I ask you to build tractors, but you build rockets?

November is the harvest season.

On November 6, the "Qingshan" base was officially completed, and the first experimental uranium reactor began trial operation.

Qingshan Base is the code name of another nuclear base built by Xinyuan. After a year of construction, it was officially put into use with the operation of the first experimental reactor.

The plant's iconic buildings, the two giant "chimneys" (condensate evaporation towers) finally began to emit white smoke after being erected for several months to cool the operating reactors.

Senior officials from Xinyuan, Huaguo Power Investment, Guangdong Nuclear Power, 194 Research Institute and other related units witnessed the start-up ceremony of the "CU-15" test reactor.

CU-15, C represents the conventional configuration, U represents that the reactor raw material is uranium 235, and the number 15 represents the power generation power of 150,000 kilowatts, which is 150MW.

CU-15 is not the sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor (abbreviated as SFR) used by NAPE. It is only used to conduct high-power-consuming tests and supply bases. It is produced and sold by itself.

However, the CU-15 was completely independently designed under the leadership of Cheng Nankai. It adopted some new technologies to reduce the size and cost, and even used relevant design concepts from NAPE. It was built midway through the construction of the Qingshan base.

The superiors were very worried about Xinyuan designing the reactor directly on its own. After repeated discussions, an expert was sent from Chengdu 194 Institute (Nuclear Power Research Institute) to conduct an inspection, requiring that it must be accepted before it can be put into practical use.

CU-15 is not an SFR, so there is no need to pay too much attention to confidentiality. In addition, the experts sent by 194 are also early researchers of the Republic who have left front-line work, so they agreed to open it up.

Wang Lu is 78 years old and has participated in many early major nuclear projects. He is certainly familiar with reactor design. After signing a confidentiality agreement, he joined Cheng Nankai's working group to inspect the safety hazards of CU-15.

The results are quite shocking. The design ideas of CU-15 are quite advanced and can be described as beautiful.

The structure is simple, efficient, and small in size, and there is no awkwardness at all when designing for the first time. There are no novice mistakes he made in the early design. It shows everywhere that the designer definitely has rich experience and a lot of experience. Precedent is what makes CU-15 so handy.

But Cheng Nankai's information is well known in the industry. It is not an exaggeration to describe it as mediocre, let alone other people.

I have almost no actual work experience, and I didn't engage in this field of work at all during my time in the country.

It's simply...incredible.

When writing a follow-up report, Wang Lu praised the design of the CU-15 and believed that its reliability was higher than 99.5% and it could be approved for operation.

In today's first run, CU-15 was as stable as he imagined.

Cheng Nankai was standing next to him, with a confident and calm expression on his face.

How great would it be for such a talent to serve the country?

Wang Lu looked at the various parameters in the control room and said with some emotion:

"CU-15 is already a very good third-generation reactor, but the power limit is relatively small. Xiao Cheng, your design is so clever. The operating temperature of the reactor core is so high."

For nuclear reactors, core temperature control is an extremely important issue.

Theoretically, a high operating temperature of the reactor core means smaller heat dissipation pressure, lighter system weight, and higher efficiency. However, this will increase the difficulty of design and increase the risk.

The famous Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident was caused by the excessive temperature of the reactor core. If rescuers had not used their lives to save the reactor, the meltdown would have posed a greater threat.

The nuclear engines previously developed by Aramco and the alliance were larger in size and weight in order to reduce the core temperature for reliability, so the heat dissipation system had to be large and complex.

If it is used in the first stage and works in the atmosphere most of the time, it is okay. There is air to assist in heat dissipation and the weight is acceptable. But if it is in a vacuum, it will be difficult. The heat energy of the high-power reactor is really hard to know how to deal with.

But for Cheng Nankai, it's just the opposite. NAPE can maintain the low quality of the entire system while taking the SFR route, relying on the ultra-high core temperature of more than 1,700 degrees.

Nowadays, major research institutions in the world that are launching a charge on sodium-cooled fast neutron reactors only envision a core operating temperature of 750 to 950 degrees. 1,700 degrees is already a prospect after maturity.

NAPE's reactor heat will not be dissipated like ground power generation, but will be directed to the engine part to heat the working fluid and ionize it, reducing the pressure on the heat dissipation system to a minimum.

It is this set of ionization links that has led to a linear increase in the efficiency of NAPE and a significant reduction in volume and weight, allowing the 3.6-ton system to include three working modes and a million-kilowatt SFR reactor.

