The Great Industrial Ming Dynasty Started from Beiping

Chapter 287 The Breakthrough of the Steam Engine
R&D Department of Miyun Division.

Several craftsmen gathered around the machine on the production table.

This machine was made by several craftsmen using waste from the iron factory. It also used the principle of leverage, but it used crank parts.

Then use a special belt made of cowhide to depress one end of the lever with a bell crank as the wheel turns, while the other end of the lever is lifted and automatically dropped.

It is similar to the steam engine lever hammer that is now in use in Miyun District.

But when the machine was running, the difference was immediately visible.

This machine is too fast.

"Dangdang"

The dense beating sound, the hammer head beating up and down, and the speed is so fast that only afterimages can be seen, which makes people breathless.

Observed for a whole day.

At night, the kerosene lamps in the workshop were lit, and several craftsmen chose to work overtime without any dissatisfaction on their faces.

They want results as quickly as possible.

"time up."

Someone shouted, and someone quickly turned off the switch to stop the machine.

After the machine stopped, several people hurried forward to remove the belt from the machine and carefully observe the situation.

"There is fluff, but it is at least twice as good as the sixth experiment."

"It seems that the idea of ​​adding coils to the belt is the right one."

Several craftsmen expressed their opinions, and some of them recorded their analysis in words.

"Since adding iron can improve it, why don't you try to make a full iron chain?"

Another craftsman suggested.

"I'm afraid this technique is a bit difficult."

"I don't think the technology required is difficult. I'm afraid that the production cost is too high, and it's not a simple matter."

"Do it first. If the cost is high, find a way to reduce the cost. If you encounter technical difficulties, then brainstorm and solve the problem."

A craftsman pointed to the machine on the production table.

"Is this machine difficult? Didn't we think it was difficult at the time, and now we are still able to make it."

This forging speed is unbelievably fast.

Only one worker needs to hold the pliers to put the iron material on the machine table, and 120 catties of steel can be punched out every hour.

What is this concept?
Ten hours is [-] catties, counting ten hours a day, it is [-] catties a month.

The output of a worker.

With one hundred such machines, the monthly output is 360 million jin, and the annual output is more than 4000 million jin.

Only two hundred workers are needed to meet the key forging process in Beiping's plan to use 7000 million catties of iron for the three provinces' railways.

Then change to a knife.

The Yanling Saber, a standard weapon of the Ming Dynasty, weighs two to three catties in total.

A worker using this machine for a month can forge more than 1 blade mold blanks. Of course, this is only theoretical.

Formed knives need to be polished carefully, and the overall output can not be improved by solving one process.

but.

The production cost and time of knives have undoubtedly broken through the traditional functions and entered a new era.

This achievement was published in the latest issue of Technical News.

The principle of the new technology, the effects it brings, and which parts are used are all explained in detail.

Several days passed.

Several technicians came from the headquarters and met with the inventor of this technology. They thought they would ask questions about the new machine. Unexpectedly, these colleagues asked for belts.

They watched the high-speed rotating belt with relish in the R&D workshop of the Technology Division of Miyun Division.

"It's amazing that you guys even thought of putting coils in the belt."

The Technology Department of the Headquarters and the Technology Department of the Miyun Sub-district are competing with each other, but the abundance of technology in the iron smelting industry, which is the leader in the Miyun Sub-region, has already let the Technology Department of the Headquarters bow down in this regard.

However, the technical department of the headquarters has the advantages of the technical department of the headquarters. The technology they reserve is more comprehensive and covers more industries.

This is the short board of the Miyun District Technology Division, and it is the difference created by the different environments of the two.

"It seems that you are very concerned about this belt technology."

The technician from the Miyun Division asked with a smile.

The technicians from the headquarters did not deny it.

For new technologies, the Technical Department will set the buyout price and the rating of technical personnel based on the prospect and application efficiency.

Subsequent technicians use these new technologies to invent new technologies.

In addition to paying a certain usage fee to the technical department, there is a buyout fee.

Of course, the usage fee will be determined according to the situation, neither will the technical department pay too high a price, nor will the technical staff suffer.

To keep win-win as the goal, this approach, technical personnel can understand.

So the few technicians who came from the headquarters factory area did not hide it, they really valued the new technology belt.

After the exchange between the two parties, it also awakened the other party.

Yes, this belt is not only used in bellcrank lever hammer forging machines.

"It can be polished."

A craftsman patted his thigh and shouted excitedly.

"A few days ago, we also considered that cutting the knife is a trivial job, and I thought of a new method."

Just do it.

That person applied for the project, got approval, allocated funds and the right to use materials, and started new research and development.

At first I thought about using iron, but finally I changed to a stone mill.

A round stone mill is fixed vertically on the machine, with gears and belts to make the stone mill run at high speed.

