bullyxtreme Chapter 61 Metallurgy, Boilers, and Children
Chapter 61 Metallurgy, Boilers, and Children
Chapter 61 Metallurgy, Boilers, and Children
Below the experimental ship with an all-steel steam turbine propeller is a report on the situation and research results regarding metallurgy and alloys.
In Liu Yulong's view, the metallurgical technology of the Gewu Institute can now be considered to have officially entered the industrialization stage.
An alloy is a mixture of multiple metals. Usually, other metals are added to steel to obtain alloy steels with different properties.
Mixing alloys was an extremely difficult task in ancient times.
However, the Gewu Institute has already developed its own converter, which is equivalent to having a highly efficient "alloy material reactor".
Liu Yulong also provided a typical labor-saving approach to smelting alloys.
If the ultimate goal is to mix them, then there's no need to purify them separately; they can be smelted together.
To obtain manganese steel, it is not necessary to separately smelt manganese metal.
Manganese ore and iron ore can be bonded together and calcined together in a blast furnace to obtain ferromanganese alloy.
Then, in the final stage of converter steelmaking, ferromanganese alloy is added to the converter to directly obtain manganese steel.
Many other alloys, including nickel-chromium alloy steel, can be smelted using this method, although the conditions vary.
After the Luzon military occupied the Luzon Islands, the Gewu Institute, at Liu Yulong's request, specially organized an exploration team to explore for minerals.
The prospecting team inquired with local Chinese and indigenous people in Luzon and successively found several laterite nickel and chromite deposits.
In the summer of the first year of the Hanchang era, the navy assisted in sending back a batch of mineral samples.
Nickel and chromium were mostly mixed ores, and it took a long time to beneficiate and refine them. Finally, at the end of the first year of the Han Chang era, a small amount of nickel-chromium-manganese alloy steel was produced.
In modern industrial systems, nickel, chromium, and manganese alloy steels are the most basic metallic materials.
Various common or complex steel materials, including pipes, leaf springs, bearings, kitchen utensils, and even gun barrels and cannon barrels, battleship and tank armor, steam turbine blades, and other facilities.
The various types of steel required can basically be developed based on these alloy steels. By modifying the material ratio or replacing them with new materials, and adjusting the heat treatment and processing techniques, they can be gradually tested and explored.
Exploring new alloy combinations and determining the relationship between formulation and hot working performance will be the most important task for the Metallurgical Division in the future.
The main problems in metallurgy at present are the increasingly higher requirements for refractory materials and mineral processing capabilities.
However, there are no easy solutions to these problems. Materials can only be continuously purified and processed, and reasonable formulas and better performance can only be achieved through continuous experimentation.
Liu Yulong had repeatedly emphasized this point during the material research process, and he simply repeated it again in this summary report.
The scholars present habitually agreed.
Liu Yulong flipped through the alloy-related content and continued reading, which led to explanations regarding improvements to seamless steel pipes and boilers.
The quality and output of seamless steel pipes basically stabilized during the summer, and by autumn they were already being supplied to various factories.
Seamless steel pipes have a stronger pressure-bearing capacity than forged cast iron pipes, which can benefit all industries that need pipelines.
Its most crucial and fundamental application is in the production of new types of fire-tube boilers.
Prior to this, the boiler structures of Dahan and Europe were very similar, both belonging to the typical fire-tube boiler category.
The overall structure is similar to a bucket and an electric kettle, with a huge cylinder filled with water and several smaller cylinders inserted inside.
Coal is added to the small cylinder and burned continuously to heat the water in the large boiler outside the cylinder.
(The most typical double-fired boiler is the Lancashire boiler.)
Now, a large number of steel pipes are inserted into the water in the large boiler, and one end of the steel pipes is connected to the cylindrical furnace where the fire is burning.
By allowing hot air to enter the steel tubes and come into more extensive contact with the boiler water, the fuel utilization rate is greatly improved, thus forming a fire tube boiler.
Even without seamless steel pipe technology, such products could still be made, but wrought iron pipes had higher production costs, while cast iron pipes were less able to withstand higher pressures.
