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Creators-of-Create / Create

[Forge Mod] Building Tools and Aesthetic Technology
MIT License
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Suggestion: "Energy" storage #50

Closed KindarConrath closed 4 years ago

KindarConrath commented 4 years ago

I had an idea a while ago for a rotational energy storage device. I wanted to create a mod not unlike this, to add it too. It would have an input and output gear, and a coil in-between, like how you wind up a watch, then the coil unwinds to turn the arm of the watch. You could then toggle between taking in energy, and giving out energy. This would be done by locking one gear, and unlocking the other gear. I can try to draw something if you would like! I'm more of a coder than an artist, but I can try if you are interested!

simibubi commented 4 years ago

Hi Kindar, thanks for your suggestion. What would be a use case for the energy storage? The rotation in create is quite static in nature unlike the ever-ticking numbers in RF-based systems. I like the idea but am unsure where exactly it would come in handy.

KindarConrath commented 4 years ago

This is true, I had come up with the idea a long time ago, and it fits with your mod in many ways, visually and mechanically. You are correct however that functionally it would not be very functional because of how you utilize the rotation.

The only use it might have is as a battery of sorts, that you could charge up, then take with you to power something temporarily, that is remote. But you could just as easily build a basic water wheel.

If you added resistance and energy draw in the future, it might be helpful as some kind of overdraw backup, augmenting use during spikes, like when many machines are using the rotational energy. But as of right now, it's actual useful function is very limited in your mod design

simibubi commented 4 years ago

I can see this come in useful once contraptions that are moved by pistons/bearings/minecarts can have internal kinetic rotations going on, then you could charge it up and send the structure on its way.

kohlth commented 4 years ago

possible ways to use stored kinetic energy... tools??? (drill?) (chain saw?) spring-powered minecarts? that's all I have really

fuzzyweapon commented 4 years ago

I also agree with the locomotive usage (probably the best usage), but I think also this could be used for slender builds and be useful to cater to those who want to cram some contraptions into their functional decoration needs. Not all functional decoration are clocks after all.

SuiguraTaiki commented 4 years ago

I'd like to add-on to this suggestion, and while trying to stay in the theme of the mod as much as possible:

Let's call this block the "Mainspring" for the sake of this suggestion, which is a spring-based mechanism with one (or two, akin to the Mechanical Fan) input/output side that stores kinetic energy not unlike a "battery" of sorts, up to a maximum amount of elastic charge, where the spring coil wouldn't be able to turn anymore. When the Mainspring has charge, the block texture would change to reflect the amount of charge.

The Mainspring could be then picked up with an appropriate tool, or moved with Pistons/Mechanical Pistons while retaining its elastic energy, which would be released when it receives a redstone signal AND is connected to an unmoving shaft.

The output torque would be dependent of the power of the redstone signal: The higher the redstone signal it receives, the faster the Mainspring's coil would unfurl, and therefore the higher the torque of the connected shaft would be, at the cost of a lower duration. Doing it this would therefore open up space for player interaction, where it would need to, through trial and error, learn at what redstone power it would require for its machines to function as it needs, and it could use comparators and repeaters to adjust its power according to its necessity (ie. slowing or shutting down when an inventory is full).

By making it so the Mainspring not able transmit redstone power through itself, it could allow it to be able to have its elastic energy read by a comparator, outputting a redstone signal proportional to the Mainspring's charge, maxing out outputting a redstone power at 15 when full. This could be useful for keeping track of the charge and release of the Mainspring, and also allowing it to be automated, again, through Pistons and Mechanical Pistons.

The Mainspring could also become a crafting material for such mechanisms that would require the storage of energy, such as the Spring-Powered Minecarts/Locomotives as suggested above, and could be upgraded for a higher elastic-energy-capacity material and stronger chassis if a tiered system would be implemented. If a more "hardcore mode" of this mod would be developed, there could have an optional config for spring breakage in the case the Mainspring would be "overstressed" for too long of a period of time.

Kryppers commented 4 years ago

Thanks for your suggestion, it has been added to our public submission sheet.