Research starts with PhD students

Chapter 337 Superb performance! How on earth did they do this?!

On the northwest side of the area where the Key Laboratory of Superconductivity is located, there is a two-story building with white as the main color, which is the Material Testing Center of the laboratory.

Professor Xue Changkun, who is over 50 years old, is the director of the Materials Testing Center.

He wore square-framed glasses, had gray hair, a square face and a serious look, giving people a very serious feeling.

"Xiao Wang!"

Xue Changkun stood at the door of the central testing room, holding a document in his hand, and shouted into the corridor.

A young man in his early thirties came running over and said, "Director, I'm here!"

Xue Changkun handed the document to Xiao Wang, "This is a new report, send it to Professor Wen quickly."

Xiao Wang took it, took a look at it, and asked in confusion, "Isn't it usually passed directly?"

He was referring to sending electronic reports.

Most of the material test results required by the laboratory are sent in the form of electronic reports.

On the one hand, electronic reports can be viewed directly on a computer, which is relatively convenient.

In addition, there are confidentiality considerations.

When material testing is reported directly on paper, there is a risk that the report may be mistakenly seen by others or lost.

Xiao Wang said this subconsciously, and noticed that Xue Changkun had a frown on his face, and he couldn't help feeling nervous.

as predicted!

Xue Changkun immediately rebuked him in dissatisfaction, "If I tell you to go, just go. Why are you asking so many questions?"

"Okay, okay~ I'll go right away!"

Xiao Wang just turned around when he heard Xue Changkun add, "Document reports are more intuitive!"

"If it was a normal result, the electronic version would be enough, but this time it's different."

After he said that, he turned and went into the testing room.

Several researchers from Xue Changkun's team gathered in the testing room.

They were having a heated discussion about the test data that had just been obtained.

One of them wondered, "Are the test results accurate? Why is the critical temperature so high?"

"The material sent here is 122, right? This time, the team of idiot Wen Shumao has made great achievements!"

"Why do I feel like this is unusual? I've seen this material before and have tested similar ones. Why is the performance so high? It's not normal."

"Could it be that the materials are different, but they just look the same..."

"That's possible, or maybe the samples and names are different? Is there something we don't know?"

Someone saw Xue Changkun coming back and immediately called out, "Professor Xue, has it been delivered?"

"I'll let Xiao Wang go." Xue Changkun said as he sat down in front of a computer and continued to stare at the data information on it.

Then he shook his head in confusion, "This material has been tested, how come it's so high?"

"These data...it seems like every item has improved."

"How did they do it? Could it be related to Academician Zhang Shuo?"

After hearing this, the others also reacted, "It must be Academician Zhang Shuo!"

"If this miraculous result happened to Academician Zhang Shuo, I would believe it."

“But the question is, has the material changed?”

The others shook their heads and said nothing.

They conducted professional tests and found that the elemental composition of the material had not changed from the original, but the performance had been qualitatively improved. The results completely overturned conventional wisdom.

How exactly?
I don't understand.

……

Xiao Wang delivered the report to Wen Shumao's office.

Wen Shumao was discussing the issue of material testing with others. They all wanted to know the specific results and seemed a little impatient.

Someone suddenly saw the information on the computer and shouted, "The electronic report is out!"

"have a look!"

Wen Shumao also immediately looked at the computer screen, but before he had time to take a closer look, he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" he shouted without even looking up.

"Professor Wen, this is the test report!" Xiao Wang walked in politely and put the report on the table.

Wen Shumao then looked at Xiao Wang, nodded to express his gratitude, and then focused his attention on the report.

Xiao Wang walked out silently.

He was also full of doubts and couldn't wait to go back to the testing center to inquire about the situation.

Wen Shumao glanced at the report and immediately noticed the key data. He exclaimed, "Come and see if it's true?"

"I saw it too!"

The person who first shouted the report was also surprised, "The critical temperature is 33K? Such a big increase?"

"The current carrying capacity has increased by 20%..."

His words were full of disbelief.

Everyone crowded over.

Some people focused on the data displayed on the computer screen, while others gathered around Wen Shumao to read the written report. They all noticed the two crucial parameters, critical temperature and current carrying capacity, and immediately couldn't help but discuss them loudly.

"The critical temperature has increased so much?"

"The current carrying capacity has also been improved. Has it reached the highest value of the existing 122 materials?"

"The critical temperature is also the highest, exceeding 30K..."

"How exactly do you do that? Just mix and grind the ingredients?"

"Our previous talent was..." They exclaimed as they talked about the unknown 'steps' in the material preparation process.

After the raw materials are prepared and the first step is completed, the materials are shipped out and then shipped back the next day to continue the next step.

