Guide (Filtration)
From Unofficial Stationeers Wiki
Place the appropriate Filter(s) in the Filtration unit for the specific Gas you want to remove. Up to two filters can be installed in a single Filtration unit.
- If two different filter types are installed, both gases will be filtered simultaneously.
- Installing two identical filters does not increase filtration speed; it only provides redundancy if one filter becomes exhausted.
Running the Filtration unit when there is no matching gas present in the input mixture (or when no input gas is supplied at all) will not consume filter capacity, but it will consume power. If the unit is operated with exhausted filters, it behaves as if no filters are installed and simply transfers all input gas directly to the waste output.
Contents
Output Pressure Behavior and Safety
The Filtration unit unrealistically contains an infinitely powerful pump integrated into its output ports. As long as the unit is powered on and there is gas to be filtered, it will push filtered gas into the output pipe network regardless of existing pressure.
As a result, the output pipe network will eventually rupture at approximately 60 MPa unless pressure is actively managed. Common mitigation strategies include:
- Installing a pop-off system (for example, a back-pressure regulator combined with a passive vent)
- Monitoring pressure with a Pipe_Analyzer and disabling the unit via logic when a pressure threshold is exceeded
- Using the onboard IC10 with a data connection to the output (pipe analyzer or tank) to disable the unit once a set pressure limit is reached
Important: Onboard IC10 chips do not execute while the Filtration unit is turned off. This means an on-board IC10 can automatically turn the unit off when output pressure is too high, but it cannot turn the unit back on once pressure drops.
Filtration Throughput (Patch 0.2.4218.19726)
As of patch [[1](https://steamcommunity.com/app/544550/eventcomments/3812910660676171439) 0.2.4218.19726], filtration throughput is based on the pressure difference between the input and the higher-pressure of the two outputs.
Case 1: Output Pressure ≥ Input Pressure
If the higher-pressure output is equal to or greater than the input pressure, the Filtration unit processes:
- 10 MPa·L per tick
The processed gas is split between the filtered and waste outputs based on the partial pressure of the filtered gas in the input.
Example:
- Input: 10 MPa, 20% nitrogen
- Highest output pressure ≥ 10 MPa
Per tick:
- 2 MPa·L → filtered output (200 kPa in a single 10 L pipe segment)
- 8 MPa·L → waste output
Case 2: Output Pressure < Input Pressure
If the highest-pressure output is lower than the input pressure, throughput increases according to:
Processed per tick = 10 MPa·L + (PressureDifferential × 3.16885) MPa·L
Where:
- PressureDifferential = Input Pressure − Highest Output Pressure (in MPa)
The processed gas is again split based on the partial pressure of the filtered gas in the input.
Example:
- Input: 10 MPa, 20% nitrogen
- Highest output pressure: 2 MPa
Calculation:
- 10 + (10 − 2) × 3.16885 = 35.351 MPa·L per tick
Distribution:
- 7.07 MPa·L (20%) → filtered output (707 kPa in a single 10 L pipe)
- 28.28 MPa·L (80%) → waste output
Practical Throughput Scenarios
If the waste output is connected back to the input, and the filtered output is a single pipe segment followed by a pump, the filtered gas output rate becomes:
- 10 kPa per tick × gas percentage
Example:
- 20% nitrogen → 200 kPa per tick
If both outputs are single pipe segments connected to volume pumps (maintained at approximately 0 pressure), the filtered output gain per tick becomes:
- Gas percentage × (1 MPa + 31.69% of input pressure)
Example:
- Input: 10 MPa, 20% nitrogen
- Filtered output gain: 0.2 × (1 + 3.169) = 834 kPa per tick
Optimization Summary
To maximize Filtration unit throughput:
- Pressurize the input gas mixture
- Continuously pump down both output pipe networks
- Maintain a large pressure differential between input and outputs
This significantly increases filtration speed but requires additional power consumption and careful pressure management to prevent pipe rupture.
Separating input and output pipe networks also ensures that the filtered gas maintains consistent proportions relative to other gases, resulting in more stable and predictable output.