Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 90 The layout of the steam locomotive! (Subscribe)
The next day.

Xia Zhibai, who had just woken up, heard the news sent back by Heiwa.

"Hua Lun wants to see me?"

Xia Zhibai frowned, not quite sure about the situation.

Hua Lun and other first- and second-class Jinshi were all arranged into the Hanlin Academy because they spoke for him.

If the Hanlin Academy were placed in later generations, it would actually be equivalent to a secretariat, and they would handle some political affairs and accumulate administrative experience.

His reputation today is actually mixed.

He has a good reputation among the people, but many people in the officialdom are dissatisfied with him.

When he was recruiting craftsmen, many people secretly tried to trip him up and make him look bad in public, but he managed to resolve all of them. Because of this, Hua Lun and others would not take the initiative to contact him unless it was necessary, which could easily cause dissatisfaction among the literati and court officials, and thus affect his future career.

Xia Zhibai has never been to the Hanlin Academy during this period.

Logically, the two sides don't have much in common.

Xia Zhibai couldn't figure it out, and was too lazy to think about it.

He has a lot to do recently. There is less than a month left before the three-month deadline for submitting the accounts, and he has to try to build momentum for the three-month situation.

Also try to convince other merchants.

Let them work for you.

He asked Heiwa to go and tell Fang Mo that if Hua Lun came looking for him again, he should ask Hua Lun to set a time and he would go.

I explained it.

Xia Zhibai went to the salt-making 'factory'.

The facilities are very basic.

There were more than a dozen large chimneys, emitting billowing black smoke.

The buildings around were very simple, as if they were barely put together.

This is true.

In these two months, he had no time or manpower to repair these buildings. As long as they could shelter from wind and rain, not leak, and be habitable, that was enough. Good steel should be used on the blade, and Xia Zhibai understood this very well.

The house can be repaired at any time.

But if we fail to seize these three months of precious time to expand production.

Eventually, the Kyoto Salt Industry went bankrupt.

That would be a waste of time.

The workers in Kyoto Salt Industry are also extremely hardworking.

They work almost day and night, hoping to produce more salt during this period so that the Kyoto Salt Industry can continue to survive.

Xia Zhibai didn't stay here for too long and went directly to the residence of Zhou Ning and other craftsmen.

The accommodation conditions here are slightly better, but only slightly better. There are several walls made of a mixture of mud and grass around it.

When Xia Zhibai entered, Zhou Ning and others did not notice him. They were concentrating on tinkering with the steam engine blueprint. Some time ago, the coal transport workers came up with a very bold idea, which was to ask Zhou Ning and others to think of a way to use the steam engine on wheels.

Build a steam car.

The worker's idea was supported by many coal transporters.

Because transporting coal for twenty miles is too tiring, it is considered a good trip back and forth a day. Even with improved tools such as wheelbarrows, it is still time-consuming and laborious.

Zhou Ning, Li Sheng and other craftsmen rejected this idea immediately.

Totally impossible.

The steam engine itself is an iron shell.

Very heavy.

It is difficult in itself to drive such a huge iron shell.

What's more, the steam engine has to burn coal all the time, which means that it has to be loaded with a lot of coal for transportation and as fuel, and the weight becomes extremely exaggerated.

Now steam engines can be used to pump brine. All you need to do is install and fix the machine, and then improve the efficiency of steam pumping. But getting the steam engine to work is as difficult as climbing to the sky. They can't even imagine what the scene would be like.

When Zhou Ning heard this unreasonable request, he directly rejected it.

But his reaction was different from Zhou Ning's. When Xia Zhibai, who originally didn't want to get involved in the manual teaching, heard this idea, he made the decision directly.

Zhou Ning and others were stubborn.

Just had to try.

Xia Zhibai tiptoed into the room, which was filled with various kinds of toilet paper.

These are all sketches drawn by Zhou Ning and others.

This is what Xia Zhibai requested.

It means something.

"Governor, this is simply impossible. Nowadays, a steam engine weighs at least 300 to 400 kilograms. If you add coal, it will weigh at least 500 to 600 kilograms. This is just the weight of the steam engine. If you add other wheels and so on, the weight will go straight to 1,000 kilograms."

"How can this be carried?"

"There are only two solutions now. Either make the steam engine smaller, but if the steam engine is smaller, there will be less steam to drive the wheels, and it still won't be able to run. Or reduce the weight of other parts, but it is impossible to replace them with wood. Isn't this a dead end?" Li Sheng threw the brush in his hand on the table and complained.

He simply didn't believe that a steam car could be built.

It just doesn't make sense.

"And where should we put this stove? In the front? The weight of the whole vehicle is too unbalanced, and it's obviously top-heavy. If we put it in the middle, it's a stove, and the temperature around it is terrifyingly high. If we are not careful, something unexpected could happen, and that could be a disaster. Putting it in the back is the same as putting it in the front. It's not suitable for moving at all." Another engineer also looked troubled.

