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[Moogie]

Hi guys!

I'm attempting to build a fountain through the center of my dining hall. Nothing is dug yet, but I'm getting it all planned out now to avoid future accidents.

The reason I'm posting is basically because I'd like to get opinions on it before I start. When I say nothing is dug, I literally mean the entire fortress is designated, so getting to the dining hall is going to take... a while. I'd like to be confident I have working plumbing before investing that much time in digging it out.

I've tried to keep it as simple as possible, though it does use a perpetual motion machine to keep it all running, and to make matters worse, I'm working with an aquifier as the watersource.

Here is each layer as it is currently designated, with some scrawlings to hopefully describe what's going on. Apologies in advance for the crappy MS Paint work.




Floor 1. (Note: The Key shown here applies to all following diagrams)
Here is the main access for miners, including a stairwell leading down on the left. In the center, we have the waterwheel and pump system that will be our perpetual energy generator. Some water will initially be let in here, but will be blocked once it fills enough to power the machine. Underneath the gear there is a hole for power to be transferred downwards via vertical axles (NB: I think this may cause flooding if water can escape down the shaft; can I prevent it?). An access tunnel from the stairs, to the pump, is given so that it can be started manually; this tunnel will later be blocked. The black triangle is a ramp that will pierce into the above-Z aquifier, accessing our watersource. Floodgates either side of this will control its flow. Two squares north, a hole runs all the way down into our dining hall on Floor 4. A large amount of water will be allowed to fall through here before the floodgate blocks off the source; hopefully this amount of water can then be continually circulated throughout the system, using the energy generator, without need of an active water supply.




Floor 2.
Here are stairs, miner access, and a water tunnel. This tunnel will be used by water being pumped away from the dining hall resevoir on Floor 5, and will be full of 7/7 water. In the middle we see the second Z-level of the energy machine, where water will be circulating thanks to the pump just above it on Floor 1. A vertical axle here is transferring power from the wheel above it, to the gear below it on Floor 3. Finally, the hole in the north is in the same position as the hole above it; water will be falling through here. The hole to the south is where a series of stacked pumps will be pumping water up from Floor 5.




Floor 3.
The hole to the north lines up with the others; water falls through. The hole to the south is for one of the stacked pumps. Two gears and an axle transfer power a little ways south, then down into Floor 4.




Floor 4.
The dining room can be seen here, with a small access room for the miner to install the vertical axle. In the center of the room, channels surround a single tile where water will fall from above. The splashes will hopefully create some pleasant mist in the room. Besides this, another stacked pump is to the south sucking water from below and passing it upwards.




Floor 5.
This is the resevoir. It can be expanded if needed. Miner access via a door to the north. A gear and horizontal axle here transfers power to the pump, which in turn powers all the stacked pumps above it. These drain this resevoir and send the water up into the tunnel on Floor 2, where it then falls through the hole and back down into the resevoir.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Currently I can see only one problem with this setup, and that is the flooding I mentioned earlier from water escaping through the vertical shaft from the water wheel. If this happens, I have no idea how to stop it. Ermm... Can axles still work through floor hatches...? :/

If anyone has any tips or suggestions for improvement before I begin, I'd be very appreciative!

[Quietust]

Axles can't go through floor hatches, though you can use the impassable tile of a screw pump to transfer power without allowing liquids to pass through.

[Quatch]

Why are you transferring power down?

If you make it larger, so there is a buffer of wall on the channeled out level around the down axel, then you should be 'safe'.

Ensure you have good access to refill and re-prime the pump. perpetual motion machines occasionally get stuck.

[Moogie]

Axles can't go through floor hatches, though you can use the impassable tile of a screw pump to transfer power without allowing liquids to pass through.

Does this mean I can attach the axle underneath the pump and still get full power from the water wheel? So I'd have to have one gear connecting the pump to the wheel, and another gear next to the pump (on the other side), with a hole going down... Uhh, I think I can figure this out, I'm just not sure exactly how...


@Quatch: I'm transferring power down to the stack of pumps that will be re-taking water from the resevoir at the bottom. I can't have a running supply of fresh water because I have nowhere to dump the excess.


Thanks for the replies!

[Shurhaian]

To elaborate on what was mentioned earlier:

The impassible tile of a screw pump is an excellent way to transfer power vertically. Water can flow diagonally around it, but only on the same z-level. It won't flow "diagonally" to the square directly under(or over) the pump, allowing you to bring power to the pump via a mechanism that's completely outside the water if you wish, or at least making sure that the water doesn't get where you don't want it.

You can even place a pump in a vertical shaft for no other reason than to transfer power, helping to prevent spillage. Place it above(or below) the gear mechanism, and place a v-axle or gear assembly above(/below) the pump. Just make sure that the floors over and under the impassible tile(and ONLY those squares) are channelled out - that is, channel on both the tile where the pump will sit and the one directly above it, but not any of the surrounding eight tiles on either z-level, and site the impassible tile on top of the lower channel.

It takes more power than a gear assembly, but with a water wheel you usually have power to spare.

[Hyndis]

Fountains are quite simply. Just build a pump tower to get the water back up to the level you want it to drain off from. Also I recommend putting the water flow near the door, preferably on both sides of it for a nice wall of water effect to maximize the happy thoughts.

To prevent pathing problems have the water fall onto a channeled out tile in the dining room. On the Z level under that put a grate with an escape route to catch and protect any dwarves who fall in the hole anyways. Make sure the water can fall several more levels so it doesn't cause any flooding. Then either pump the water back up to the top, or carve fortifications on the side of the map to let the water drain out naturally. Use water pressure to your benefit to help speed up the drainage system.

For power you can either use a self enclosed water wheel system or a windmill farm on the surface. I personally prefer using windwill farms. They also look good on the top of my fortress walls.