Chapter 913 New Troubles
The Institute actually found the metal for improving alloy steel? !
Luo Chong was very surprised. You know, at that time, the Han tribe had almost no way to detect the metal composition. After all, they couldn't even recognize the entire chemical periodic table, so how could they easily distinguish so many types of metals.
"What experiment? Did you really find other metals?" Luo Chong asked curiously.
Lin Fei scratched his head and said uncertainly, "Not really. We just collected iron ore samples found in various places, smelted them separately, and then compared their performance. We wanted to use this method to find more suitable steel, because we found that even the local iron ore in Xingang County has slightly different steel properties in different batches, so we suspect that there are other different components in the iron ore in various places?"
Luo Chong nodded. With bold assumptions and rigorous verification, the Institute has deeply imprinted the eight-character principle of scientific exploration that he proposed.
Because it was found that the steel smelted from ores in different places was different, it was suspected that the composition of iron ores in different places was different, and then a comparative experiment was conducted. This was indeed a good method. At least for now, it was the most practical method, but Luo Chong did not hold much hope for this method.
But he still asked out of concern, "How is your experiment going? Have you found out?"
"Not yet, but it will be soon. The results may come out today. We started this composition comparison experiment before the accident. Do you want to go and take a look?" Lin Fei answered and invited Luo Chong again.
"Okay, then go and take a look." Luo Chong nodded and agreed. Now that the cause of the accident has been found, the research institute has also proposed a solution, and Luo Chong is quite satisfied, so there is nothing to do now, so it is better to go and see the excitement.
The two walked back to the factory area of the Industrial County. At present, one of the two steel rail production lines of the rolling mill has been stopped. For the time being, it is still producing narrow-gauge rails. The remaining daily steel is all rolled into steel bars, and another part is specially used for the manufacture of small trains.
The two passed through the steel mill they had visited before and came to the train manufacturing plant. There were also some steam steel rolling equipment here, mainly used to roll large parts such as wheels, connecting rods, springs, and frames.
Luo Chong walked in front, observing everything in the factory all the way. There was a narrow-gauge railway in the factory that went straight to the outside of the factory. At this time, a frame was parked steadily on this track. The structure was an enlarged version of the model car during the Chinese New Year. It was also a 4-6-8 wheel layout, and the three pairs of power eccentric wheels seemed full of power.
The researchers were holding the drawings and leading the workers to assemble the locomotive. In the field on the other side, the horizontal cylindrical boiler of the main body of the locomotive was also being built.
The huge steel plate was hoisted into the plate rolling machine, and then after several rollings, it was finally rolled into a cylinder. Then the steel cylinder was hoisted down and placed on the shelf, and then the gas welder welded the gap.
After the main cylinder was welded, large and small smoke pipes, steam generating pipes, and superheating pipes were welded and installed inside, adding up to dozens of them.
Finally, the combustion chamber and water tank of the boiler are welded to one end of the steel cylinder, and the valve and control system are installed.
On the other side of the steel cylinder, which is the end of the front of the train, a prefabricated circular steel plate is punched with holes and fixed with screws. On the top of the steel cylinder are three protruding circular tubes, an overheating bag, a chimney, and a steam waste release chimney.
In the front, there are bronze bells, whistles, headlights and other objects, but the headlights do not use calcium carbide boxes, but acetylene gas stored in high-pressure cylinders in advance, which is supplied to the headlights of the train through pipes, which is safer.
The entire boiler and steam generation system are all connected together by welding and hot riveting processes. The newly invented portable air hammer is hammering the red-hot rivets flat on the prefabricated holes one by one, and the work is carried out in an orderly manner.
On the other side of the factory, in the lathe and forging area, axles were first cast into ingots, then stretched under a steam-powered forging hammer, forged into a basic shape, and then placed on a huge steam lathe for fine finishing. Finally, they were assembled with wheels produced in the same process and installed on the frame.
Each carriage has two sets of frames, one frame with four wheels, and a carriage has eight wheels. The two frames are installed on a beam, and then the clasps are installed on top, and the carriage is ready.
Now, there are dozens of carriage frames parked in the workshop of this factory. The preliminary budget can also be used to build more than 30 carriages, which is almost enough for two trains. However, the current production has not stopped. After all, the leader said that this small train will be equipped in large quantities, and there will be a lot of mines in various places.
Luo Chong looked at the locomotive that was almost completed and asked Lin Fei beside him.