The Gewu Institute had already tested this structure on a few demanding machines, and this year it officially began to be used in full.
(A typical fire-tube boiler, the Scottish boiler on the Titanic.)
In theory, fire-tube boiler technology could be used until the 20th century, but by then its performance would be outdated.
Liu Yulong wants to plan ahead for the subsequent research and development roadmap while the fire tube boiler is being officially put into use: "Based on the fire tube boiler, we will do a reverse design."
"By placing the fire outside, the original water-filled boiler body was transformed into a huge furnace."
"The fire pipes inside were replaced with water pipes, and the horizontal pipes were changed to be inclined and vertical."
"The bottom of the water pipe is connected to a water bucket, and the top is connected to a steam bucket."
Liu Yulong asked for paper and pen and drew a simple diagram on the spot.
The water pipes and steam tank inside the water-pipe boiler look very similar to those of an integrated solar water heater.
The top is a large horizontal barrel, with several rows of sloping water pipes extending from below, and water supply barrels at the bottom of the pipes.
However, the large barrel on top is used to store steam, and heating is not done by sun exposure, but by direct baking from a furnace fire.
A typical water-tube boiler is one where the entire structure is enclosed in the furnace and fire is lit under the water pipes.
This type of boiler can be continuously upgraded and used until the 21st century.
For example, the water pipe could be changed from being located on one side to a symmetrical structure with pipes on both sides, forming a herringbone shape.
For example, you can make the two drainage pipes into bends, forming a rough O-shape.
Fuel is injected into the center through a pressurized pipeline for combustion.
(A typical water-tube boiler, with a Yarrow boiler interior.)
While drawing the diagram, Liu Yulong explained the basic working principle and typical improvement schemes that might be used in the future.
Liu Yulong did not require them to immediately develop mature products.
Water-tube boilers and even oil-fired boilers are currently only in the pre-development stage, similar to the stage of steam turbines.
During the research and development process, the mechanical processing capabilities and steam control capabilities of the Forging Institute were utilized.
The Grand Secretaries and secretaries standing nearby simultaneously took notes of everything Liu Yulong said.
After arranging the further upgrade of the boiler, Liu Yulong continued to review the remaining contents of the report, considering what else he could say.
The eunuch Liu Yulong had specially assigned to report to in the inner palace walked in with small, quick steps.
When Liu Yulong looked up and saw him, he knew roughly what had happened, and immediately closed the memorial in his hand.
The eunuch quickly approached Liu Yulong and said, "Your Majesty, Consort Qi is about to give birth. They have already called for a midwife."
Liu Yulong immediately stood up with a smile and said, "I'm going to be a father. Let's call it a day. We can discuss other matters another day."
The emperor is about to have a child, which is great news for those who support the current order.
Although the first child may not necessarily be a son, or even the legitimate son, it at least proves that the emperor is in good health.
Only when emperors have successions can their lives be stable, and their descendants have the opportunity to continue to benefit.
So even though it was a family matter, Liu Yulong deliberately told the people present about it.
The emperor's family affairs cannot be considered purely private matters; they are also matters of state.
Liu Yulong had anticipated this situation and had selected nine women to serve him since the beginning of the year.
He arranged for women to serve him three times a month, and in the following months, seven of them became pregnant.
All the imperial concubines who were confirmed to be pregnant had been conferred the title of concubine by Liu Yulong.
However, there is no separate title; currently, she is referred to by her surname plus the character "嫔" (pin).
Consort Qi was the first to conceive and the first to give birth.
Consort Qi's maiden name was Wenlan. She was from Dingtao County, Caozhou Prefecture, Shandong Province, and could be considered to have come from a family of meritorious officials.
He was merely an official who came from a craftsman background, not a military general like Hengui.
When Liu Desheng first started his rebellion, he summoned craftsmen from Guide Prefecture and Caozhou Prefecture to make firearms and other weapons. Consort Qi's grandfather began working in Liu Desheng's army.
Because of his excellent skills, keen eye, and willingness to take on many apprentices, he eventually retired as a seventh-rank craftsman.
