Gas pump question.

[Killerhurtz]

So, yesterday I had the chance to actually have a proper, long look at Atmos (and it is, surprisingly, a LOT simpler than I figured), but it got me thinking.

How exactly DO pumps behave? If the pressure on input is higher on output, do they act as valve or still actively try pumping in? Or do they actually limit the flow of air?

[keinto]

Gas pumps will keep pumping until the output reaches 15,000 kPa, or until there is no more input. The speed will steadily decrease if the input pressure decreases or the output pressure gets higher.

[Killerhurtz]

Not my question. Let's have a more concrete example.

We have a pipe system with a pump. Input is 800kPa, output is 50kPa. Pump is set to 600kPa target. Does it even pump, or does it simply behave like a valve, allowing the gas to flow for as long as the output is lower than both it's target and lower than the input?

[Tainavaa]

Here's what it is to my understanding, Killer.

It acts like a valve until the output pressure is higher than the input pressure and then it starts using energy to pump. The greater the delta between output and input, the more power it has to use to keep the pump going. I think that's what the load meter is for, and gives you a measurement of watts. To show how much power it's using to pump.

KEEP IN MIND that I am NO expert and this is just from my observations. That's how I think it works. That's what makes sense to me, anyway.

[Killerhurtz]

I'll need to investigate I guess.