1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 385 Industrial Breakthrough
On January 1641, 1, Hanzhou.

Cao Xiong's favorite thing to do is to stand on the watchtower of the city wall of Jianye City, watching the bustling market in the city, the noisy crowd, and the building material production area in the west of the city that is billowing with thick smoke.

Whenever he sees these vivid scenes, he feels an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.Back when a group of pirates fled here from Daming five years ago, there were dense jungles, overgrown bushes, and many kangaroos running and jumping on the meadow.

In five years, they have grown from 600 people, three or four boats, and only a simple wooden temporary camp to the present, with a population of nearly 6 people, more than ten large boats, and dozens of small boats. Inland and eastern regions, in addition to several overseas island territories.In the confrontation with the most powerful maritime power in Southeast Asia-the Dutch East India Company, it can not lose the wind in the slightest.

Our Hanzhou, if there is no accident, can be regarded as a firm foothold in this Hanzhou, and no one can wantonly enslave and oppress us.I, Cao Xiong, will become the king of Hanzhou in the future, even... the emperor!
Thinking of this, Cao Xiong was so excited that he wanted to shout in this towering watchtower: "God bless me, Cao Xiong! Hanzhou is prosperous!"

"Commander, why did you come to this tower? It's easy for me to find!" Yu Fukun climbed up the tower and said loudly with a smile.

"Old Yu, you came to see me, but the military government has something to do?" Cao Xiong couldn't help asking as he saw Yu Fukun bringing several people to his side.

"It's not a big deal." Yu Fukun thought for a while, and said: "A few days ago, two marine soldiers broke into a private house and raped another man's wife. The military government has already made a judgment, and they will be beheaded for public display in ten days."

Cao Xiong nodded, glanced at Qi Dalu behind Yu Fukun, and couldn't help feeling annoyed.

"Those two soldiers belong to your company. Look at what soldiers you brought!" Cao Xiong stared at Qi Dalu and said, "Did you privately plead with the military government for them?"

"I..., I just think it's a pity that they were beheaded like this." Qi Dalu said with regret: "They followed me in Dili City for more than a year, and they managed to come back alive. To the mainland of Hanzhou."

"I know that you have suffered a lot for defending Dili City. However, in our military and civilian administration, have you ever given less rewards?" Cao Xiong asked in a deep voice; "If so, every soldier who has been rewarded for his meritorious service can bully him at will. Wife and daughter, what has become of our army in Hanzhou? Isn’t it just like those Jiannu Tartars or bandits! You must know that the food you eat and the clothes you wear are all Han It is provided by the people of the continent. What they expect is that you can protect them, not that your wives and children are ruined by you!"

After being reprimanded by Cao Xiong, Qi Dalu immediately lowered his head, not daring to say any more.

"Old Yu, as the chief officer of the company involved in the incident, how did Dalu handle it?" Cao Xiong turned to ask Yu Fukun.

"Downgrade instead." Yu Fukun glanced at Qi Dalu and sighed slightly in his heart.

"Stupid substitute!" Cao Xiong scolded, "If you can't even manage your own soldiers, what's the use of it. Let me go to the company as a soldier. Later, I will use it after I have military exploits."

The few people in the watchtower couldn't help looking at Qi Dalu sympathetically, and secretly felt sorry for him. He had finally escaped from Dili City and returned to the mainland, and it was time for the Marine Corps to reorganize and serve as the company commander of the new Fifth Marine Corps.Now, just because the soldiers under him made mistakes, they were beaten to the end and became a small soldier.

"In a few days, it is estimated that our immigrant fleet will return." Cao Xiong looked back at the sea in the distance and murmured.

"Maybe, at this time, Dajiang will follow Zheng Zhilong to attack Luzon, which is also unknown." Yu Fukun said.

"Then Zheng Zhilong is willing to fight Lu Song?" Cao Xiong was a little skeptical.

"Didn't Qi Tian say that there are copper mines there?" Yu Fukun said with a smile: "Besides, the Spaniards have accumulated wealth for decades in Luzon. Presumably, Zheng Zhilong can't resist this temptation. In addition, Luzon has been taken over by Westerners." It has been in business for many years, which is not comparable to Taiwan, and for this reason, he has an extra place to retreat. I think he will probably send troops to capture Luzon."

"The distance is far, and it will take at least a month or two until the news comes back. We can do nothing but wait." Cao Xiong said, "Hehe, I remember that a few days ago, Qi Tian once said, After dozens or hundreds of years, you can rely on a copper wire to connect to some kind of electricity, and things thousands of miles away will be passed on immediately. I don’t know if he is joking. Things thousands of miles away , can send back news immediately, just like the ear of the wind in the fairy tale."

