Lin Gao Qiming

Chapter 428 Batteries and Timekeeping

The time-traveling group's desire for telegraphs is great, but Dr. Zhong pointed out quite correctly that the leap-forward development of the time-traveling group in machinery and chemical engineering is not enough to support the development of electricity.The development of electricity has a long way to go.

Now the Time Travel Group has established an electrical application system far beyond this time and space, including simple power generation/transmission and distribution networks, radios, semi-automatic/manual telephone switches and mobile phone systems.But all of this is based on equipment from the 21st century.

Compared with the mechanical industry that can already manufacture various simple machine tools, standard parts, and bearings, the electrical industry of the Shuo Group is blank.Not to mention the simplest equipment, even mass-produced wires were barely developed recently.The raw lacquer and tung oil used as insulating materials are an indigenous mixture of raw materials. This material is now barely used on telephone wires.Zhong Lishi thinks that it will not be too big of a problem when it is used in wired telegraphy.It was the wired telegraph that he chose to develop.

Why build the wired telegraph in the first place?Dr. Zhong explained it like this: First of all, the wired telegraph is the easiest to manufacture by local methods among all communication devices.Many people have seen simple wired electrical equipment in "Mysterious Island".Dr. Zhong believes that although the manufacturing process on the mysterious island is too simple, the basic idea is correct.With his ability and the equipment he has mastered, he should be able to create better equipment.The telephone set of the manual switchboard seems technically simple, but the manufacture of the telephone set itself has to overcome some technical difficulties.Secondly, the bit error rate of the wired telegraph is low and the transmission is reliable.Although the radio environment in this time and space is very clean, there are always interferences from various weather factors.In fact, most of the commercial, civilian and military telegrams in the past were sent by wire telegraph network.

If Dr. Zhong traveled naked alone, then it would be very difficult for him to do this job-he would have to rebuild a whole set of local chemical industry, and rely on the metal smelting industry, even if it is primitive, to produce wired telegraphy. It is extremely difficult to manufacture electrical instruments, but now he has all kinds of test instruments and equipment brought from another time and space, and has a fairly modern industrial system, so it will not be too difficult to manufacture wired telegraphs.

First he has to fix the power supply.The power supply system of the Crossing Group is alternating current, which obviously does not meet the requirements of the primary telegraph, so the power supply problem must be solved.This problem was not a big problem at first, whether it was a hand-cranked generator or a lead-acid battery, there were a lot of stocks in the warehouse of the Planning Commission, but Dr. Zhong decided to completely base himself on the industrial foundation of the Transit Group and independently develop the power source—the total inventory of the 21st century. Will run out one day.

battery, he decided to use the least technically difficult Daniel battery.The battery consists of a copper cylinder with a porous slot inside it.The copper cylinder is the positive electrode, and a zinc rod in the porous tank is used as the negative electrode. The porous tank is filled with dilute sulfuric acid, and the outside is a saturated copper sulfate solution.

The design of this battery is quite successful, it does not have the acid mist problem that early batteries often have, can work for a long time when left unattended, and has a stable voltage output.In addition, the plates of this battery will not be corroded and can be used for a long time.

Daniel batteries were the main power source for telegraphs until 1875.Although its output voltage is only 2 volts, a ten-slot battery is enough to supply the telegraph with long-term stable work.The biggest disadvantage is that it cannot be charged. After the discharge is over, it must be refilled for maintenance. It will pollute the environment and affect the health of the operator.However, compared with the voltaic battery that can only be used as a laboratory toy, the practical value of this battery is very high.

The raw materials of the Daniel battery are all provided by the time-traveling industry. Zinc is the Japanese lead of this time and space. The time-traveling group imported a large amount of low-purity Japanese lead from Guangdong, and re-smelted and purified it—the Industrial Energy Committee originally planned to use it. to make tin.

After Dr. Zhong drew the design drawing, the machinery factory soon produced a sample, and the outer tank of the battery was made of glass.The corrosion resistance and leakproof effect of glass are better than ordinary materials, but the disadvantage is that it is fragile.Fortunately, ordinary wired telegraphs will not be moved around.

After the finished product came out, Zhong Lishi conducted a short-circuit spark discharge test to verify that the battery could work.He connected two rubberized copper wires from the two electrodes of the battery, then put on anti-shock protective gloves, and then slowly approached and touched the two copper wires.A very small electric spark, which is difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, flashed at the moment when the two copper wires were connected.

Then he measured the battery with a multimeter, and the output voltage was stable at 2 volts-Daniel's battery was completely successful.Dr. Zhong immediately named this battery "Zhong's No. [-] Battery". The reason why he called it No. [-] was because he planned to continue to steal the achievements of later generations-such as rechargeable lead-acid batteries.

