Extra Cells and Logistics Pipes?

[Ieldra]

I've decided to add Extra Cells to my game since my tank room is getting crowded. I've watched a spotlight - VERY nice! - but I'd like to know how the Extra Cells fluid system will work with Logistic Pipes.

Can you just add a fluid provider pipe to an ME Interface and have it provide all the fluids in the system? Do you need to use tanks as buffers? I'm asking because the ME network has a problem with multiple LP provider pipes going out of the same subnetwork (or a system with several subnetworks if there is any accessibility between them). As opposed to items, I would actually prefer to use export buses to supply my machines, since with fluids the order "Keep the tank of this machine full" is usually just what you want. However, I can't dispense with the LP system since the ME network is so abysmal at handling limited supply requests and I don't want a third cable/pipe network to connect to my machines unless they're dedicated to AE autocrafting.

So, how does the Extra Cells fluid system work with the LP fluid system?

 

[KingTriaxx]

Try placing two interfaces one normal and one fluid, so the pipe is touching both. That should let it pull both without issue.

 

[trajing]

You need to hook a fluid provider pipe to a ME fluid interface IIRC.

 

[Ieldra]

I bow down before the creator of Extra Cells! This will save me a ton of space. Also, regarding the interaction with LP, it seems there is no problem. I can use a Fluid Provider Pipe connected to the ME Fluid Interface, and it won't interfere with the item logistics since they can't transport the same stuff. Only in order to get the liquids into the system I need to use one Basic Fluid Pipe per fluid type since I can't define a default route for liquids. I've ended up buffering them in a BC tank per type and pointing an import bus at them.

However, fluid storage is expensive. I don't think I'm that extreme with my 2KB steel tanks, but a 4k storage unit can't even store the contents of one of them. In comparison, one 4k item storage cell can store 32k of one item.

 

[Kirameki]

Basic Fluid Pipes are essentially default routes. I do wish they had more slots in them, but alas, that's how it goes. I believe a 64K EC fluid storage cell can hold 16,000 buckets worth of fluid in it, so they're worth spending the extra materials on if possible.

 

[Ieldra]

Yeah - but a 64k fluid storage module will set you back 648 Nether Quartz and 648 Certus Quartz... I'd call that extremely expensive.

 

[Ieldra]

Here's a cost/benefit analysis:

A normal storage cell costs you 4 Certus Quartz, 5 Redstone, one Nether Quartz and 1 gold ingot if you make the basic processor in an Assembly Table.

Three of those make a 4K storage module, and store 32K of a single type of sapling.

32 K saplings, assuming the worst possible conversion rate (0,075 buckets per sapling, using water and vanilla saplings) unter Forestry 2.3, give you 2457.6 buckets of Ethanol.

One fluid storage cell costs you 8 Certus Quartz, 9 Nether Quartz, 9 Redstone and one gold ingot. You need 9 of those to make the 16k Fluid storage you'll need to store those Buckets (you can also make three 4k storage modules but that's less efficient), with the Ethanol taking up about a third of its capacity.

So

(1) store the saplings for 12 Certus Quartz, 15 Redstone, 3 Nether Quartz and three gold ingots, or
(2) store the Ethanol for 24 Certus Quartz, 27 Nether Quartz, 27 Redstone and three gold ingots, plus the costs for the advanced processor.

I'd say that storing excessive amounts of liquid in Extra Cells fluid storage modules isn't cost-efficient even in cases where you'll get low amounts of liquid per item. It's definitely nice and necessary to have a store of the liquids you need, but if you produce them yourself, then it's best only to store what you need within some interval of time so that you have it available if you rebuild your production line.