Pipeline

Mk.1=

Mk.2=

Pipelines are used to transport fluids between structures. The Mk.1 Pipeline can transfer up to 300 m of fluid per minute, the Mk.2 twice as much. Head lift has to be applied to transport fluids vertically, which can be increased using Pipeline Pumps.

The volume of each pipeline segment is set by its length.

Fluids
Pipelines can transport one of the following type of fluids below:

A Pipeline segment can only contain one type of fluid at a time. Observe the icon of the fluid has the same appearance as a Pipeline indicator containing it.

Build Mode
The Pipeline has four construction modes: Default, Vertical, Noodle, and Conveyor 2D. Different build mode can be cycled by either pressing or holding.
 * Default: The default build mode.
 * Vertical: The pipe will attempt to maintain at the same level as the starting point, then turns vertically when approaching the ending point.
 * Noodle: The pipeline will try to maximize its curvature radius such that it appears smooth, and it is calculated by aligning its arc tangent at both the starting and ending points.
 * Conveyor 2D: Similar to default mode but with a much smaller turning radius, useful when building a pipe in another build mode is not possible.

Turning Radius

 * Pipelines have a minimum turning radius of two meters. When building pipelines at a 90-degree turn, count two meters or two 'grids' from the turning point.
 * Its graphical appearance may display that the radius smaller than two meters, but it is still impossible to build a turning point of two meters.

Pipeline Support
When building from a fixed point to a free point, a Pipeline Support will be automatically added to the 2nd point, including its building cost. The support itself is confirmed in two stages. The first stage confirms the rotation of the support along its vertical axis; this is adjusted with the mouse scroll wheel. The second stage confirms the height and pitch; the former adjusted by looking at the desired height (max. seven meters) and the latter adjusted via the mouse scroll wheel. Each build stage is confirmed with LMB.

The center point of a Pipeline Support is positioned at 1.8 meters above the Foundation it is snapped on. This also applies to Pipelines with its Pipeline Supports removed.

Pipeline Indicator
The Pipeline is a metal tube. If the pipe contains a straight part of a minimum of six meters, a Flow Indicator will appear in the middle of the segment, which is a set of three rings on a retractable rail. A pipeline indicator displays four indications: The pulse rate is always maintained at one pulse per second.
 * Type of fluid content: the color of the window (the middle part that is exposed) corresponds to the type and color of the fluid it is carrying.
 * % Amount of fluid: the distance of the 1st and 3rd rings from the center ring corresponds to the % amount fluid. If the pipes are full, then the rings are fully expanded. If a pipe is empty, all the rings collapse in the middle.
 * Flow direction: Indicated by the pattern of the pulses. The first ring that expands indicates the fluid is flowing from that direction. The fluid flows towards the 3rd ring.
 * Flow rate: By the distance of the ring expansion. If the flow rate is very small, the rings barely 'breathe'.

Flushing
The Pipeline contents can be emptied by interacting with a segment of it (default ) and then turning the flush lever in its UI. There are two options:
 * Pipe Segment - Only that segment is flushed.
 * Full Pipe Network - All pipes connected to the selected pipe are flushed.

Head Lift
Fluids in a Pipeline can flow between different elevations based on the head lift. Head lift is not required for perfectly horizontal Pipelines. A Pipeline has a radius of about one meter. Thus, a perfectly horizontal Pipeline requires at least one meter of head lift to be filled. (On the head lift indicator on a connected Pipeline Pump, it is displayed as '1.3 meters' instead)

Head lift does not apply to Nitrogen Gas.

Storage Capacity
Pipelines have a storage capacity of 1.327 m per meter length.

Overflow Valve
There is currently no distinct building in-game that allows for a controlled overflow of fluids in a pipeline. However, there is a workaround by building the following:
 * The higher priority fluid consumers should be directly connected to the fluid source with a pipe.
 * The lower priority fluid consumers should be connected, in series, at the end of the line, with a section of 10 meter high pipes in-between to restrict the flow. Therefore, when the preceding pipeline is full, the fluid will pass through the restriction.
 * If an overflow sink is desired, the fluid can be either packaged and sinked, or (preferably) used up in recipes, such as Wet Concrete for Water.