They have thought of many solutions over the past week.

But it simply couldn't move forward.

There are problems everywhere.

Zhou Ning also frowned, unable to think of any solution.

"At the moment, perhaps it is indeed impossible to do." Just as Zhou Ning and others were looking at the blueprint in confusion, Xia Zhibai's voice suddenly rang out.

Zhou Ning and the others were also startled and looked around subconsciously, only to find that Xia Zhibai had entered the house without them noticing.

"Mr. Xia." Zhou Ning bowed.

Xia Zhibai waved his hand, went to the square table, and looked at the sketches drawn by Zhou Ning and others.

The sketches designed by Zhou Ning and others were all based on the existing water-pumping steam engine. They simply put the iron lump on it and then built the car based on this framework. However, the steam engines used in salt mines and coal mines are only for pulling heavy objects. It is obviously impossible to use such steam engines to provide power for the wheels.

Wrong direction.

This is not the fault of Zhou Ning and others.

The steam engine has only been around for too short a time.

It is rare to be able to achieve the current level based on the limited foundation.

To ask for more is actually a bit harsh.

Xia Zhibai also knew this.

He gathered the straw papers together and put them aside, saying, "The manufacture of steam locomotives is indeed very difficult and even somewhat impractical. I just listened to what you said, but I don't think the problems you mentioned are that big of a deal."

"It comes down to it."

"There's something wrong with this steam engine."

"Is there a problem with the steam engine?" Zhou Ning was stunned.

The steam engine is fine.

And this has been improved many times.

Xia Zhibai said: "You have been too tired recently. I suggest that you take a rest in the next few days. Don't focus on these things anymore. Empty your mind. There is indeed something wrong with this steam engine."

"Because this is a steam engine for pulling coal and brine, it is used to tow heavy loads, not a steam engine for making steam locomotives."

"How can we make a steam locomotive with this kind of vertically hauling steam engine? Moreover, in my opinion, there are many areas where this steam engine can be improved and where efficiency can be increased. The material alone is problematic."

“Although I raised the request with the Ministry of Industry, they seemed to satisfy it.”

“In fact, it doesn’t.”

"The steam oven in the steam engine is not uniform."

"Also, every time the steam engine is running, cold water must be injected. If the steam can be recycled with water at a certain temperature, can the efficiency be further improved? There is also room for improvement in the current steam engine shape and structure."

"You are too tired right now."

"I'm so tired that I've lost too much thought and change."

"Your mind and eyes are filled with only this one steam engine model, but that's not the truth. You have been working hard to improve these steam engines recently. I, Xia Zhibai, am very grateful. Now that the salt mine and coal mine are back on track, you should take a break and get away from that high-intensity state."

"After you have a good rest, maybe you can think differently."

"in addition."

"The power of one person is ultimately too small."

"There are many craftsmen and engineers in the Ministry of Industry, and they can actually participate."

“Only by working together can we make progress day by day.”

"I did have the idea of ​​building a steam locomotive. At the time, a coal transporter suggested to me whether it was possible to lay tracks along the road and design an alternative concave wheel so that the coal could be transported just by moving along the track. This would greatly increase the transportation speed. I was also very interested."

"It's just that I don't have the right."

“So it’s just put on hold.”

"But I own everything related to steam engines, so I made the decision so hastily."

"My idea, Xia Zhibai, is actually very simple, which is to enable people all over the world to work hard for a better tomorrow."

“I have the possibility to achieve it now, so I want to try it.”

“Sometimes you have to be bold and have a broad vision.”

“We must dare to think and act.”

“Failure is nothing, just consider it as accumulating experience for success.”

"If the steam locomotive could really come into being, it would bring so many benefits to the world."

“I hope all engineers can continue to work hard.”

Xia Zhibai bowed respectfully.

Zhou Ning and others looked at each other with complicated expressions.

If other people said this to them, they would not believe it at all, but after being with Xia Zhibai for so long, they knew that this was indeed Xia Zhibai's true thought, and he had been working hard for it. As long as Xia Zhibai wanted, the steam engine in his hands would be enough to gain huge benefits.

However, Xia Zhibai didn't care at all.

Even happy to take it out.

And what Xia Zhibai said was not wrong.

They spent so much time and effort on this steam engine, put all their thoughts into it, and only had eyes for this one.

But is there really only one steam engine in the world?

Naturally not.

They are currently blinded by one thing.

Zhou Ning nodded, smiled and stroked his beard, "Okay, then take a few days off. I've been feeling a little tired lately."

"I'll visit an old friend in town."

Xia Zhibai smiled.

Of course he could hear the subtext of Zhou Ning's words.

He didn't care much about it. Steam engines were just getting started, and it would not be easy to make a big breakthrough relying only on Zhou Ning and others. It would also take a long time. If more people paid attention and more people got involved, he believed that it wouldn't be long before the steam locomotive came out.

(End of this chapter)