"It's been more than three months since the New Year's Day. I think the actual locomotive is almost finished. When will the boiler and frame be assembled? When can we officially test run it? Is there an exact time?"
Speaking of this train, Lin Fei straightened his back unconsciously. This is the pride of their power research institute.
"Reporting to the leader, according to the current construction progress, our Endeavour first-generation prototype will be ready to roll off the production line in half a month at the latest."
"Well, that's good. Let the workers hurry up and send someone to notify me in advance. If I'm not here, you must wait until I come in person before officially testing the train." Luo Chong specifically instructed.
"No problem, Chief. Our construction speed is a bit slow now, but that's because we have no experience, and the equipment we need is the first time to be put into use, and everyone is not familiar with it. When we build subsequent trains in the future, our production capacity here will be improved." Lin Fei also happily introduced the situation to Luo Chong.
Luo Chong walked forward while looking, and from time to time he had to say hello to the workers, and then listened to Lin Fei's introduction. The two soon came to a large courtyard behind the factory building, which was a courtyard of the institute.
Now the scale of the Power Research Institute has grown, and there are many projects to be studied. Moreover, the things they originally studied were relatively large, so now there are many courtyards for each group to conduct experiments and daily work. The place where Lin Fei brought Luo Chong is specifically responsible for the analysis of the composition of iron ore and steel properties in various countries.
When Luo Chong arrived at the laboratory, he found that there was only one official researcher here, and he was doing experiments with several teenage interns.
They took iron pieces of different shapes and specifications and weights to test the bearing pressure. Some samples were made into blades, and after the same grinding method, they were tested for sharpness. Or they used several steel knives of different grades to chop or rub against each other to compare hardness.
When the researchers and interns saw the leader coming in, they immediately stopped their work and greeted Luo Chong. Luo Chong waved his hand casually to stop them and let them continue working.
He did not interrupt the researcher's work, but asked Lin Fei in a low voice, "How many groups of steel samples do they have here? Where did they collect the iron ore from?"
Seeing that Luo Chong had no intention of interrupting them, Lin Fei also replied in a low voice, "To the leader, there are about a dozen kinds, most of which are taken from us, including magnetite, which we use the most, pyrite, pyrite, and hematite, and even some iron ore samples obtained from the Tang tribe before."
Luo Chong nodded, stopped asking, and then watched the interns do the experiment seriously.
One of them had a relatively young face, about thirteen years old. He was scratching different iron sheets on other iron sheets, and then comparing the depth of the scratches, while making comparisons, he recorded on paper.
After he finished, Luo Chong asked, "Which sample has the highest hardness?"
The young intern immediately replied, "Chief, the hardest one here is the sample from the Tang tribe. It is a steel sample made from low-quality hematite, but this type of sample can easily leave scratches on other samples, and even use a knife to shave off iron filings from other samples."
Cutting iron like mud? ! The hardness is indeed high enough. Luo Chong immediately became interested. He said to the boy, "Can you demonstrate it to me?"
"Of course, Chief, please watch."
The boy said, and took out several types of blades from the side, and then used the Tang tribe blade to shave the backs of other blades. He could easily scrape off iron wire or iron filings, but other blades could not cut this blade at all, and would damage their own blades instead.
While demonstrating to Luo Chong, the young man added, "Chief, this steel sample made from the iron ore of the Tang tribe is indeed the hardest, but it also has a disadvantage, which is that it is too brittle. This is what we call "too brittle steel is easy to break". Look, Chief."
He said, and used the iron blade made from the Tang tribe to chop against other blades, and then sparks flew everywhere. When he stopped, the blade in his hand that could cut iron like mud had become jagged like it had been chewed by a dog, with many gaps.
It was indeed as he said, the hardness was enough, but it was a little brittle.
However, when Luo Chong looked at this blade that could cut iron like mud, he suddenly thought of a tool in his previous life, that is, the handheld bow saw blade, which is a manganese steel saw blade that can be used to saw off steel pipes.
So, the iron ore over there in the Tang tribe, wouldn't it be fierce iron ore? !
Fermented iron alloy steel is a good material for making heavy-duty rails. But if there is no fermented iron ore in the New Steel County of the Han tribe, then they can only go to the Tang tribe to mine it. But will they agree to give their iron ore to the Han tribe for use?
Even if they agree to let the Han tribe mine it, will the Han tribe have to spend more than a month to ship the iron ore back to the north for refining?
And
(End of this chapter)
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