My father Zhu Gaoxu

Chapter 694 A Toy

It was late at night, and Zhu Zhanhe still didn't sleep. Instead, he stood in front of the study, looking at the blackboard in front of him in a daze.

The blackboard was specially sent by Zhu Zhanhe so that he could write something on it. For example, if he sometimes had a flash of inspiration, if he didn't record it, he would easily forget it afterwards.

In the center of the current blackboard, Zhu Zhanhe wrote the four characters "Industrial Revolution", and around it were written various terms such as textile industry, steam engine, steel industry, etc. Even outsiders could not understand it.

Zhu Zhanhe wanted to replicate the industrial revolution in Han Dynasty. The textile industry has now taken a solid step. Waterwheel spinning machines will soon be put into use. Although looms are still one step behind, he believes that as long as there is a surplus of spindles, Zhu Zhanhe Considering Zhan He's high reward, someone will definitely come up with a solution.

"The limitations of hydraulic power are too great. Firstly, the workshop must be built beside the river. Secondly, the river also has dry periods, resulting in unstable hydraulic power. The only way to solve this problem is..."

When Zhu Zhanhe said this, his eyes also looked at the steam engine written next to it.

The steam engine is known as the heart of the industrial revolution. Its emergence gave the industrial revolution a stable power source. Various machinery relied on the power of the steam engine to achieve better performance and promote the development of all aspects of society.

It can be said that the real starting point of Europe's first industrial revolution was the invention of the steam engine. The significance of its emergence is by no means comparable to that of spinning machines or looms. Therefore, this industrial revolution should actually be called the "steam engine." revolution".

"So, it's time to consider the development of steam engines next!"

Zhu Zhanhe said, picked up the chalk and drew a circle on the steam engine.

Compared with the spinning machines and looms he had improved before, the steam engine was much more complicated. Although the principle was very simple, it was nothing more than boiling water with fire, and then using the power of water vapor to drive the machinery.

But it involves many things, such as the materials needed for the steam engine and the design of various parts.

Zhu Zhanhe didn't know much about steam engines. Although he heard the name of steam engines all the time, the steam engine he really came into contact with was in a history museum. He only had a brief look at the appearance, and there was almost no structure inside. known.

"This is troublesome. If I were to design it myself, I might be able to design a working steam engine after a period of time based on the education in my previous life. But the key is that I don't have that much time!"

Zhu Zhanhe frowned and whispered again.

He is the prince now, and Zhu Gaoxu doesn't like to deal with complicated political affairs, so many things are left to Zhu Zhanhe.

Although Zhu Zhanhe is good at employing people and leaves many things to Yang Shiqi or Li Qi to handle, some things still need to be taken care of by him personally. Therefore, at the end of the day, his schedule is almost full and it is difficult to spare too much. Time to study steam engines.

"But if I don't participate and let Tao Qiong and the others build a working steam engine out of thin air, even if they can build it, I don't know how long it will take. So I have to participate, at least give them some guidance."

Zhu Zhanhe said to himself again at this time.Sometimes he really wished he could master the art of splitting, so that he could be divided into two parts, dealing with government affairs on one side and helping to improve various technologies on the other, instead of being unable to do both things as he is now.

It's a pity that there is no clone technique in this world, so Zhu Zhanhe could only think of a compromise method in the end.

Early the next morning, Zhu Zhanhe asked Tao Qiong to find a few skilled craftsmen for him. There were five of them in total. They were all the top craftsmen in the Han Dynasty. Some were proficient in woodworking, some were proficient in ironware, and some could make exquisite copper locks and designs. It was so complex that even Zhu Zhanhe was amazed when he saw it.

Zhu Zhanhe wanted these skilled craftsmen not to make a steam engine, but to design and make a toy, to be precise, a toy driven by a steam engine.

In later generations, Zhu Zhanhe once watched a video on the Internet, which showed the disassembly of a toy driven by a steam engine. Although it was a toy, it was driven by a steam engine. It also had many of the main components that a steam engine should have.

Of course, because it is a toy, the steam engine structure it uses is also very simple, but at least it can run on steam power.

Zhu Zhanhe's idea was very simple, which was to use these skilled craftsmen to make this steam engine toy, which was equivalent to making a pattern for Tao Qiong and others, and then asking them to enlarge it in proportion to the steam engine toy.

Of course, the structure of the toy is too simple. If it is enlarged one to one, the final steam engine will definitely be full of problems and may even fail to operate. But it doesn't matter. As long as this toy is there, it is equivalent to lighting up a lamp for Tao Qiong and the others. Lights illuminate the direction of their efforts, so they don’t have to worry about going astray.

So in the next period of time, Zhu Zhanhe drew a sketch, and took the time to personally explain the structure and principles of the steam engine to these craftsmen, and then let them find ways to realize what he drew.

These craftsmen also show their talents, forging iron and pouring molds. Most of the parts are polished by hand.

I have to say that these skilled craftsmen are really amazing. God has given humans a pair of hands. Some people can only use their hands to hold chopsticks to eat. Some people can train their hands into the most dexterous tools. Only you can think of anything. Without them, they can't do anything. of.

In addition, no matter how sophisticated the steam engine toy is, it is still a toy in essence, and its structure is very simple. Not to mention Zhu Zhanhe's guidance, so they spent a month to finally build this steam engine toy.

This is a locomotive driven by a steam engine. With a few empty carriages behind it, it can become a train toy.

The entire locomotive is as thick as a thigh, with a wooden shell on the outside. The core inside is a steam engine, which is mainly composed of a boiler, a cylinder and a flywheel. It is connected by some relatively complex transmission shafts in the middle. In order to design these transmission shafts, Zhu Zhan He spent a lot of thought.

The steam locomotive toy was completed. After Zhu Zhanhe's experiment, he immediately sent someone to call Tao Qiong and other officials from the Ministry of Industry. After thinking about it later, he felt it was not enough, so he sent someone to invite Yang Shiqi and other important officials to come with him. In addition, he also sent someone to There were Li Qi and other officials of Zhan Shifu.

In the end, Zhu Zhanhe called almost most of the officials in the court. Everyone was very curious because when Zhu Zhanhe sent someone to call them, he said he wanted them to see a "unparalleled wonder".

Something that Zhu Zhanhe could praise so much naturally aroused the curiosity of many people. Especially when they came to the main hall and saw so many people coming, many people were full of expectations.

(End of this chapter)