Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Location: Dordrecht, the Netherlands
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 6:39 pm Post subject:
RA2 Ore driller
Been doing a bit of research for some logical way of having respawnable resources in my mod, and I came across an old friend:
As you all know, this is the RA2 Ore driller (for lack of a better name) which periodically drills up ore.
\Captain Obvious
I was however more interested in the design. Not wanting to do a 1-on-1 copy of the design, I did some research in how it works. Initially, I thought it works like it does ingame: the corkscrew design lifts ore up from the depths and dumps it when it reaches the top. In essence, it is the same idea as Archimedes' screw, used for lifting water or grain.
However, there is one major flaw: it needs to be horizontal or tilted to work. A completely vertical one (as depicted ingame) cannot work as either the ore will stay in place (as the corkscrew doesn't move upwards) or flow downwards again.
I now wonder if WW ever realized this when they made the design QUICK_EDIT
Soil is a relative solid substance which can be drilled upwards even on a vertical drill.
The archimedes screw however is meant to be used for water and liquids, and thus needs to be tilted.
Thus the complete vertical design of the oil drill isn't that wrong. It's working like any other ordinary wood drill.
Even in reality there are bigger and smaller machines in use, which share the same design to drill holes for poles like street lights, fences etc.
However the big flaw in the ore drill is, that it wouldn't go deep enough and also would very soon have all the material transported upwards, leaving just an empty tube in the ground. _________________ SHP Artist of Twisted Insurrection: Nod buildings
It could also be a kind of elevator drill that connects to a far larger mining network underground. This would explain how it seems to spawn ore seemingly forever. _________________
In such a case a transport lift, conveyor belt or wagon system is surely more efficient, since these don't spill the transported stuff everywhere. _________________ SHP Artist of Twisted Insurrection: Nod buildings
Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Location: Dordrecht, the Netherlands
Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 4:59 pm Post subject:
But wouldn't the drill only work the first time? I mean, unless the whole drill moves upwards, the soil will stay at the level it is (unless I made a fundamental thinking error here). Unless some force below is pushing it upwards. QUICK_EDIT
your thinking is correct for a fluid that would flow the screw constantly down and do this faster than the upwards rotation could move it up.
Soil however is no liquid and the thick substance can be transported upwards by the screws upwards rotation. _________________ SHP Artist of Twisted Insurrection: Nod buildings
Joined: 18 Jun 2005 Location: Dordrecht, the Netherlands
Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 6:07 pm Post subject:
Oh wait, I only now realize how it indeed would work with heavier stuff like soil. The soil in the drill is pushed upwards by new soil gathering at the bottom. The drill doesn't need to move upwards, the soil is pushed upwards trough the drill.
Suddenly, my brain begins to work again QUICK_EDIT
Joined: 14 Jul 2014 Location: Where the fields are green
Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 6:39 pm Post subject:
Crimsonum wrote:
It could also be a kind of elevator drill that connects to a far larger mining network underground. This would explain how it seems to spawn ore seemingly forever.
IIRC that's exactly how ore drills work.
Due to Einstein's dickery with time, the technology in the world changed, which caused automated mines back in the '50s during the Allies vs. Soviets war.
The ore drill is just the '70s "hightech" version of the oldschool '50s automated mine.
Or in other words, WW was lazy and cooked up a silly story about why the new tiberium tree looked like a mine. _________________
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