To put it bluntly, the power output of six NAPE units at the same time is already comparable to that of a large nuclear power plant. This is why the few officials who know about the NAPE project are not optimistic about it: it is too scary!

Of course, NEPE calculates the total power, not the generated power. It covers all aspects of the entire engine and cannot completely generate electricity, but it is still a transcendent era.

Wang Lu naturally knew about the NAPE project and had done calculations himself, but he felt that if he led people to do NAPE by himself, the weight would be at least 10 tons, which was achieved by ignoring many issues.

The next generation is to be feared, the next generation is to be feared!

Cheng Nankai still didn't know that he had been labeled as a genius scientist, but at this time, his mood was more inclined to one of relief.

Before the Qingshan base was fully put into use, the most he did was theoretical work. However, the theoretical design already had an extremely detailed system design, and there was really nothing worth studying and modifying.

NAPE itself is the ultimate achievement of that world line in SSTO power. The original design has reached the point where any modification is superfluous and it only needs to be manufactured step by step.

As for other detector nuclear batteries, the spacecraft nuclear reactors are small things and have been idle in the past few months.

"Mr. Wang, apart from ship nuclear power, has Institute 194 ever studied space nuclear propulsion technology?"

Wang Lu shook his head:

“In our previous concepts, the design and principle of nuclear thermal engines were relatively simple, which was very different from reactors mainly used for power generation, and the cost-effectiveness of space nuclear thermal propulsion was not high, so... at least 194 did not have it.

But NAPE is very advanced, and the application of liquid metal reactors on ships is also cutting-edge technology. It is not as safe as traditional pressurized water reactors, but it does save space.

Xiaocheng, it's a huge loss to us that you didn't arrive early to work in China. "

Cheng Nankai: "..."

He silently looked away and looked at Lin Ju who was standing with a group of leaders in the distance. He thought that if he returned to China early, he would be at the same level as teaching in a university. The system would still be amazing!

…

"ES-6: Ionization-gas tip combined propulsion test, the eleventh test run!"

On the engine test bench of the B-level base, an engine with a flat nozzle is powered on. Looking through the nozzle, you can see the faint blue light generated by the ultra-high pressure inside.

The valve of the storage tank storing liquid methane is opened, and the liquid methane first enters a high-temperature and high-pressure environment, and then is introduced into the engine, where it is ionized by high temperature.

After that, the charged methane molecules are extremely violent due to the heat energy, and are accelerated by the electric field until one of the 400 micro-nozzles is ejected at high speed. They gather together along the wedge-shaped surface inside the flat nozzle, and become a dark blue tail flame that is sprayed backward at high speed. out.

The charged particle clusters sprayed out from hundreds of nozzles collided together at extremely high speeds, and the sharp roar could be heard through the thick protective glass.

In the control room next to them, Guo Shen and Serev watched the current soaring as the ES-6 test machine continued to increase its power, counting silently in their hearts.

About 7 or 8 seconds later, when the output thrust reached 5.5 tons, the engine's scream suddenly weakened, and the charming blue tail flame gradually subsided.

In the console, the energy supply system constantly prompts that the current is overloaded and the power is insufficient.

Guo Shen checked his watch and saw that it was exactly 74 seconds, three seconds longer than the last time.

The ES-6 ionization plug nozzle engine is a test machine built as a NAPE propulsion part demonstrator. It weighs more than 5 tons and has a maximum thrust of only about 6 tons.

Due to the missing reactor part, the nuclear heat and high-temperature ionization parts originally responsible for it can only be solved through traditional methods. As a result, ES-6 consumes huge amounts of energy, and its performance is far from comparable to NAPE.

The power system of the test bed has not been specially modified, and it will not last long before it is powered off due to overheating. The longest time of the eleven test runs did not exceed 90 seconds, but fortunately, the data collected was similar, which proved that the road was right.

The mission of ES-6 has been completed and the construction of the Qingshan base has been completed. Next, all the research and development work of NAPE will be transferred there, no longer need to worry about electric energy, and the next trial production will be the NAPE prototype.

Serev: "Okay, now we can finally free up the test bed. The Air Tip team will stay for now and take some time to finish the second half of the TP-25 'Lushan' engine. It will only take a month. It should not affect NAPE."

Guo Shen quickly replied: "Don't worry, TP-25 is not difficult and can be made very quickly."

TP-25, the "Lushan" engine, is a power system prepared for the determined low-cost reusable aerospace aircraft. It integrates three engines: ramjet, turbofan, and air tip. It achieves extreme weight reduction and outputs 25 tons of thrust.

