Guide to Atmospherics: Difference between revisions

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==Advanced Atmospheric Guide==
==Introduction to Atmospherics==
[[File:atmos.png]]
[[File:atmos.png]][[File:Atmos_simplified.png]]




This is atmos. Hopefully, you are an atmos technician. That picture shows you how atmos starts up, but you don't want it to be like that for too long. Even with the exact pressures changed, it is rather pathetic in it's ability to resist tamper or provide oxygen.
This is [[Atmospherics]]. Hopefully, you are an [[Atmospheric Technician]]. That picture shows you how Atmos starts up, but you don't want it to be like that for too long. Even with the exact pressures changed, it is rather pathetic in it's ability to resist tamper or provide oxygen.
And that is exactly what you are doing. However, N2 cannot be cut out of the loop. Due to the vastly higher specific heat ( around 300 as opposed to 20) N2 is incredibly better at stopping fires: in 100 kPa of N2/O2 80/20 and 100 kPa of O2 100, the N2/O2 is effectively 12200 kPa as opposed to 100 kPa in terms of soaking up heat and it doesn't allow the fire to grow in size as quickly, the combination of which can even lead to non-permanent ignition sources being snuffed out by themselves.
And that is exactly what you are doing. However, N2 cannot be cut out of the loop. Due to the vastly higher specific heat ( around 300 as opposed to 20) N2 is incredibly better at stopping fires: in 100 kPa of N2/O2 80/20 and 100 kPa of O2 100, the N2/O2 is effectively 12200 kPa as opposed to 100 kPa in terms of soaking up heat and it doesn't allow the fire to grow in size as quickly, the combination of which can even lead to non-permanent ignition sources being snuffed out by themselves.
Due to the minimum of 16 kPa of O2, and the dangers of skirting that in slight reductions in pressure (17% oxygen? 90kPa due to fire from a while ago? You start dying. 20% can go down to 80kPa, at which point the air alarm is in red anyway) become excessively lethal. 20% is realistic and generally agreed upon.
Due to the minimum of 16 kPa of O2, and the dangers of skirting that in slight reductions in pressure (17% oxygen? 90kPa due to fire from a while ago? You start dying. 20% can go down to 80kPa, at which point the air alarm is in red anyway) become excessively lethal. 20% is realistic and generally agreed upon.


At the top are the two machines can dispense infinite pipes, and your wrench can disconnect and connect pipes. A T-ray Scanner helps you look for damage to the system.
At the top are the two machines can dispense infinite pipes, and your wrench can disconnect and connect pipes. A T-ray Scanner helps you look for damage to the system.
This is what atmos needs to look like as soon as you finish setting it up, so that it appears to look like the following images. (overlapping images)
[[File:Atmosshot2.png‎]]
[[File:Atmosshot1.png]]




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==The Gases, their functions, and some basic Pressure, Temperature, Volume and Heat Capacity notes==
==The Gases, their functions, and some basic Pressure, Temperature, Volume and Heat Capacity notes==
'''N2''': N2 soaks up heat in the air, and lowers the temperature of a fire. By association, it can very quickly lower the temperature of a fiery rupture to the point where the flames self-extinguish. Proof of this can be seen if you go down to the incinerator with a can of burnmix, and a can of 20% burnmix and 80% N2. The N2 contaminated fire will not burn nearly as hot or as well. This is why the Toxins guide recommends opening up a can of N2 to the air, it can and will save your life if there's a rupture.
===O<sub>2</sub>===
You breathe this. Running out of O2 will cause your slow death by suffocation damage. It is also required for a fire to even start, and hold, ending the fire when the O2 or Plasma is depleted. Having less than 16 kPa of O2 flowing into your lungs chokes you.


Heat Capacity: 300
Heat Capacity: 20




'''O2''': You breathe this. Running out of O2 will cause your slow death by suffocation damage. It is also required for a fire to even start, and hold, ending the fire when the O2 or Plasma is depleted. Having less than 16 kPa of O2 flowing into your lungs chokes you.
===N<sub>2</sub>===
Soaks up heat in the air, and lowers the temperature of a fire. By association, it can very quickly lower the temperature of a fiery rupture to the point where the flames self-extinguish. Proof of this can be seen if you go down to the incinerator with a can of burnmix, and a can of 20% burnmix and 80% N2. The N2 contaminated fire will not burn nearly as hot or as well. This is why the Toxins guide recommends opening up a can of N2 to the air, it can and will save your life if there's a rupture.


Heat Capacity: 20
Heat Capacity: 300




'''CO2''': An invisible, heavy gas, CO2 is one of the first and fastest gases the scrubbers suck out of the air. It chokes people effectively and quickly, and if you can be bothered to set the alarms up, will result in a invisible room that kills those in it. Takes some setup and can be very, very annoying. The emote for this at low levels is (gasps alone? chokes and gasps?)
===CO<sub>2</sub>===
An invisible, heavy gas, CO2 is one of the first and fastest gases the scrubbers suck out of the air. It chokes people effectively and quickly, and if you can be bothered to set the alarms up, will result in a invisible room that kills those in it. Takes some setup and can be very, very annoying. The emote for this at low levels is (gasps alone? chokes and gasps?)


