The Great Industrial Ming Dynasty Started from Beiping

Chapter 82 Technical Breakthrough of the Steam Engine Piston

Neither the Newcomen steam engine in the early eighteenth century nor the Watt steam engine in the late eighteenth century used rubber.

Rubber began to enter industrial use in the early and mid-nineteenth century.

Because of the word piston, people subconsciously think that it is a soft body, and rubber should be used.So to put it another way, the piston of a steam engine is also called a steam crown.

The steam roof is cast iron.

Including traditional devices, it has nothing to do with rubber.

Of course, the role of rubber is unmatched and played a huge role in the second industrial revolution, but it was not present in the first industrial revolution.

Zhu Gaochi only knows the principle, and Xiao Jiu regards the steam engine as the best machine.

Both subconsciously felt that the best materials should be used.

What material is the best in Daming?
Wrought iron, five iron refining, nine iron refining.

The steam engine factory has an iron smelting workshop with all kinds of molds, but Xiaojiu doesn't allow forging, so it's even easier.

Using the original casting, the molten iron was introduced into the former piston mud tire mold, and after cooling, it was shaped and became the steam roof for the test.

That is the piston.

"This thing is not hard enough to work?" Wan San rushed over, his old face full of confusion.

"Just use it."

Xiao Jiu's tone was affirmative.

"It's better if the hardness is not enough. The previous hardness was good, but the steam cylinder can't stand it, it's easy to be worn out, so that it often leaks."

The head of the shift is Xiao Jiu's Fifth Senior Brother.

Hearing this, he was surprised and said: "According to what you said, using the best is not good. Couldn't it be that we got the wrong direction from the beginning?"

Xiao Jiu stared at the master.

"You child, let's see what the master does." Wan San said with a dark face.

Xiao Jiu held back her complaints.

The master wants to show his skills and show his best craftsmanship. It is really the master who led them astray, but he will definitely not blame the master.

If it wasn't for Master Wang's suggestion, wouldn't he have fallen into a misunderstanding just like the master.

"Okay, let's start directly." Lao Wu pulled Xiao Jiu back, waved his hand, changed the piston of the steam engine, and started to operate.

The workers were busy, and within a short time, a deep voice sounded and floated in the workshop.

The surrounding workers cheered.

Compared with the harsh sound made before, the sound of the machine that I heard just now seemed so pleasing to the ear.

"Crack clap."

With the movement of the piston in the 490 five-millimeter cylinder, the sound of the machine should be like this.

In the past, when people worked around the steam engine, they had to endure the extremely harsh iron friction sound, which was very uncomfortable for people's ears.

Even if it's for their own ears, they all wish Xiao Jiuxin a successful attempt.

Wan San frowned.

As a skilled man, he knew early on that the screeching sound meant that the cylinder and the piston were fighting.

Since confrontation, it shows that there is a problem.

Either the cylinder failed or the piston failed. For this reason, he tried his best and tried a lot of improvements on various components.

He even started to improve the method of smelting iron, hoping to smelt better iron.

It turned out that I was wrong.

Misdirected from the start.

"Xiao Jiu, you've left your teacher."

Xiao Jiu didn't hear it, "Master, what did you say?"

"Let me tell you." Wansan tugged on Xiao Jiu's ear, and said loudly under Xiao Jiu's painful expression, "You have become a teacher."

"Junior brother, congratulations."

The fifth child looked at Xiao Jiu enviously, the master didn't even say that he was a teacher.

out of school.

It means a lot to them apprentices.

Their level is naturally qualified on the outside, but the master has different requirements for them, and he will not easily smash his own brand.

"master."

Xiao Jiu looked at the master reluctantly, he didn't want to be a teacher, what's the point of not being a teacher, he didn't have any ambitions.

"Don't put on such a face, I'll call you master in the future, don't be childish anymore." Wan San sighed.

Xiao Jiu didn't say anything more.

He didn't have much thought. As soon as he solved the piston problem, he immediately put his mind into the steam engine, whether to use the original lever transmission or use a new method.

Shortly after.

When Zhu Gaochi came to the factory, someone came to announce the good news, telling that the steam engine had made a big breakthrough, and its service life and airtightness had been greatly improved compared with the previous ones.

"Can you use the coke refinery?" Zhu Gaochi asked happily.

"can."

"Where's Xiao Jiu?"

"Master Xiaojiu is studying transmission components."

"Let's go and see."

Zhu Gaochi rushed to the workshop enthusiastically, and soon found Xiao Jiu in the parts pile.

The workshop where Xiao Jiu is located is a workshop specially set aside for experiments.

Wansan also comes here often.

However, he is still a big foreman, and needs to deal with the technical problems encountered in the workshop, and the foremen of each shift also need to manage.

So the workshop did not see Wansan, only a few craftsmen.

"Xiao Jiu, congratulations."

"The eldest son also knows?" Xiao Jiu looked shy and felt embarrassed.

It didn't seem like a big deal to him.

As a result, everyone congratulated him when they met, and the master said that he was a teacher, and everyone knew about it, which made him very embarrassed.

I don't even want to go out, so I stay buried in the workshop.

"How could we not know about such a big happy event? You should also take a breather. It is also the design of the railway and the improvement of the steam engine. I have worked hard for many days."

"Let's take a vacation with you for three to five days."

