Shaft Power is completely different than any other Minecraft power system you are used to. Shaft power will not build up but will be spent as it is created meaning you will not be able to power higher tier machines with lower tier engines anymore. Power is torque * speed creating some interesting mechanics you may not be used to. Since power is the product of torque and speed manipulation can be done to the torque and speed during power transfer while maintaining the same power output which is often required to meet a machines requirements. Power transfer over any distance will not result in a loss of power, torque, or speed. Power can be redirected, split, and merged however splitting power will result in the power being divided up rather than provided to one machine and then another, the opposite is true for merging power.
Rotarycraft Handbook Description[]
"Shaft power behaves completely differently than electrical, pneumatic, or other traditional kinds of power. For example, shaft power is true power, not energy, and as such does not "build up" in machines or shafts with no output; it must be used immediately upon its creation. Furthermore, the "load" on a shaft has no effect on its power consumption - a disconnected shaft still draws any and all power given to it, but simply wastes it. This is unlike a wire, where disconnecting outputs would redirect that power into the remaining outputs."
Tips & Tricks[]
- Shaft Junctions can be set to split power, configurable through a GUI, between 2 adjacent directions.
- When splitting power the input speed will remain the same while the torque will be split.
- When merging power as long as the input speeds match the torque will be added together resulting in merged power. This allows for things like combining the power from an AC engine to be merged with the power from a gasoline engine as long as a gearbox is used to match their speeds.
- Flywheels can be used to smooth erratic input power from engines with varying outputs allowing for easier prediction of power outputs to machines
- Industrial coils can be used to build up power over time, albeit at a limited fashion.