Heat Capacity: 30
Heat Capacity: 30




'''N2O''': A white-flecked gas. Makes you laugh at low doses and at higher ones puts you to sleep. Scrubbers don't deal with it too well and portable scrubbers just choke on it. If using this as a sleep gas mix do *not* forget the O2 at at least 16 kPa, or you will kill someone.
===N<sub>2</sub>O===
A white-flecked gas. Makes you laugh at low doses and at higher ones puts you to sleep. Scrubbers don't deal with it too well and portable scrubbers just choke on it. If using this as a sleep gas mix do *not* forget the O2 at at least 16 kPa, or you will kill someone.


Heat Capacity:
Heat Capacity:




'''Plasma''': The one truly flammable gas on the station, plasma is purple, and highly toxic. Of note is the fact that in the presence of any oxygen at high pressures, Plasma pumped into air, and Burn Mix (O2 and Plasma), can and will spontaneously ignite on turf at high pressures.
===Plasma===
The one truly flammable gas on the station, plasma is purple, and highly toxic. Of note is the fact that in the presence of any oxygen at high pressures, Plasma pumped into air, and Burn Mix (O2 and Plasma), can and will spontaneously ignite on turf at high pressures.


Heat Capacity:
Heat Capacity:




'''Plasma Type B''': While not on Station, Plasma B is premixed burnmix. It can still be adminspawned in a pipetank, as it still exists in code. This is more here as a note of interest.
===Plasma Type B===
While not on Station, Plasma B is premixed burnmix. It can still be adminspawned in a pipetank, as it still exists in code. This is more here as a note of interest.


Heat Capacity:
Heat Capacity:
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==Using an Air Alarm==
==Using an Air Alarm==
Air alarms are the central tool of an atmos tech outside setting atmospherics up. To use an air alarm, simply swipe your ID across it.
Air alarms are the central tool of an Atmos Tech outside setting Atmospherics up. To use an air alarm, simply swipe your ID across it.


'''Panic Syphons''': They turn all vents off and set all scrubbers to syphon. You *can* do better than that, but most of the methods involve setting vents to suck, and if you need a panic syphon, then sucking contaminated air into Distro kinda sucks. <!-- If you truly do have a better way, Scott, I suggest you explain it. -->
'''Panic Syphons''': They turn all vents off and set all scrubbers to syphon. You *can* do better than that, but most of the methods involve setting vents to suck, and if you need a panic syphon, then sucking contaminated air into Distro kinda sucks. <!-- If you truly do have a better way, Scott, I suggest you explain it. -->
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*Canister bombs are heated Plasma in a canister, with a O2 tank placed in the canister, and then open the valve between them. You will also need to run very, very fast.
*Canister bombs are heated Plasma in a canister, with a O2 tank placed in the canister, and then open the valve between them. You will also need to run very, very fast.
*The gas diverted by an air filter has no maximum pressure, and can therefore reach an insane amount. For example, you can filter out the oxygen into one sealed pipe and it will keep rising.
*The gas diverted by an air filter has no maximum pressure, and can therefore reach an insane amount. For example, you can filter out the oxygen into one sealed pipe and it will keep rising.
*You can hack an air alarm to use it as a non-atmostech.
*You can hack an air alarm to use it as a non-Atmostech.
*Any time chemistry sets off an air-affecting grenade (think Welderfuel/Ground Plasma), the particles spread themselves as part of an airmix. This is bloody annoying, because though the Air Alarms pick them up as "High Concentration of Unknown Particles Detected", they are impossible to suck down to Atmos. Spacing the entire affected air is, as far as I know, the only real "cure". There is a viable way to clean this, if you can safely cordon off the area. Detonating a welding fuel tank usually (always?) cuts a hole to space on the tile beneath it, and thus if you set your internals on and wear a fire suit, is an highly unsafe but effective way of draining the air. It is also one of the few ways to destroy pipes which are at a high pressure and thus can be a useful emergency cut-off if there is plasma irrevocably linked to distribution. It does KO you, do damage, and can make a space tile, which means without internals and a fire suit it can kill you. Caution is advised.
*Any time chemistry sets off an air-affecting grenade (think Welderfuel/Ground Plasma), the particles spread themselves as part of an airmix. This is bloody annoying, because though the Air Alarms pick them up as "High Concentration of Unknown Particles Detected", they are impossible to suck down to Atmos. Spacing the entire affected air is, as far as I know, the only real "cure". There is a viable way to clean this, if you can safely cordon off the area. Detonating a welding fuel tank usually (always?) cuts a hole to space on the tile beneath it, and thus if you set your internals on and wear a fire suit, is an highly unsafe but effective way of draining the air. It is also one of the few ways to destroy pipes which are at a high pressure and thus can be a useful emergency cut-off if there is plasma irrevocably linked to distribution. It does KO you, do damage, and can make a space tile, which means without internals and a fire suit it can kill you. Caution is advised.
*Pipes at around 300 kPa pressure can be unwrenched, however, devices such as pumps and filters don't really 'hold' pressure and can be unwrenched at any time! (Assuming they're off.)
*Pipes at around 300 kPa pressure can be unwrenched, however, devices such as pumps and filters don't really 'hold' pressure and can be unwrenched at any time! (Assuming they're off.)
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