Engine Testing Guide! From the Depths

[@tenshi7123]

Even if it seems simple, stuff like this is stuff newbs like me genuinely don't think about for one reason or another and it really helps to be told. Thanks for making me aware of how to make my steam engines stop lying to me!

[@BorderWise12]

You're welcome! That's why I make guides like this. Even after thousands of hours, I still frequently am informed of basic things that simply never occurred to me. 😄

[@alfa9529]

Love your videos! I have 2 obscure tips for steam engines that I've discovered to help you on your journey. 1. Rather than limiting the max power generated on the gearbox, limit the rpm instead. The reason steam engines display a higher power value than they can sustain is because they spin faster while they're not under load. Limiting the rpm will prevent them from "revving up" higher than they can sustain, thus preventing them from showing more power than they can sustain. More importantly, higher rpm = more friction = more energy wasted, so limiting rpm gives you a more accurate number AND saves materials while it's not under max load. 2. The number on the craft is NOT a lie. Your totally not a prefab large steam engine can and will provide 84k power, if only for an instant. More practically, it can provide 40k-60k in shortish bursts. This is very useful in things like thrustercrafts. It allows them to put on short bursts of speed to perform figure 8s and the like that spike power demands without having to build a massively oversized engine that can sustain its peak power demands. Basically, steam engines can be used as a battery for power.

[@hla0roo]

As an older depthian, there was a mystical time when engines always hit their max power, and you did not have to worry about exhaust. It was STUPIDLY easy to make enough power.

[@grimloncz3853]

Really funny how a single scrambler can eat so much power.

[@FelixUmbra]

My issue with fuel engines in FtD is that fuel injection engines are LESS fuel efficient than carbureted engines. That is a blatant swap. Injectors will only inject what is required by the ECU. A carburetor will pull in as much fuel as the throttle valve is open.

[@carlwheezerofsouls3273]

also im pretty sure superchargers provide more power at low RPMS, and turbos provide more at a higher RPM…… which is just wrong, depending on the engine setup the amount of gas pressure coming out at half throttle could provide more boost than a supercharger being spun at the same speed, however superchargers are directly connected to the engines RPM, which means they should be producing more power at a higher RPM.

[@FelixUmbra]

@@carlwheezerofsouls3273 Don't superchargers and Turbochargers produce more power at higher RPM? Superchargers are belt driven and Turbochargers are exhaust driven. Higher engine RPM faster supercharger speed. Higher engine RPM more exhaust being pushed out. I don't know everything about engine mechanics, but I know enough to understand that the devs have a few thing mixed up

[@n111254789]

I build racing engines irl, have for almost a decade hopefully I can help. It depends on the pulley size and supercharger type a centrifugal supercharger isn't very good in the low end. But with positive displacement Twin screw superchargers you can get them to make a ton of boost at a very low rpm like under 3000rpm basically the second you get on the throttle and then blow off to maintain proper psi/bar depending on the bypass valve setup. The downside with superchargers is parasitic draw, it takes a belt directly from the motor to turn it. This means it's takes hp to run it obviously this isn't ideal. Turbochargers typically have a lag, it takes time for them to spool up as exhaust pressure has to build up. The benefit is this uses waste gas to increase the pressure in your engine. It is not a parasitic draw on the motor. Now with Turbochargers you can use anti-lag which is basically leaving valves open and changing the ignition timing and fuel mapping so when you let off the throttle it sprays a little fuel and ignites it right as the exhaust valve opens this keeps your turbo spooled up. Same with 2 step launch control all of these methods are known as anti-lag and can ensure you're making max boost before you even take off. Flat foot shifting tunes can be done as well. Overall in all cases a turbocharger is better except they are more complex to install and tune for. How does this translate in FTD? Well they could go crazy with it and simulate all these things along with an ecu but that would be extreme. Overall they should have a positive displacement supercharger make power sooner and a turbocharger have a lag, be more difficult to pipe up but make more power and be more fuel efficient. A carburetor should be cheaper and easier to use but less efficient and fuel injection should be more expensive, more complex to setup but a significantly better power curve and efficiency. This isn't to say carburetors can't be efficient they can you can jet it to run lean and manipulate the ignition timing and compression ratio to really get the most out of it. But at the end of the day it'll never come close to fuel injection. Both have their places and I use both irl depending on the car/motorcycle and class I'm racing in. But I'm getting off track basically that is what I'd recommend they do if they want more 'realistic' engines.

