear without penalties checked in 2.4.5)

5, Axis Shift Cnangers

Make sure to use the axis shift changers with the engine shaft.
not the propellor shaft.