During all the preparation processes of the materials, we don’t know what happens only after they are shipped out.

That's obviously the most critical part.

They even found it difficult to understand how the material's performance could be achieved to such a high level in just one step.

How exactly?
Wen Shumao stared at the report for a long time, carefully checking every piece of data. He finally raised his head and shouted, "Go find Academician Zhang!"

……

Zhang Shuo is here.

He is also very much looking forward to the performance of the material.

After seeing the results, he couldn't help but smile. He was obviously very satisfied with the data and commented, "Not bad, even a little bit beyond expectations."

He felt that the gravitational barrier should be useful, but he was not sure how big of an effect it would have.

The data is now clear.

This has also promoted the improvement of task progress, which has now reached 58%.

"This is definitely a major achievement!" Wen Shumao couldn't hide his excitement. "The best 122 material was produced in an instant."

"This material can even replace the niobium-titanium alloy with the highest industrial coverage. The production process is not complicated. The only thing is that it is a little expensive..."

"Probably not yet."

Zhang Shuo shook his head and denied Wen Shumao's judgment. "The reason why niobium-titanium alloy can be used on a large scale is because it is cheap and has a very high current carrying capacity."

"The current carrying capacity of this material is still poor, and the difference between 33k and 8k is not that big, unless it can reach 77k."

77K is the temperature of liquid nitrogen.

Once the critical temperature of the superconducting material reaches 77K, it means that liquid nitrogen can be used directly as a coolant, and the cost of use will be greatly reduced.

"We have just started our research, so don't rush. I hope to develop a superconducting material that meets the standards required by the Chaos Field Experiment Group."

"The critical temperature is still too low."

He said, shaking his head.

"It's not that easy..." Wen Shumao muttered to himself, then opened his mouth, but said nothing in the end.

He really wanted to know what happened after the raw materials were transported out that caused such an amazing improvement in the material performance.

What exactly is this method?
What is the cost?
Can it be promoted on a large scale? Even within the laboratory, it can be promoted on a large scale.

But he also knew that it might involve confidentiality, and it seemed inappropriate to ask.

Zhang Shuo seemed to know what Wen Shumao was thinking. He explained, "It's a new technology."

"It's hard to say what the cost is. The technical coverage is too low, and only one team can do it, so the cost should be very high."

"Your laboratory wants to use it... It's unlikely for now, unless you can create a superconducting material that is very likely to be used on a large scale. If it's just in the laboratory..."

He shook his head and continued, "Let's continue this research."

"We are just getting started. I believe there is still a lot of room for improvement in the material. For example, the performance of the material can be further improved by adding some elements or adding or improving a certain preparation step."

Then he asked, "Professor Wen, do you have any ideas?"

Wen Shumao was still immersed in the disappointment of the laboratory being unusable, and it took him a long time to react, "Ideas? No..."

He immediately shook his head and said, "This 122 material was researched by our team, and we have already experimented with improvement plans."

"Right."

Zhang Shuo simply stopped asking and immediately said, "I do have a few ideas that we can start experimenting with right away."

"It is to conduct experiments separately and prepare several materials at the same time. The difference is that each preparation process has a separate change, either a step, or an operation, or adding new elements, etc."

“I need to study the impact of a single change through changes in the final material properties.”

Same experiment, different variables.

The effect of each variable will be reflected in the material properties.

After all the variables have been studied, they are combined based on the experimental results, and the performance of the final material produced will be greatly improved.

That's what's next.

Wen Shumao nodded in understanding and said, "Our organization will fully cooperate."

He then asked doubtfully, "Academician Zhang, have you thought of all the plans? Do you want to conduct a demonstration? Why do you want to conduct so many experiments at once..."

"I understand your idea."

Zhang Shuo said, "Conducting experiments one by one requires a lot of materials and a lot of funds, but time is money."

He shook his head and said, "I can't wait to finish the research. Time is running out!"

"Huh? Why?"

Wen Shumao really couldn't understand it. It was true that Zhang Shuo was a very busy man, but how could material research be so hasty?

Zhang Shuo explained, "In two weeks, I will be attending an important work."

He thought about it and felt that there was nothing to hide. After the new gravity spacecraft was tested, it would definitely be widely reported by media around the world. By then, there would be no confidentiality at all.

"It's like this. A gravity ship, you know? A new model, first test flight. I want to go and see it."

"After the test flight work is completed, I hope to return directly to Sudong. I have stayed in the capital for too long, so I should finish the research as soon as possible."

"To be honest."

Zhang Shuo pursed his lips and sighed, "Professor Wen, I'm really not interested in superconducting material research, I just hope to complete the task quickly..."

"Oh~~~"

He said and sighed.

(End of this chapter)