Zhong's No. [-] battery still has some room for improvement.Then he used the information from the technical data to process and manufacture a zinc sulfate solution to replace the dilute sulfuric acid in the battery. This method is said to prolong the service life of the zinc rod in the battery.He asked the machinery factory to make a trial product and prepare two batteries to be used at the same time to see if this statement is valid.

After Dr. Zhong concentrated on battery and cable research, Lingao had no choice but to continue to use the traditional way of blowing the siren.In the past, the time travel group did not pay attention to the timekeeping work, but simply used the Beijing time brought from another time and space.

Before crossing, except for a few special-purpose places, the traversers had already replaced their timers with mechanical ones, and they also carried a large number of mechanical watches as reserves.All public and private timers uniformly use the Beijing time calculated from the GMT calibration displayed on the navigation clock on the Fengcheng ship.

In order to tell the time for the aborigines and traversers, the whistle is sounded four times at the thermal power stations of Bairen City and Bopu at 6:12, 18:24, [-]:[-], and [-]:[-] every day.In Bairen City and Bopu Port, Lingao cable broadcasting station provides hourly time reporting.

Now they realize that it is unnecessary to continue to use this time system. Firstly, Lingao and Beijing are not in the same time zone. Secondly, on the political map of the future crossing group, it is located in the north, the natural environment is not good, and it is not The city of Beijing by the sea does not enjoy any special status - some extremists have proposed to rename it "Youzhou" once the Crossing Daye succeeds in China.

After discussing this issue several times, the research team chaired by Wang Luobin believes that they can use the local time in Lingao, which is the time in East Seventh District.

"To be honest, I don't see any practical significance for us to change from East Eighth District to East Seventh District. Except for satisfying some people's inexplicable hobbies." Ma Qianju is more concerned about this kind of psychology than reality Changes based on factors of meaning are poorly understood.

"Anyway, there are no disadvantages." Wang Luobin said, "at least the timekeeping should be more accurate, after all, there is an hour's difference—speaking of, there are still people who want to use Lingao time instead of GMT."

"Don't, it must be messed up. With this change, a lot of technical information will have to be revised, which is too troublesome." Wen Desi was not interested in this proposal either.

Wang Luobin also didn't want to change the Greenwich Mean Time. The most accurate time they have now is the Greenwich Mean Time on the navigation clock on the Fengcheng ship. If they change it to Lingao Time, it may not be as accurate as the original time.

"We want to set up an observatory in Lingao." Wang Luobin said.

The purpose of setting up an observatory is of course not to observe Halley’s Comet or to see where there are signs of extraterrestrial life. The basic purpose of this observatory in the Crossing Group is the same as that of the ancients, mainly for accurate calendar and time services.

"Not only the observatory, but also the meteorological station." Ma Qianju suggested, "weather forecast is very important to us. Not only a meteorological station, but also a weather monitoring network."

"There is also a hydrological station." Wen Desi remembered what Yan Quezhi had mentioned to him. To collect the hydrological data of Lingao's main rivers, at least a basin-wide observation station had to be established in the Wenlan River Basin.

"Well, this matter is a systematic long-term plan." Wen Desi spread out a large-scale Lingao map, "The observatory can be located in the high mountain area."

"Isn't this place going to engage in animal husbandry?"

"In addition to animal husbandry, observatories and weather stations can also go there. I propose to make the high mountain area the focus of our next phase of construction." Wen Desi said, "Relocate our scientific research institutions and databases to mountainous areas - for security, Once the enemy launches an attack, Bairen City is likely to become a battlefield - flat ground on all sides, it is difficult for us to achieve comprehensive defense."

Another problem is the typhoon in Lingao.So far, the Traveling Group has not tasted the taste of a typhoon.According to the warnings of several amateur meteorologists, late summer and early autumn are the high incidence of typhoon attacks in Lingao—although Lingao is an area on the coast of Hainan Island that encounters relatively few typhoons, the power of typhoons cannot be underestimated.Often cause floods.The main base of the crossing group is either in the port or by the river.vulnerable to disasters.The wind damage in the high mountains area is much smaller, and it is not easy to cause floods. As for the mudslides, the people of the large library have searched all the information, but have not found such records in the high mountains area.Overall, it's a safe place.

Gaoshanling has abundant water sources, a good natural environment, and a milder temperature than the Wenlan River Basin.The geological conditions are also very stable - in the era of digging deep holes and accumulating food, the local garrison has dug large-scale caves for combat preparation here, and the high mountains are feasible as a strategic reserve base for the Crossing Group.

(End of this chapter)