[@FelixUmbra]

@@n111254789 I know that turbocharger and superchargers can make engines more efficient and/or more powerful. It just bothers me that the devs treat the fuel systems as their real world opposites. Thanks for all the cool information though. I love learning stuff like that even though it has no impact in my life.

[@MiaHermans297]

I'm normally not one to comment on others' pet peeves, but it seems just a little impractical to be worrying about the realism of engines in a game that features warp drives, radioisotope thermoelectric generators that use self-regenerating crystals instead of plutonium, cannons with a barrel diameter of 2 actual metres for use in naval warfare, and AI mainframes that run using human brains.

[@VeneficusCubes]

I also am a steam enjoyer. I did use fuel engines few updates ago but I get so frustrated with superchargers wonky connections that i just ended up switching to steam.

[@Allan_Lugia]

I know its 2 years ago.. but i still have a hard time understanding the connection between ressources, Power and what weapons need to fucktion. also i die in adventure because my engines eat my ressources, there by dies slowly in the water

[@sdgamer1860]

ok, is there a video on how to put together a proper Helipad for helicopters or Proper Runway for planes video that is update date? I got a small frigate idea and (hopefully) cheap chopper design in mind but, I'm still trying to figure out how to make a carrier when I have in mind of what I want to make but, don't really know how to setup the "Helipads" in question. KZbinr Lathland put together an Air and Sea version of Aircraft Carriers which proves that you can make such a thing

[@BottleWaterson]

you can use ACBs connected to docking stations and sub vehicle spawners for the job. set to release when enemies are in range and turn on when theyre dead. you'd have to fiddle around with it or look up a post on sub vehicles

[@ivankutlesa9863]

Join From the depths discord and ask there. You will get help in no time

[@nocanseegreen3845]

woah they updated the models

[@lucasconley1394]

Holy sh*t! I've been going about steam engines wrong my whole life.

[@shipmasterkent9176]

One thing i want to know is what is the most efficient way to build steam Turbines

[@BorderWise12]

Me too. Working on it! 👍

[@thegreatsock7574]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJuvgYyPn9qXnZI This video has a great explanation on Steam engines in general and has a build that I find to work super well!

[@major0noob]

by using a crank and generator on a 3-4 stage steam... i did testing awhile back and cranks beat turbines in every measure. the only decent setup was: (3m/medium) P TTGTT P (p=pipe, t=turbine, g=generator) add the battery volume & cost for electric engines and cranks are 50% better

[@alfa9529]

If i recall correctly the ratio is (including the start/end caps) 5 segments for small and 6 for medium/large. Each large segment is 2 blocks long though, so it's 12 blocks long for the large turbine and 1 more for the generator piece. Any more than that and the added friction outweighs the added steam harvesting.

[@CodeRed7109]

instead of using a structure you can also suspend your build by pressing caps lock in build mode

[@BorderWise12]

True... but speaking for myself, that's an extra step and I tend to hop in and out of build mode a lot when testing things. 😁

[@CodeRed7109]

@@BorderWise12 honestly same here

[@major0noob]

i still think the fuel engine change nerfed them too hard. 10k ppm with .1 ppv wasn't op. 500ppm/30ppv is too meh now

[@addisonchow9798]

Borderwise, what is your favorite engine type?

[@fluffythecandleeater6196]

STEAM

[@BorderWise12]

I like fuel injector engines because they're simple and compact. I hardly ever use anything else. But my absolute favorite power system these days is custom jets 'cos they are so darn powerful. 😁

[@fluffythecandleeater6196]

@@BorderWise12 for my smaller craft all uses fuel injectors too

[@fluffythecandleeater6196]

I built the Annialator mk15 it has 5 1000 m long max overclock and 30 second pacs so I need steam engines to keep it running

[@alfa9529]

Steam. Funnily enough I saw this video just after mucking around in designer. Finally just made a steam engine that's more power dense than fuel injector engines. After that, in my eyes the only real use of fuel engines is the fact that you can make them super tiny.

[@Yatmudell]

Steam engines can reach the stated power if built correctly. You build steam engines to work at full load all the time.

[@Dutch_Chucky]

wait, why use large when medium steam engines are way smaller, fit better are less expensive, and can produce allot of power for what they are costing

[@BorderWise12]

From what I've heard, you get more volume-efficiency with small steam engines and more material-efficiency with large. Medium engines are halfway in between, which is to say they're kinda bad at both. 🤷‍♀️

[@baseddino]

I guess I need to learn steam engines