Codex Storage Bulk Tank

Bulk Tank

The Bulk Tank stores one fluid or one gas in large amounts: a closed box of Bulk Tank Casing whose whole inside is the tank. It works on its own with pipes at its ports, and linked to a Storage Controller it becomes a member of the storage network.

How it works

1. Build a closed box of Bulk Tank Casing with the controller in a wall and at least one port.
2. Pipes fill it through a Gas Input Port or Fluid Input Port and empty it through a Gas Output Port or Fluid Output Port.
3. The tank holds one kind at a time: one fluid or one gas, until it is empty again.
4. Linked to a Storage Controller, the network sees the content and stores and takes it like in any other member, while the tank is formed.

Building

Shown size: 5 wide, 5 high, 5 deep (adjustable: Width 3–32, Height 3–32, Depth 3–32).

One example of many: within the rules on this page, size and arrangement are up to you; the Build Projector shows the plan in every allowed size.

	Key	Block	Count
	A	Bulk Tank Casing	87
	B	Industrial Sight Glass	8
	C	Gas Input Port	1
	D	Gas Output Port	1
	0	Bulk Tank Controller	1

Step by step

Each picture adds one layer, from the bottom up; the newest layer is bright. The controller wall faces you on the left.

Step 1: Layer 1

Parts in this step: Bulk Tank Casing (A) ×25

Step 2: Layer 2

Parts in this step: Bulk Tank Casing (A) ×11, Industrial Sight Glass (B) ×2, Bulk Tank Controller (0) ×1, Gas Input Port (C) ×1, Gas Output Port (D) ×1

Step 3: Layers 3–4 (identical)

Place this layer 2 times on top of each other.

Parts in this step: Bulk Tank Casing (A) ×13, Industrial Sight Glass (B) ×3

Step 4: Layer 5

Parts in this step: Bulk Tank Casing (A) ×25

Rules

• Size: any box from 3 by 3 by 3 up to 32 in every direction. The tank finds its size by itself, starting from the block behind the controller.
• Edges and corners: only Bulk Tank Casing.
• Walls, floor and roof: Bulk Tank Casing, Industrial Sight Glass, Inspection Hatches, ports and the controller.
• Inside: air only.
• Ports: Gas Input Port, Gas Output Port, Fluid Input Port and Fluid Output Port, as many as you like. Other ports are not allowed.
• Controller: in a wall face (not on an edge), front facing out, with the inside directly behind it.
• An Inspection Hatch opens the tank's screen from its side of the box.

Capacity

Every block of the inside holds 64 buckets (one bucket is a thousand mB). The example of 5 by 5 by 5 has an inside of 3 by 3 by 3 = 27 blocks and holds 1,728 buckets; the largest tank, 32 on every edge, has an inside of 27,000 blocks.

The fluid side and the gas side keep each other out: while a fluid is inside, no gas goes in, and the other way round.

The screen

• Contents bar with the name of what is inside.
• Status: "Formed" or the structure problem.
• Gas: the name of the content (also for a fluid).
• Amount and Capacity in mB, Tank volume (blocks).
• Taken in and Given out: how much came in and went out in the last tick.

In the storage network

Use the Quanta Linker on the Bulk Tank Controller, then on the Storage Controller. The tank is a member only while it is formed; when it falls apart it leaves the network and joins again once it forms. The ports keep working at the same time: a pipe filling the tank fills the network.

A fluid with extra data (rare, from some mods) stays in the tank but is not offered to the network.

Error messages

Message	What to do
The controller must sit in a wall, front facing out	Put the controller into a wall face, front outwards, with the inside behind it.
Structure too small	Build at least 3 by 3 by 3.
Structure too large or not closed near …	Close the wall at the position shown, or make the box smaller.
Wrong block at … (expected: Bulk Tank Casing)	Only Bulk Tank Casing on edges and corners.
Wrong block at … (expected: Bulk Tank Casing, Industrial Sight Glass, Inspection Hatch)	Only these parts, the ports and the controller in the walls.
Wrong block at … (expected: Air)	Clear the inside.
Port not allowed here	Only gas and fluid input and output ports work here.
Second controller at …	Remove the other controller.

Tip

Moving a Bulk Tank A broken Bulk Tank Controller keeps the content in its item (the tooltip shows the amount). Place it in a new tank and the content is back once the tank forms; also a smaller tank keeps all of it (see below).

Note

Building it smaller When the tank forms again in a smaller size, nothing is lost: it keeps its whole content, like the Warehouse. Until it has drained below its new size it is overfull and takes nothing new; output ports and the storage network can still take from it. Breaking a casing block is safe too: the content waits until the tank is complete again.

Building the parts

	Redstone Dust
			→ Bulk Tank Controller

			→ Bulk Tank Casing

Tip

One tank per fluid A Bulk Tank holds one kind. For several gases build several tanks and link them all to the same Storage Controller: the network puts each gas into the tank that already holds it.