Daming 1805

For uranium enrichment, power supply is a very important basic issue, so Zhu Jingyuan and Zhu Zhongliang first went to the power plant.

Zhu Jingyuan and Zhu Zhongliang put on labor protection clothing, and accompanied by the shopkeeper and craftsmen of the power plant, they walked into the workshop where the generating units that had already been put into operation were located.

Zhu Zhongliang was in the safety corridor, looking at the turbine equipment running in front of the car, he felt a little familiar.

Zhu Zhongliang subconsciously asked Zhu Jingyuan beside him:

"Has the prime mover of this power plant been used elsewhere?"

Zhu Jingyuan smiled and nodded, introducing:
"The source engine of the first generator set in front of us is directly copied from the power unit of the cutting-edge battleship.

"Only the equipment connected behind the steam turbine wheel was changed from the main shaft of the battleship propeller to the alternator.

Zhu Zhongliang suddenly realized:
"I said, why is it so familiar? Is the power system on the battleship suitable for power generation?"

Regarding this question, Zhu Jingyuan couldn't explain clearly, but he knew that it could be used for sure, and the efficiency depended on the actual use.

The master craftsman of the power plant who was following him immediately explained:

"Heavy oil boilers and steam turbine systems are very new technologies, and it is the first time that they are combined for power generation.

"So, in order to put this new power plant into operation as soon as possible and meet the increasingly high electricity demand of the industrial park under construction, the power plant chose the most mature of these new technologies.

"The same original power system of the cutting-edge battleship can be produced in the same way as the existing battleship power system production line. There is no need to open a separate production line, and the speed of production can be achieved as fast as possible.

"At the same time, the number of the same units will increase, which is convenient for discovering and accumulating and finally solving the problems encountered. The iterative update speed of the units can be faster, and finally feedback to stability.

"Theoretically speaking, the working environments and scenarios of power generating units and marine power units are very different, and the performance and stability requirements of both parties are also very different.

"Theoretically speaking, marine power units usually have higher reliability requirements, and they must adapt to unstable offshore platforms, relatively complex and harsh working environments, and the design should be as simple as possible and easy to maintain.

"At the same time, it does not particularly pursue extreme power and extreme conversion efficiency, nor is it very sensitive to cost.

"Generator sets are completely reversed. They work in a stable factory building and are relatively convenient to maintain. Therefore, higher power and higher conversion rate should be pursued, and sensitive costs should be reduced as much as possible.

"Therefore, only the first four sets of emergency construction of the power plant will completely copy the power system of the battleship.

"After meeting the power supply demand, optimize and improve the working efficiency of the generator set according to the actual demand of the power plant.

"According to the experience summed up in actual use, special design and production of special generator sets."

Zhu Zhongliang nodded slightly while listening:

"A set of battleship power units has a power of 16 horsepower. Four sets are enough, right?"

Zhu Zhongliang looked at Zhu Jingyuan, Zhu Jingyuan thought for a while and said:

"If this power plant is not integrated into the new Tianfu power grid and is exclusively used by the new element project, it is completely sufficient."

The total power of the four generator sets is 64 horsepower, equivalent to a total installed capacity of 47 kilowatts.

Converted into monthly power generation is just over [-] million kWh.

The power plant attached to the World War II-era Oak Ridge K-25 plant has less than 24 kilowatts of installed capacity.

Although the factories and laboratories have another source of electricity, the laboratory's substation has a capacity of 31 kilowatts.

Therefore, the upper limit of the monthly power consumption of the entire laboratory and factory is just over [-] million kWh.

At that time, the monthly power generation in the United States was about 200 billion kWh, which was [-] times the upper limit of the total power consumption of the laboratory.

In the articles circulated on the Internet in later generations, the Manhattan Project consumed one-seventh or even one-third of the electricity generation in the United States, which probably messed up the data of different times and situations.

It may be that the power consumption of the entire Manhattan project for several years was compared with the total installed capacity of power stations in the United States at that time.

Or the power consumption during the 60s nuclear expansion.

The power consumption of the Manhattan Project enriched uranium plant can be afforded by two Lexington-class aircraft carriers.

Even in the 60s when the nuclear production capacity was fully exploded, the monthly power consumption of the uranium enrichment plant reached 24 billion kWh.

This data does not seem to be big?

In the 60s, the monthly power generation in the United States was only more than 140 billion kWh, which was one-sixth of which was spent on enriching uranium.

At that time, the gas diffusion method was used.

The power consumption of the centrifugal method is only one-fifth to one-tenth of that of the gas diffusion method.

If all the electricity generated by the oil-fired power plant in Xintianfu is used to enrich uranium, it will be enough to supply Cold War-level nuclear expansion.

Of course, this is only enriched uranium, and the monthly consumption of other projects is counted.

The cost of the entire Manhattan project is very large, and it is also very wasteful.

Because they didn't know how to do it right at the beginning, they fumbled through various refining and manufacturing solutions.

I am still looking for ores all over the world, and I have tried the electromagnetic isotope separation method that consumes even worse energy than the gas diffusion method.

Now Daming has a stable ore producing area, directly mining from the world's largest Tiannan (Australia) uranium mine.

Directly moving towards the centrifuge production which consumes more energy than the gas diffusion method.

