In other languages: Deutsch Français Polska Русский 中文

Units: Difference between revisions

From Official Factorio Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
(rewrite/reformat)
 
(49 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Languages}}
'''Units''' - by definition - are definite, representational quantities of measurement for different systems. Units can represent the  measuring of electricity, amount of items, the time taken/required to perform a task or even the amount of stacks of items with differing amounts within said stacks.


Factorio and this wiki are using the following units:
Not all in-game units are simulated with full realism.


; [J] Joules (Power)
== Power ==
: the unit for work. Please don't mix work with energy! Work is in coal, oil, hot water and must be converted into energy before usage.
Power is defined as work being done per unit of time.
: This is most important, because this conversion takes time; it's a big difference if I convert one item of coal in 1 second or in one minute.
: Dependend on this conversion-rate is the resulting/needed power; in Factorio most entities describe their needed ''power per [[Tick]]''.
: A real-life example: Work for 1 liter gasoline is about 44 megajoules ([http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorenbenzin Motorbenzin]), if you convert that with liquid oxygen into energy, you can drive a rocket with it (Very, very hot! :) ). If you convert that within 1-10 Minutes it is good for driving a car. If you convert that within 1-2 hours it's just enough to warm a house.
: More reasons:
: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061001142636AADb40G, http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-work-and-energy/ or just https://www.google.de/search?q=difference+between+energy+and+work


; [chunk] (Area, Lenght)
=== Watt (W) ===
: a [[Chunk]] is an area of 32x32 tiles, an area of 1024 tiles, or a length of 32 tiles. See also [[Tile]].
The basic unit of power is 1 watt (W), which is defined as '''1 W = 1 J/s ''', ie. one Joule of work being done every second.


; [s] Second ([[Time]])
The game commonly deals with larger units, namely kilowatts (kW) and megawatts (MW).
: a [[Game-second]].


; [tile] (Area, Length)
[[Lamp|Lamps]] use 5 kW while turned on. A [[Radar]] uses 300 kW while active - equivalent to 60 lamps.
: a tile is the smallest piece of map. See [[Tile]].
One [[Steam engine]] is capable of outputting 900 kW.


; [W] Watt (Energy)
== Work ==
: the unit for power. If something uses power, it means, that it will do work (see Joules above), as long as it is used.
 
: ''Work is power multiplied by time.'' For difference between work and energy see also ''Joules'' above.
Work is defined as a transfer of energy, or as energy being "spent".
 
=== Joule (J) ===
The basic unit of work is 1 joule (J), and is equivalent to the work done (total energy transferred) by one watt applied for one second: '''1 J = 1 W s'''.
 
In-game, [[Fuel]] is really just potential energy, which, when applied, does work. For example, every piece of [[coal]] burned will produce 4 MJ. One [[Accumulator]] is capable of storing 5 MJ.
 
In the real world, kilowatt hours is a much more common unit for energy, but it is ''not'' an [[:WIKIPEDIA:International_System_of_Units#Derived_units|SI derived unit]] so it is not used by the game.
 
== [[Time]] ==
 
=== Tick (1/60 s) ===
A 1/60 second in game. This is the shortest time fraction the game handles.
 
=== Second (s) ===
One second in-game. This is not guaranteed to correspond to one real second. For example, slow computers may not manage to calculate an entire tick during the corresponding real time frame of 1/60th of a second.
 
=== Day ===
 
A day is 25000 in-game ticks or 416.67 in-game seconds (= 6.94 in-game minutes) long.
 
== [[Map structure|Distance / Space]] ==
 
=== Tile ===
The tile is both used as a unit of distance/length and a unit of area. For example, the size of an object may be expressed as "2×2 tiles", which means the object covers an area of 4 square tiles or tiles². The unit of square tiles is often simplified into tiles. It can be assumed, that a tile has the length of 1 meter.
 