Since Consort Qi's grandfather became an official, Consort Qi's father also had the opportunity to study. He later entered the Imperial Academy of Natural Sciences and is now a craftsman of the fourth rank.
Among Liu Bang's consorts was Lady Qi, who fought with Empress Lü and gave birth to Prince Ruyi of Zhao. She was from Dingtao, and there was still a temple dedicated to Lady Qi in Dingtao at that time.
But Liu Yulong felt that this Consort Qi in his palace had no connection with the Lady Qi from two thousand years ago.
After all, there have been too many wars and Yellow River floods in the past two thousand years.
Liu Yulong is actually quite calm, but at this moment he deliberately acted as if he was happy.
Upon hearing Liu Yulong's words, the surrounding officers, scholars, artisans, and officials all beamed with joy: "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off."
Liu Yulong immediately took a carriage back to the palace and went directly to the palace where Consort Qi lived.
I sat right next to the delivery room, watching the midwives and ladies-in-waiting bustling about, and the eunuchs and imperial physicians waiting outside.
Liu Yulong made special arrangements that all items used by the pregnant woman must be steamed with boiling water.
All personnel assisting with childbirth must wash their bodies thoroughly with cooled boiled water and wash their hands before doing anything.
Liu Yulong waited for more than an hour and then faintly heard laughter coming from next door.
The head court lady in charge of managing the ladies-in-waiting quickly ran to Liu Yulong to report: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Consort Qi has given birth to a prince! Mother and child are safe and sound!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yulong smiled and said, "Good, that's great. After we're done with this, I'll reward everyone and give them three months' worth of wages."
Upon hearing of the reward, everyone around was overjoyed and quickly expressed their gratitude.
Liu Yulong continued, "May I go in and see the child and his mother now?"
The court lady immediately said, "Your Majesty, the midwife said we need to wait a little while so that the prince can be cleaned and wrapped in blankets to prevent him from catching a cold. We also need to clean and tidy up the delivery room so that the smell of blood won't bother Your Majesty."
Liu Yulong readily agreed, "Okay, I'll report back to you as soon as I've finished packing."
Once the delivery room was ready, Liu Yulong went in and held his first child.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he said a few words to Consort Qi who was lying down: "Lan'er, you've worked hard and given me a big, healthy son. He's the eldest son in my family."
"I hope this child will inherit my aspirations. Let his nickname be Chengzhi, and I'll think about his formal name."
Consort Qi was very nervous during her first childbirth and is now extremely exhausted.
But the birth of the eldest son has greatly lifted her spirits. Upon hearing Liu Yulong's words, she quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I dare not take credit. On behalf of Chengzhi, I thank Your Majesty for bestowing this name upon me."
Liu Yulong smiled and said, "You lie down and rest well, take good care of your health, and don't get up and move around. I'll go back to attend to state affairs first."
Consort Qi quickly expressed her gratitude.
Liu Yulong handed the child to the wet nurse, gently touched Consort Qi's cheek, then turned and walked out of the delivery room, returning to his residence in the West Palace, where he ordered rewards to be distributed to everyone in the palace.
Ordinary eunuchs, female historians, and palace maids received a monthly allowance.
All those who directly served Consort Qi, as well as those who participated in the delivery today, will receive three months' worth of monthly pay.
After the order from the palace was issued, Liu Yulong went to the cabinet again.
He had his secretary draft an edict to distribute celebratory money to all nobles, officials, and artisans throughout the court.
For those at the grassroots level, it was a reward; for middle and upper-level officials, craftsmen, and nobles, it was a notification that let everyone know the emperor had an heir.
After the imperial edict was issued, the nobles and officials of the cabinet, the governor's office, and various ministries and courts all breathed a sigh of relief.
The military commander Xun Gui and the staff of the Institute of Physics were especially overjoyed.
Liu Yulong, this young emperor, did things that aligned with the desires of the vast majority of them. They hoped that the court, led by Liu Yulong, could remain stable for a long time.
The emperor's offspring can be considered the ballast stone for the stability of the dynasty.
At the end of the first year of the Hanchang era, the birth of Liu Yulong's eldest son brought even more joy to the capital.