Zhu Jingyuan also provided relatively complete theoretical guidance.

The final cost of Daming's current "new element" project may only be a fraction of the original cost of the Americans.

It just may take more time, because many industrial foundations need supplementary courses.

Zhu Jingyuan and Zhu Zhongliang's grandfather and grandson walked around the power plant and ate at the canteen of the direct power plant at noon.

In the afternoon, I went to the chemical plant that refines ore into uranate, that is, the chemical plant that makes uranium yellow cake.

When Zhu Zhongliang and Zhu Jingyuan arrived at the reception of the factory, they first changed into a full set of protective clothing.

Uranium in a chain reaction is very dangerous, whether it is an operating nuclear power plant or the residue after an explosion of a nuclear weapon.

Pure uranium itself is not dangerous.

The half-life of uranium is as long as hundreds of millions of years, so the radiation released from uranium ore to yellow cake and uranium hexafluoride to enriched uranium under normal conditions is very weak.

A piece of paper can completely block it, and it cannot penetrate human skin.

Therefore, ore, yellow cake, and enriched uranium metal can all be directly contacted.

However, the radioactive radon gas produced by the decay of uranium, as well as the dust containing uranium metal and compounds, will form an internal radiation effect after being inhaled into the human body, which will lead to disorders of body functions.

Then there is the natural toxicity of uranium as a heavy metal itself to living organisms.

When it gets into the body, heavy metal poisoning is indispensable, and tens of milligrams is enough to cause kidney failure.

Therefore, although uranium ore is not dangerous, it is still necessary to take precautions when touching it.

However, it does not need to be as strict as dealing with nuclear pollution, as long as direct physical contact and inhalation are avoided.

Therefore, early scientific researchers and workers in history did not quickly realize the danger of direct contact with this metal.

Even after the atomic bomb exploded, humans at that time still did not feel that uranium itself was dangerous.

Even at that time, many people believed that nuclear radiation was good for health.

The craftsmen of Daming who are now participating in the New Element Project have received a special reminder from Zhu Jingyuan.

From the beginning, a relatively standardized protection system was formulated, and relatively reasonable protective equipment was specially designed.

According to Zhu Jingyuan's proposal, the craftsmen also conducted radiation control experiments with various animals.

They have realized the harm of nuclear radiation to living organisms.

Zhu Jingyuan and Zhu Zhongliang put on one-piece protective suits and masks similar to gas masks. They met the shopkeeper and master craftsmen of the factory, and first went to the hall where the ore was displayed.

The uranium ore needed for the new element project, after being mined in Tiannan, only the simplest selection and cleaning work is carried out.

Then it was sent directly to Xintianfu.

Subsequent ore refining to enrichment, principle research and production of atomic weapons are all carried out in Xintianfu.

The work started at present is mainly the processing of ore and the research of principle.

Zhu Zhongliang was wearing a gas mask, holding a piece of golden uranium ore, and said with emotion:

"The colors of these ores are really gorgeous, and some even have fluorescent effects, really like the legendary night pearls.

"If ordinary people encounter this kind of stone in the wild, and think that this kind of stone is beautiful, and keep it by their side as a gem, what will be the consequences?"

It is also the first time for Zhu Jingyuan to see uranium ore with his own eyes, but he has seen breakthroughs on the Internet in his previous life. Those more beautiful uranium ores are really like colored gems and crystals:
"Probably you will suffer from various chronic diseases. Pure uranium is actually not harmful. I am afraid of the radioactive residues from the decay of uranium ore and the dust of uranium compounds..."

When Zhu Jingyuan said this, he subconsciously looked at the craftsmen and shopkeepers here:
"We should have been doing related experiments here, right?"

The general management department of the entire new element project is directly linked to the new Tianfu army system.

The manager of the factory responsible for refining the uranium mines was Zhu Zhaoxie, a major general in the Xintianfu army.

Zhu Zhaoxie was born in the Zhou Palace with the largest clan and population, and is of the same generation as the current emperor Zhu Jianyan.

When Zhu Zhaoxie heard this question, he immediately said with emotion:

"According to His Highness's instructions, the biological experiment has been going on, it's just the result of the experiment...

"It can only be said that there are no good results so far...

"The vast majority of animals that were directly affected by the radiation, as well as those that ate the radioactive material, slowly developed various strange lesions.

"According to current observations, the stronger the radiation, the stronger the effect, and the faster the symptoms will appear.

"It's really fortunate that His Highness reminded you from the very beginning that the artisans and workers involved in the work have taken good precautions.

"Otherwise, in the past year, I don't know how many people will suffer from various strange diseases, and then life would be worse than death.

"The energy of nuclear radiation can really hurt people invisible.

"The various by-products produced in the experiment can now be used as special weapons."

When Zhu Jingyuan heard this, he immediately reminded:
"So the entire new element project is the most secret scientific research and production project of our Ming Dynasty and even the whole world.

"All materials, all experiments and production processes must be strictly controlled.

"Absolutely do not allow any material and information to leak out."

Zhu Zhaoxie immediately agreed sincerely and earnestly:

"Your Highness, rest assured, experiments and research are the work of artisans. We, the management from the military, are studying confidentiality and control measures all day long."