=== Chunk ===
A chunk is a quadratic area where one side is 32 tiles long. (1024 square tiles)
 
== Logistics ==
 
=== Throughput ===
 
Items per time, or fluid-units per time. A unit measurement is
 
items / game-minute
 
==== Belts ====
 
Throughput = speed × density
 
For comparison: A [[transport belt]] transports normally about 900 items per in-game minute. A [[fast transport belt]] up to 1800 items/min and [[express transport belt]] nearly 2700 items / min.
See [[Transport belts/Physics|physic of transport belts]] for more information.
 
==== Logistic robots ====
 
Throughput depends on the distance, the number of robots and their item-stacksize. Let's assume a robot can travel 1 tile per second and can transport only one item at once. It needs also to return. Then this robot can transport ½ item per second. If you use 2 you can transport 1 item per second. If you double the distance, we are again at ½ item per second.
 
==== Trains ====
 
Items per train is the sum of all wagons' capacity (40 stacks for [[cargo wagon]], 25000 fluid for [[fluid wagon]] & 100 shells for [[artillery wagon]])
 
Top speed (later referred to as S) and acceleration (later referred to as A) depend on fuel type and train weight, for a coal-powered single locomotive without wagons they are 72 tiles/s and 9.26 tiles/s/s.
 
After some threshold the top speed starts decreasing linearly as train mass increases; acceleration is proportional to amount of locomotives pointing towards the travel direction and inversely proportional to train mass; deceleration is proportional to amount of wagons + amount of locomotives, inversely proportional to train mass, and affected by [[braking force (research)]] (train mass is the sum of all wagon and locomotive masses; see detailed info on wagon masses on [[locomotive]], [[cargo wagon]], [[fluid wagon]], and [[artillery wagon]] pages).
 
Warning: The following calculations assume deceleration = acceleration and do not account for red lights.
 
Travel time is <syntaxhighlight lang="lua">(2S / A) + (distance - 4 * S^2 / A) / S</syntaxhighlight> if the stations are far enough for the train to achieve full speed. If they are closer than that, the time is <syntaxhighlight lang="lua">2 * sqrt(distance / A)</syntaxhighlight>
 
Since a train has to make a trip back to load, the total throughput is <syntaxhighlight lang="lua">items per train / (2 * travel time)</syntaxhighlight>
 
=== Capacity ===
Basically items per transport-unit. This depends in many cases on the item-type you use. A [[Cargo wagon]] has a capacity for 2000 items for ore, or 4000 for steel- or copper-plates.
 
==== Stacks ====
A [[Cargo wagon]] has for example 40 stacks. The capacity of the wagon is 20 stacks. But the capacity of a stack depends on, what type of item you put into, so when stacks come into play, you need to say "Capacity of 40 stack iron-ore".
 
=== Density ===
Measured in items per tile.
 
An item, that lays on ground has the size of 0.28 tiles<sup>2</sup>. On one tile we can place 12.752041 items, which means, that we can put in the best case 12 items on one tile.
 
==== Belts ====
 
For belts this is the same: We have two lanes on a belt, 4 items per lane or 8 item on one belt.
 
On belts there comes also another thing into play: '''Compression.''' Good compression is, when you fill a belt so, that you come to the maximum density and so to the maximum '''throughput'''.
See also [[Transport belts/Physics|physics of transport belts]] for more information.
 
=== Stacks/chests ===
On the first glance, it is simple: A chest has the size of one tile. You have X number of stack in a chest, where you can put Y numbers of items into each, so the density is simply X × Y.
 
The thing changes, if you use mods, that add chest-like transport boxes, which enables to pack/box items.

Latest revision as of 13:21, 17 March 2022

Units - by definition - are definite, representational quantities of measurement for different systems. Units can represent the measuring of electricity, amount of items, the time taken/required to perform a task or even the amount of stacks of items with differing amounts within said stacks.

Not all in-game units are simulated with full realism.

Power

Power is defined as work being done per unit of time.

Watt (W)

The basic unit of power is 1 watt (W), which is defined as 1 W = 1 J/s , ie. one Joule of work being done every second.

The game commonly deals with larger units, namely kilowatts (kW) and megawatts (MW).

Lamps use 5 kW while turned on. A Radar uses 300 kW while active - equivalent to 60 lamps. One Steam engine is capable of outputting 900 kW.

Work

Work is defined as a transfer of energy, or as energy being "spent".

