Head lift

Head lift determines how high fluids can be pushed up: only the vertical distance, or the difference between the elevation of starting and ending points matter; it does not depends on whether the Pipeline's shape is vertical, slanted diagonally or even a U-shaped. A 1 meter rise requires a head lift of 1 meter, a rise of 10 meters requires a head lift of 10 meters and so on. Fluids can flow freely along perfect horizontal Pipelines.

Head lift does not depends on the flow rate, but can affect it.

The following buildings can generate head lift:
 * - 20 meters
 * ,, , - 10 meters

The following buildings can store and relay head lift: For example, Water Extractor output Water with a head lift of 10 meters, this means the Water Extractor can push Water up to 10 meters vertically.
 * - up to 12 meters
 * - up to 8 meters
 * - horizontal: 1.3 meters, vertical: same as pipe length

Head lift produced by different buildings have different base starting point, see below.

Head lift and elevation difference
The head lift required to fill a fluid containment is equal to the elevation difference, measured from the base point of the source of head lift to the top level of the fluid containment.

If the Pipeline is not perfectly vertical or contains a mixture of horizontal and vertical component, then the reading of head lift (as displayed on a Pipeline Pump) will not be directly linear.

Currently the only way to measure head lift is by constructing a Pipeline Pump on the Pipeline at the elevation of measurement then interact with it.

Recommended, actual and maximum head lift
Within the recommended head lift, fluids flow freely without resistance. The system may continue to work 1 or 2 meters higher than that, which marks the actual head lift. Beyond that, flow rate drops abruptly, down to zero flow around 2 to 3 meters beyond the recommended head lift, which marks the 'maximum head lift'. When approaching maximum head lift, the fluid starts to act in a strange way: fluid may or may not flow, and may sometimes oscillate forward and backward while attempting to achieve the head lift equilibrium, producing inconsistent behavior. Thus, it is always recommended to keep the system within the actual head lift. Note: Fluid Buffer and Industrial Fluid Buffer produce head lift proportional to the percentage filled. For instance, a half-filled buffer will produce half of the head lift.



Head lift merging and splitting
When a single fluid source are split into multiple Pipelines via a Pipeline Junction Cross, the output head lift of each pipe is equal to the input.

When multiple fluid sources with different head lifts are joint via a Pipeline Junction Cross, the highest head lift among them is applied to the entire pipe network.

Both of the above hold true regardless of the flow rate of input and output Pipelines.

Pipeline Pumps
A non-powered Pipeline Pump acts as a one-way valve and resets the head lift back to 0 meter. A powered Pipeline Pump resets the head lift to 22 meters as long as there is fluid reaching its input, regardless of the head lift preceding it. That also means building multiple Pipeline Pumps in close proximity is very inefficient, and each of them costs power to function. Pipeline Pumps should be spaced out 22 meters vertically, measured center-to-center.

Exploits
Pipeline pumps, if used in large quantity, can be a burden to the Power grid, thus innovative solution is highly desirable to minimize the power usage. If multiple fluid sources connected to a single or multiple pipelines with different head lifts, then the highest head lift among them will be applied to the entire connected network. This makes head lift exploits possible, provided water bodies at different heights are in close proximity such as near the waterfalls.
 * To do so, first construct as many water extractors at the lower water body as you need.
 * Build a floating factory above the lower extractors, but not more than 10 meters higher than the upper water level. Connect the pipes between the factory needing the water and those extractors.
 * Construct 1 water extractor at the upper water body. Extend a water pipe down the waterfall and to connect this extractor to all the other pipes at the lower part.
 * All the pipes will then share the head lift of the highest water extractor.
 * For this setup, Pipeline Pump is not required at all.
 * If a waterfall is not available, a priming pipe can be built by applying an upward pipe boosted by pipeline pumps until a high point, then return downward and connect to multiple lower pipes to share its head lift among them.

Fluid Freight Platform
A Fluid Freight Platform does not generate opposing head lift when being filled up, and thus a fluid source can easily fully fill it up as long as the pipe inlet level of the Fluid Platform is within the source's head lift. As such it is advised to always use its lower pipe inlet first, followed by the upper inlet if the input rate higher than 300 is desired.

A Fluid Platform has the ability to output fluid regardless if it is powered and whether if it is set to load or unload.