This works based on the following principles:
 * Pipes nearer to the fluid source (such as Extractors, Refineries) will be filled first - therefore buildings connected to such pipes will be prioritized.
 * Pipes will obey the laws of gravity - pipes at a lower height will fill up before pipes at a taller height.
 * Pipes well beyond the generated headlift will never fill up.

Pipe Modification and Fluid Content

 * When a pipeline is modified by either inserting a Pipeline Junction Cross or a Pipeline Pump onto it, all its fluid contents are emptied.
 * Similar to above, when a Pipeline Junction Cross or a Pipeline Pump is removed from a previously continuous pipe, all its fluid contents are emptied.

Trivia
name="yt-OsetK7Ww2zI">YouTube - February 17th, 2020 Livestream - Q&A: Is there a reason why you hate Pipes? YouTube - February 17th, 2020 Livestream - Snutt & Jace Talk: We can finally talk about Update 3 even joking that pipes would be removed in Update 4.
 * Pipelines were memed by the community since the start of the game, with Coffee Stain continuing to participate in the meme of their non-existence right up until the launch of Update 3,<ref
 * There are ring-shaped welding joints along the pipeline, spaced roughly one meter apart, but not exactly one meter. Do not use those rings for distance measurement.
 * Pipeline Mk.2 was first showcased in a teaser trailer.
 * Originally, Mk.1 Pipelines were supposed to carry 600, but it was reduced to 300 due to technical complications.
 * In an October 1st, 2020 Q&A Video Pipes were jokingly requested by the community and then jokingly denied that they would ever be added. On October 27th, 2020, more pipes were added.

Current Issues

 * Mk.2 Pipelines have issues transporting fluid at its max capacity, 600 . Any type of dead-end junction (be that actual dead ends or a side-line becoming full) will cause fluid to flow back, which interrupts the pipe, causing it to drop below 600 m³/min. Usage of loops is recommended.


 * Every machine input has a hidden buffer of about 5m. Upon loading a save, these buffers are emptied, and thus consume 5 m from any connected pipe, even if the visible internal tank of the machine is full. This Issue has been resolved in Early Access CL#188609
 * Placing pumps, valves or junctions directly on pipes can cause a transient throughput throttling, somewhere around 1 m^3 per minute. additionally, occasionally, even when the junction is placed, then re-connected after deconstructing the original pipe, a small segment of pipe can get stuck inside the junction, this will also cause throughput throttling. this issue affects both mkI and mkII pipes. the workaround is to either place the junction first, then connect pipes, or, if you must place them on a pipe for placement purposes, or in the case of valves and pumps, place junctions, pumps and valves on pipes, then delete the original pipe and reconnect. avoid placing junctions, pumps or valves on points where different lengths of pipes connect, as this is believed to be the cause of the small segment of pipe stuck inside junctions. when searching for these choke points in an existing factory, highlight the pipes entering the affected objects. if they show as being halfway inside the object, and not just stopping at the mouth of the object, that object was placed directly on a pipe and the connecting pipes should be deconstructed and new ones connected.

History

 * Patch 0.5.0.0: Undocumented addition of Noodle Build Mode.
 * Patch 0.3.6.3:
 * Patch 0.3.6.3:
 * Changed Pipeline Mk.2 build cost from one Alclad Aluminum Sheet and one Plastic to two Copper Sheets and one Plastic
 * Moved Pipeline Mk.2 from Tier 7 - Bauxite Refinement to Tier 6 - Pipeline Engineering Mk.2
 * Patch 0.3.6:
 * Introduced Pipeline Mk.2
 * Renamed Pipeline to Pipeline Mk.1
 * Patch 0.3: Introduced