Chapter 1047 The future of the Ming Dynasty depends on the emperor (Second update, please subscribe)
No country will stop them.
Whether it is expansion or technology.
In this era of rapid development, if a country stops its pace of progress, it will surely be overtaken by other countries, and then it will fail as a country.
It is difficult for a great power to rise!
But it is very easy for a big country to decline. A little carelessness will lead to decline. This is not only true for national governance, but also for science and technology going astray. Even if the wrong technology tree is chosen, it may be as simple as not declining.
It is also for this reason that Emperor Zhu, who stood on the shoulders of historical giants, has always been very concerned about the development of science and technology.
Not for any other reason, just because I'm afraid of clicking on the wrong technology tree.
The wheels of the speeding train hit the rails rhythmically, making a "bang, bang" sound, and occasionally you could hear the somewhat harsh roar from the steam engine.
The America Star, the world's first high-speed train, was largely a success.
Nowadays, the speed of railways is only 20 to 30 kilometers per hour, but the "American Star" can reach a speed of hundreds of kilometers.
This speed is simply not worth mentioning in the 21st century. After all, let alone the high-speed rail in the 21st century, even the speed of ordinary railways exceeds 100km. However, in the 1880s, this speed of around 100km was absolutely amazing.
Even as an emperor, feeling the scenery of the Brazilian plateau speeding past outside the car window, Emperor Zhu had a little illusion in his heart - this is the future!
High-speed trains are the future!
It is not surprising that Emperor Zhu would have such a feeling. After all, that was the era, and the performance of "American Star" was extremely superior and amazing.
It is the world's first train with a speed of over 100 km/h.
But when the whistle sounded, an idea suddenly emerged in Emperor Zhu's heart - this was a backward technology that was destined to be eliminated.
Why is there such a judgment?
The reason is very simple - steam locomotives were replaced by electric locomotives and diesel locomotives in another world. In the end, steam locomotives only became holy objects for many locomotive enthusiasts.
This also determined the direction of development of Ming Dynasty's railway technology.
Standing on the shoulders of historical giants, it is difficult to make mistakes!
"electricity!"
Emperor Zhu spoke directly to Zhang Zhaoyu beside him.
"Compared with steam locomotives, electric locomotives undoubtedly have more development prospects. Of course, this requires the electrification of railways, which in turn involves the transformation of the railway system."
"Electric locomotives? Electrification of the railways?"
As the president of Imperial Railway, Zhang Zhaoyu is no stranger to trams. In fact, similar research has been ongoing in the research center of Imperial Railway.
"The company has also been conducting research in this area over the years, but the power of electric locomotives has always been unsatisfactory, and improving the lines along the way also requires a lot of investment. More importantly, from the perspective of power generation costs, unless it is close to a hydropower station, the cost of power generation from a thermal power station is too high."
Zhang Zhaoyu's answer made Emperor Zhu nod slightly, not because he agreed with his point of view, but because the Imperial Railway Company did not stand still and was not satisfied with the temporary lead of steam locomotives because of the "American Star".
Of course, this also has a lot to do with how the great emperor Zhu used people. When selecting the presidents of various companies, he preferred to use the first generation of overseas students in the Ming Dynasty. Compared with the bureaucrats who were born as traditional scholars, they were real professionals, and professional matters were left to professionals. As for traditional scholars... they were better at being professional bureaucrats.
"The power of the electric motor is not enough. We can continue this research. Don't forget that at the beginning, the power of the steam engine was also very limited. Compared with the steam engine, the electric motor is lighter and has more development prospects. As for the cost of power generation..."
After thinking about it, Emperor Zhu said.
"The Navy has been researching a new type of steam engine in the past two years... well, it should be called a steam turbine."
"Steam turbine?"
Zhang Zhaoyu said in surprise.
"Yes, the steam turbine engine has advantages that reciprocating steam engines cannot match. In addition, it is particularly suitable for power generation due to its high speed and high power. If the navy makes a breakthrough, the power company will also conduct corresponding research. Once it is put on the market, the cost of electricity will be significantly reduced. In my opinion, a 50% reduction is still possible."
Why did Emperor Zhu know so much about steam turbines?
That's because three years ago, after the "Youzhou Class" entered service, Emperor Zhu personally proposed the concept of steam turbines at the Navy's ship review test that year. Unlike reciprocating steam engines and steam-driven pistons, steam turbines use high-temperature and high-pressure steam to pass through fixed nozzles to become accelerated airflows and then spray onto blades, causing the rotor with blade rows to rotate while doing work externally. Compared with steam engines, not only is the efficiency greatly improved, but the service life is also greatly extended. Compared with steam engines that cannot be used at full power for a long time, steam turbines can not only be used at full power for a long time, but also maintain very high reliability.
It will not only bring about changes in military technology, but will also set off a real electrical revolution.
Although the first electric motor was manufactured in the Ming Dynasty as early as 1864, even today, in the most electrified country, 40% of factories still use reciprocating steam engines for power. The most critical reason is that the cost of power generation remains high.
Unless it is an area with abundant hydropower, electricity is often used for lighting, and the electrification of the Ming Dynasty relied on abundant hydropower. Even if Emperor Zhu Da had a trick up his sleeve, the current power transmission technology of the Ming Dynasty could only meet the transmission needs of 200 kilometers.
Moreover, the technology of large-scale hydropower stations is still under research. Only by solving the problems of large-scale hydropower stations and high-voltage transmission technology can the Ming Dynasty achieve true electrification relying on cheap hydropower.
But everything will change with the steam turbine. After all, the steam turbine can also provide relatively cheap electricity. At that time, the Ming Dynasty will enter the real electrical age.
"Ah! It can actually be reduced by half. If that's the case, electric locomotives really have a better future for development!"
Surprised, Zhang Zhaoyu immediately said.
"When I return, I will discuss this with several companies and ask them to come up with new high-power electric motors and increase research on electric locomotives and line equipment. Some work must be done in advance to prepare in advance, so that we can always maintain our technological lead."
His answer made Emperor Zhu nod his head with satisfaction. This is exactly the difference between technical officials and ordinary bureaucrats. As professionals, they are extremely sensitive to the development of technology. As long as they are properly guided, they will know what development direction to grasp.
"Well, that's true, but electric locomotives are electric locomotives. They not only rely on the power grid, but also rely on electrified line facilities. This leads to a problem - in the future, as railway lines are extended to other regions... such as overseas, how will trains operate on routes that have not been electrified?"
Once again, Emperor Zhu raised a new question. Facing his majesty's question, Zhang Zhaoyu immediately thought of the steam turbine that his majesty had mentioned before, and almost subconsciously drew inferences from it.
"Your Majesty, that is the steam turbine? Since it can replace the steam engine, it must be able to be used on railway locomotives..."
(End of this chapter)
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