The 10 TP-25s in the Tengyun project do not exist independently, but some pipelines are connected to each other to improve performance and reduce weight. The total weight cannot exceed 15 tons.

The total thrust of 250 tons when the gas tip is working is enough to send Tengyun into low-Earth orbit.

Because of NAPE's pre-production data, the development process of TP-25 was relatively easy. The original design had been finalized, and a mass-production prototype could be produced before January.

What is more troublesome is the design of the aircraft body. The dead weight in orbit includes 15 tons of engine, 35 tons of empty weight of the aircraft body, and 10 tons of fuel. The total load mass for people and cargo cannot exceed 5 tons. The design for 20 passengers is already Maximum compromise within safety redundancy limits.

The take-off mass is 200 tons, and the body weight cannot exceed 35 tons. This number is very extreme. The requirements for design and materials are unprecedented and require revolutionary innovation.

It is not difficult to meet this requirement simply by flying within the atmosphere, but if you add the need to travel through the atmosphere, I am afraid that H2's new generation of heat insulation tile technology is not enough, and it needs to be lighter, simpler, and cheaper.

Serev touched his hair and felt that there were signs of returning to premature baldness in his previous life.

Tomorrow, the regular version of the H2M space shuttle will leave the factory, and the H1W "Spiral" program will soon enter its first flight. Such high efficiency makes Serev not only excited but also brings a busier work schedule.

Under his plan, the B-level base was expanded by more than 400 people, and it was divided up by various project teams without any ripples.

This is of course not because the base has too high staff redundancy, but because there are too many places where people are needed. The Qingshan base is also expected to need 1,000 people to reach its initial full operation goal.

Controlling the super carriage of Xinyuan, I feel that I have more power than during the alliance.

As for the real boss Lin Ju? I'm afraid I spend much more time in the capital than at my home base.

But now it is rare for the boss to be at the base, and he is still with several people from the space agency.

…

On November 8, at 11 a.m., there are still more than ten hours before the results of the Aramco election will be announced, and the results will be completed in the early morning of Beijing time.

At the C-level base, in accordance with Serev's "Spiral" plan, the H1W unmanned spacecraft resurrected by Xinyuan on the H1 was officially released.

H1W is the same as the former alliance's MAKS plan. In order to match the fusiform fuel tank, the nose is tilted upwards and the front end is narrowed. In addition, the take-off quality is almost the same. It is an almost perfect replica of the MAKS of that year.

The only difference is that MAKS uses two engines, while H1W only uses one super-thrust H240 upgraded engine: H300.

The bell-shaped nozzle of the H300 has been optimized to maintain high efficiency from the time it is launched from an altitude of more than 10,000 meters until the aircraft enters orbit.

The maximum combined weight of the fuel tank and H1W is only 322 tons, while the H300 can output a maximum thrust of 112% when started, and can also adjust the thrust in a wide range, always keeping the thrust-to-weight ratio at a low level to reduce overload and vibration. Very forgiving of sensitive satellite parts being shipped.

Since the H1W is an unmanned design and is only designed for payload, the testing process is relatively simple. In addition to computer simulations, there are no multiple aerodynamic tests of the real machine. This is different from the H2 aerodynamic verification prototype that has been flying on the prairie for several months. completely different.

The H1W currently shipped from the factory uses second-generation heat insulation technology, and the overall look is gray, because the temperature requirements are relaxed in a wide range and the quality is reduced a lot.

But on its tail, a bright purple lightning logo is extremely conspicuous.

"Lightning" is the name given to it by Serev. It also commemorates the "Lightning" design bureau. In any case, H1W is indeed following the path of MAKS, even if the latter did not succeed.

The Lightning will be transported directly to Xinyuan Airport, where the Il-76 will be transported to Qiongzhou, where the Lightning, fuel tanks and An-1250 will be combined and flown to the high seas for launch.

This is also an advantage of an air-mobile launch. You can freely choose the landing area and lower the latitude as much as possible, saving up to 5% of fuel, which can be transferred to the payload mass of more than 100 kilograms, which is already very good.

The "Spiral" project is relatively confidential, because it is not a big project in Xinyuan now, and it is also a special launch plan temporarily prepared by Serev for deep space probes. No one knows the specific contents without deliberate publicity.

It wasn't until the weird-looking Lightning was on board that people would start a new study.

At the same time, the B-level base was bustling with activity.

Two of the first three H1Ms completed the final equipment installation ahead of schedule and were officially towed out of the factory.

Because of the mythical beast, it’s John George now. Please don’t take the seat by code name.