"Thousands of miles, although some legends are exaggerated, it seems that every time the chief executive says and does things, he doesn't seem to be aimless. Maybe he can really do it in the future." Yu Fukun said: "One or two years ago, he and Liangfu Gong (Wang Zheng) and others Scholars and craftsmen studied the machine that can drive and work without manpower, and I also thought it was amazing at the time. But now I don’t think that the utensil can really pump water out by itself.”

"That big and bulky monster consumes too much coal. Except for the mines in Heishan and Kaiyuan, which can supply coal without limit, it can't be used in other places." Cao Xiong couldn't help shaking his head and smiling wryly when he heard that, "But we However, the chief executive thought that this was a great invention, a major event that could be recorded in history. He was also thinking about how to get this... steam engine into a vehicle similar to a carriage, powered by coal, and travel for several days and nights. Baili. Lao Yu, do you think this is possible?"

"Maybe... it can work." Yu Fukun said with some uncertainty.

"Where is Qi Tian now?" Cao Xiong asked.

"Yesterday, Mr. Wang and Mr. Song said that they got a movable valve workpiece, which can be assembled on the pumping machine, and the efficiency of use is much higher. The fourth child passed away early in the morning." Qi Dalu murmured in the back said.
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"Piston?" Wang Zheng was stunned for a moment when he heard this word, and then smiled, "This name is more appropriate. The valve that moves back and forth is a movable plug.... Then take a look again, this artifact is still there. How can it be improved?"

"This machine is too big and heavy. It's also inconvenient to operate. Most people can't operate it independently, and the labor intensity is also very high. The energy consumption is a bit too much, and the pumping efficiency is still very low." Qi Tian looked at the huge machine in front of him. The water pump, trying hard to substitute it into the small and practical water pumps in my memory.

"We all know these shortcomings." Song Yingxing said dissatisfiedly: "Mr. Liangfu is asking you how to improve it further!"

"I think this water pump should be made a little smaller." Qi Tian pondered for a while, then said softly: "We don't have to make all the power devices move up and down. We can use levers, chain gears, etc. The device uses the rocker arm of the lever to make the suction cylinder pump water. In this way, several transmission devices can be properly placed in parallel positions. It is also more convenient to operate and maintain.”

"Well, this method is feasible!" Wang Zheng nodded and said, "Any other suggestions?"

"At present, this machine only uses intermittent heating and cooling methods to push the piston to move, and then pump out the accumulated water in the mine pit. From this point of view, it cannot achieve continuous work and operation, which seems a bit inefficient. Can we Find a way to quickly cool down the cylinder and drive the transmission machine to move continuously.”

"Allocate a few workers to continuously spray cold water on the heating cylinder, thinking that it will cool down the temperature. Is it possible?" Wang Zheng asked.

"This move is also feasible, but it still wastes manpower." Qi Tian thought for a while, and then said: "Can we make two cylinders, one cylinder responsible for doing work is always hot, and the process of steam condensation in the other?" It is completed in the cylinder container, so that the same cylinder can be avoided from alternating hot and cold repeatedly, saving heat."

After hearing this, Wang Zheng and Song Yingxing couldn't help but looked at each other, and then they both fell into deep thought.

"Of course, I'm just mentioning an idea and concept here. As for whether it can be realized, it needs to be practiced and verified. However, the thing we are studying now is the earliest and most advanced in the world!"

You know, the world's first water pump powered by steam was invented by British engineer Savile in 1698. In 1705, the British Newcomen made some improvements.

In 1769, the British (British again!) Watt made a new steam engine equipped with a condenser after several years of hard work and trial and error.In 1784, Watt used the connecting rod to complete the mechanical translational movement. So far, the high-efficiency steam engine capable of rotational movement has been successfully developed.

The widespread application of the Watt steam engine brought the British Industrial Revolution to a new climax.The era when the steam engine changed the whole world has officially arrived.

In today's Hanzhou, the research and application of steam engines should be at the forefront of the world, and a practical steam pump was produced last year.Although the machine was extremely clumsy, consumed a lot of energy and was relatively inefficient, it still made Qi Tian extremely happy and excited.

Because the steam pump appeared in Hanzhou, half a century earlier than in Europe.He believes that with Hanzhou's spared support, the application and progress of the steam engine will develop faster than the later generations of Britain, and the application field will be wider.The extensive role of the steam engine in the future is undoubtedly the best supplement and reinforcement for Hanzhou's population shortcomings.

No one understands better than Qi Tian the consequences of the large-scale application of the steam engine. Not only can it provide continuous power to numerous industrial and mining machinery industries, enabling mass production, but it can also shorten the spatial distance of a country.If steam power equipment can be installed on ships, it can also improve the efficiency of sea transportation, and even change the combat mode of future naval battles.

(End of this chapter)