Xiao Jiu shook his head like a rattle.

"I just like to stay in the workshop and don't like to take vacations."

"You should go back and see your parents, too."

"My parents are fine." Xiao Jiu said foolishly.

Zhu Gaochi was speechless.

Although it is not enough to return home with wealth, but with Xiao Jiu's current status, it is already very dazzling among ordinary people.

Not everyone can be an official.

Let's just say Wansan is fine, and no matter where you go, you won't be called a master by the people.

When relatives and friends are doing business, Wansan will be entertained. In the eyes of the common people, Wansan is already a group of people with status in the village.

of course.

Scholars are still the most valuable.

Famous scholars are not common in the countryside.

Xiaojiu has a simple personality and doesn't know how to show off, which is also a good thing. He is easy to feel happy in life, and Zhu Gaochi didn't persuade him any more.

Everyone has their own way of life, and some things that people like may not be liked by Xiaojiu, and they will be troubled instead.

"What are you studying?"

"According to the eldest son." Xiao Jiu pointed to a pile of parts, his hands were covered with smudges, "Transmission device."

"Do you have a new idea? Think gears are better?"

Zhu Gaochi said tentatively.

In ancient times, there were gear transmission and chain transmission, as well as rope transmission, crank transmission, etc. The transmission device of the steam engine used the most common crank transmission in Dongbeitai Village.

The Newcomen steam engine also uses a crank drive, and the later Watt steam engine uses a gear drive.

Zhu Gaochi didn't know how far the steam engine had progressed, so he naturally wouldn't easily decide that gear transmission was suitable.

Several kinds of transmission devices have been unearthed from the Qin and Han Dynasties, including many traditional tools preserved in the rural areas of later generations.

However.

Zhu Gaochi will not bring it up easily.

It's not a secret, and he doesn't need to keep it secret from his workers, especially Xiao Jiu.

Xiao Jiu's understanding of several kinds of transmission devices is much better than that of himself who knows only a little, so naturally he doesn't need to give random pointers by himself.

I only need to provide direction and some future theories, which is the most correct thing, otherwise it is easy to superfluous.

Now seeing that Xiao Jiu had a problem, he raised it cautiously.

Xiao Jiu shook his head.

"The gear transmission is not good, it can't keep up with the speed of the piston of the steam engine, it is easy to lose the teeth and damage the machine, and it will also weaken the power."

Gear transmission for a Watt steam engine.

Zhu Gaochi did not refute.

He already knew about steam engine improvements.

It may be that the parts of the current steam engine have not yet matured to the point of a Watt steam engine, so what Xiao Jiu said may not be wrong.

Regarding the reward, Zhu Gaochi didn't speak again.

It is better to talk to his master about this matter.

There is no need for Xiao Jiu to be troubled by human feelings.

It's really not easy for me to be a little prince, like a nanny.

Ugh.

Too curly, easy?

Zhu Gaochi shook his head and patted Xiao Jiu's thin shoulder. Sure enough, Xiao Jiu didn't even get up to see him off.

After leaving the workshop, Zhu Gaochi called Wansan to stop, and the two came to the open space of the factory.

"The little prince wants to talk about the patent fee." Wansan said proactively.

"Yeah, we're still thinking about how to talk to Master Wan."

"This matter is entirely up to the little prince. Xiaojiu has a stubborn personality. Fortunately, he met the little prince. We have been reluctant to let him out because we are afraid that his temper will easily cause trouble."

Zhu Gaochi agreed with Wansan's words very much.

Not to mention the present, even in later generations, people with too simple personalities are easy to suffer and be fooled.

For example, Tesla in the West has been pitted miserably.

"The patent term of the Wansan steam engine is three years. Xiao Jiu improved your steam engine with your permission. He is your apprentice. We want to hear your opinion."

What does it mean to value talents?Listen to what others think.

Wansan didn't expect that the nobleman would ask himself. After pondering for a moment, he said slowly: "Xiao Jiu has improved the piston, and the steam engine will use the piston in the future."

"For each steam engine, we have five taels of silver, and we will share two taels of silver with Xiaojiu."

Nobles still care about money.

Zhang Dehui and Zhang Dong's family left the factory. Although Wan San didn't say anything, he always remembered it in his heart.

I dare not ask the nobles to pay more.

Wan San was very reluctant to part with two taels of silver, but Xiao Jiu was raised by his side since he was a child, and he was regarded as his half son.

Patents for steam engines are not available for a lifetime.

And Xiao Jiu's ability has won the favor of the nobleman again.I am old, and I can live for a few more years. In the future, my son and grandson may depend on Xiao Jiu to take care of them.

Wan San believed in Xiao Jiu's character.

"Two taels." Zhu Gaochi thought for a while, and it was indeed a lot.

Xiao Jiu improved the piston, which is only one part.

This is also something that Zhu Gaochi is embarrassed about.

Patents can sometimes promote technology and sometimes hinder technology.

The advent of the Newcomen steam engine is used to pump water, but the Newcomen steam engine can be greatly promoted.

As well as countless craftsmen who followed, they devoted their energy to researching Newcomen steam engines, laying the foundation for improving Newcomen's technology.

Because Newcomen did not apply for a patent.

Yes.

This first-generation steam engine has no patent, and everyone can use it and study it for free.

(End of this chapter)