Power

SS14 has a fairly in-depth power system through which all devices on the station receive electricity. It's divided into three main powernets; High Voltage, Medium Voltage, and Low Voltage.

Cabling

The three major cable types (HV, MV, and LV) can be used to form independent powernets. Examine them for a description of their uses.

Power storage

Each power storage device presented functions as the transformer for its respective power level (HV, MV, and LV), and also provides a fairly sizable backup battery to help flatten out spikes and dips in power usage.

Ramping

Contrary to what one might expect from a video game electrical simulation, power is not instantly provided upon request. Generators and batteries take time to ramp up to match the draw imposed on them, which leads to brownouts when there are large changes in current draw all at once; for example, when batteries run out.

Installing power storage

Substations are the most self-explanatory. Simply install the machine on top of an MV and HV cable; it will draw power from the HV cable to provide to MV.

Installing APCs is similarly simple, except APCs are exclusively wallmounted machinery and cannot be installed on the floor. Make sure it has both MV and LV connections.

Installing a SMES requires you construct a cable terminal to use as the input. The SMES will draw power from the terminal and send power out from underneath. The terminal will ensure that the HV input and HV output do not connect. Avoid connecting a SMES to itself; this will result in a short circuit, which can result in power flickering or outages depending on severity.

APC breaking

Currently the only power storage device that has a limit to its power to the network is the APC. As soon as all connected devices and machinery demand more than 24kW of power, its breaker will pop and everything will turn off. In the case that you are not an engineer, call an engineer (or cyborg) to re-enable it, after reducing the load back down to below 24kW.

Checking the power grid

1. Use the t-ray scanner in order to locate cables that are hidden under tiles. (skip this step if cables aren't hidden) 2. Pry open the tile that is blocking your access to the cable with a crowbar. (skip this step if cables aren't hidden) 3. Equip your trusty Multitool and click on any cable to see the power-grid stats.