Then lightly lean the knife against the surface of the stone mill, and countless flames splashed out, making a piercing sound.

but.

The idea worked.

The edge of the knife is sharpened at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"We need smaller, more efficient steam engines."

As more and more machines are used, steam engines are used as power, although many models have been developed according to order requirements.

But in general, the progress of the steam engine has not changed across the ages.

However, more and more demands have made the technical department increase the research on steam engines, which are more efficient, consume less energy, and are smaller in size...

Finally converged into one direction.

air tightness.

Only when the airtightness is solved, all problems can be solved well.

Xiao Jiu is the founder of the Technology Department, one of the inventors of the steam engine, and a group of people with the best technical talents.

He led a team to overcome the problem of steam engine air tightness.

And in the technical newspaper, this topic was made public, and craftsmen with ideas were called on to participate in this project.

The role of technical newspapers is epoch-making.

It's not just a simple effect of newspapers in later generations.

in ancient times.

Communication between people is very difficult and costly, so it is even more difficult technically.

There will be communication between artisans and artisans only when they meet.

And this communication, the frankness of technology will not be done easily.

The dissemination of technology mainly relies on masters leading apprentices.

The dissemination of a technology is from one person to another, and it may take more than ten or twenty years.

Efficiency lags behind.

China Heavy Industry has a large number of craftsmen, many of whom are outstanding talents. They pass the technical report and the technical department.

With more advanced technical communication methods and an environment where countless experiments can be carried out, their status in the factory and the security they need for life are guaranteed.

This is undoubtedly more advanced and efficient than the environment of the first industrial revolution and the second industrial revolution.

In ancient China, there was a rich technical heritage, which far exceeded that of Britain before the first industrial revolution.

With the production problems arising from the increase in factory scale, various more advanced efficiencies were required, and various new technologies were promoted.

This is a natural principle, and it will definitely develop like this.

In the first and second industrial revolutions, technology continued to flourish, and it was for this reason that it was the experience summed up by a large number of scholars in later generations.

Technology Department of China Heavy Industry Headquarters.

In the steam engine research and development workshop, Xiaojiu called on more than [-] craftsmen who were interested and thoughtful, and they studied the airtightness of the steam engine all day long.

A well-known craftsman named Han Youchang didn't close his eyes for three days and three nights in the workshop. Xiao Jiu persuaded him to rest, and he insisted that he had an inspiration.

"What's the point of not sleeping, I feel that my thinking is right, as long as I break through the airtightness as soon as possible, then I will go back to sleep in the dark, what's the matter."

One of the most important parts of a steam engine is the piston.

When everyone was thinking about pistons, this person said: "So many people have been studying pistons for such a long time, but there has been no breakthrough. I don't believe that these excellent craftsmen are not smart. I see, the problem is not with pistons." superior."

His view was not accepted by the majority.

But the technical department does not restrict craftsmen, so Han Youchang decided to study his own direction, after thinking about it, he decided to add a ring to the piston.

You can't do it, I'll be a partner with you.

He tried many methods, and finally finalized it as a collar that people wear every day, which is to encircle the piston.

"Pig iron is used for the piston, so the collar I want to add should use wrought iron. I need to keep trying to find out which material is suitable. I am afraid that all materials will not work. If new materials are needed, then the trouble will be great. "

Han Youchang tried various wrought irons, but they wore out too quickly and were not very elastic, so they couldn't fit tightly to the cylinder wall.

"It's not that there's a problem with my idea, it's a material problem that limits efficiency." Han Youchang found Xiao Jiu and told Xiao Jiu about his latest achievements.

After experimenting with Han Youchang's idea, it did change the efficiency of the steam engine, proving that this direction is indeed a breakthrough.

Xiao Jiu joined in and provided more ideas.

"Would you like to try pig iron too? Pig iron is a concession."

"Try?"

Han Youchang's dead horse was treated as a living horse art,

In his opinion, the use of pig iron for pistons and pig iron for collars is not in line with the current craftsmen's experience in technology.

The collar is five inches thick, eighteen inches wide, and six feet two inches in diameter. It is made of pig iron.

Collar of new material.

It is tightly attached to the cylinder wall, and because of its flexibility, the wear rate is greatly reduced, so that the steam engine can work for a long time.

Another new breakthrough, not only did Han Youchang see hope, but even Xiao Jiu's eyes shone with brilliance.

After several times of running-in and improvement.

Finally, two grooves are made on the top of the steam, that is, the piston, which are used to install two collars, which are constantly attached to the cylinder for repeated friction and sliding.

The affixed statement has been recognized by people.

Not only the piston is "capped", but also both ends of the cylinder are capped, which is the cylinder head and expansion ring of later generations.

(End of this chapter)