Joule (J)

The basic unit of work is 1 joule (J), and is equivalent to the work done (total energy transferred) by one watt applied for one second: 1 J = 1 W s.

In-game, Fuel is really just potential energy, which, when applied, does work. For example, every piece of coal burned will produce 4 MJ. One Accumulator is capable of storing 5 MJ.

In the real world, kilowatt hours is a much more common unit for energy, but it is not an SI derived unit so it is not used by the game.

Time

Tick (1/60 s)

A 1/60 second in game. This is the shortest time fraction the game handles.

Second (s)

One second in-game. This is not guaranteed to correspond to one real second. For example, slow computers may not manage to calculate an entire tick during the corresponding real time frame of 1/60th of a second.

Day

A day is 25000 in-game ticks or 416.67 in-game seconds (= 6.94 in-game minutes) long.

Distance / Space

Tile

The tile is both used as a unit of distance/length and a unit of area. For example, the size of an object may be expressed as "2×2 tiles", which means the object covers an area of 4 square tiles or tiles². The unit of square tiles is often simplified into tiles. It can be assumed, that a tile has the length of 1 meter.

Chunk

A chunk is a quadratic area where one side is 32 tiles long. (1024 square tiles)

Logistics

Throughput

Items per time, or fluid-units per time. A unit measurement is

items / game-minute

Belts

Throughput = speed × density

For comparison: A transport belt transports normally about 900 items per in-game minute. A fast transport belt up to 1800 items/min and express transport belt nearly 2700 items / min. See physic of transport belts for more information.

Logistic robots

Throughput depends on the distance, the number of robots and their item-stacksize. Let's assume a robot can travel 1 tile per second and can transport only one item at once. It needs also to return. Then this robot can transport ½ item per second. If you use 2 you can transport 1 item per second. If you double the distance, we are again at ½ item per second.

Trains

Items per train is the sum of all wagons' capacity (40 stacks for cargo wagon, 25000 fluid for fluid wagon & 100 shells for artillery wagon)

Top speed (later referred to as S) and acceleration (later referred to as A) depend on fuel type and train weight, for a coal-powered single locomotive without wagons they are 72 tiles/s and 9.26 tiles/s/s.

After some threshold the top speed starts decreasing linearly as train mass increases; acceleration is proportional to amount of locomotives pointing towards the travel direction and inversely proportional to train mass; deceleration is proportional to amount of wagons + amount of locomotives, inversely proportional to train mass, and affected by braking force (research) (train mass is the sum of all wagon and locomotive masses; see detailed info on wagon masses on locomotive, cargo wagon, fluid wagon, and artillery wagon pages).

Warning: The following calculations assume deceleration = acceleration and do not account for red lights.

Travel time is

(2S / A) + (distance - 4 * S^2 / A) / S

if the stations are far enough for the train to achieve full speed. If they are closer than that, the time is

2 * sqrt(distance / A)

Since a train has to make a trip back to load, the total throughput is

items per train / (2 * travel time)

Capacity

Basically items per transport-unit. This depends in many cases on the item-type you use. A Cargo wagon has a capacity for 2000 items for ore, or 4000 for steel- or copper-plates.

Stacks

A Cargo wagon has for example 40 stacks. The capacity of the wagon is 20 stacks. But the capacity of a stack depends on, what type of item you put into, so when stacks come into play, you need to say "Capacity of 40 stack iron-ore".

Density

Measured in items per tile.

An item, that lays on ground has the size of 0.28 tiles2. On one tile we can place 12.752041 items, which means, that we can put in the best case 12 items on one tile.

Belts

For belts this is the same: We have two lanes on a belt, 4 items per lane or 8 item on one belt.

On belts there comes also another thing into play: Compression. Good compression is, when you fill a belt so, that you come to the maximum density and so to the maximum throughput. See also physics of transport belts for more information.

Stacks/chests

On the first glance, it is simple: A chest has the size of one tile. You have X number of stack in a chest, where you can put Y numbers of items into each, so the density is simply X × Y.

The thing changes, if you use mods, that add chest-like transport boxes, which enables to pack/box items.