Great Ming: I, Zhu Di, Declare My Intentions to Seize the Throne from the Start!

Yanjing No. 1 Steelmaking Plant!

The carriage stopped outside a long red brick gate. new

After everyone got off the carriage, they all stopped and looked up at the door. On the door arch, there was a series of large characters made of cast iron.

Zhu Di made a gesture of invitation, "Father, the new steelmaking converter that Jin Mi and the others built is in the steelmaking plant."

Combining experimental research and enterprise.

This more advanced scientific research method has nothing to do with him.

It was developed by the Department of Science and Technology Research on its own.

The steelmaking plant has many mature skilled workers, whether they are cooperating with the Research Department to build the equipment that researchers want, or setting up assembly equipment.

The manpower, material resources, and technical strength are all more sufficient than those of the Research Department.

Over time.

Gradually, the research department came up with some new ideas. After new ideas, it always likes to seek cooperation with enterprises in the surrounding industrial areas.

Many factories and companies are also very willing to cooperate with the Research Department.

Because as long as the technical hypotheses proposed by the Research Department are verified, it can be realized.

Companies that cooperate with research will have priority in using technology patents for a fee.

Moreover, the patent fee will be more favorable than other companies that also want to use the patent.

As for the Research Department.

The current Research Department cannot be self-financing.

Several patents for previous inventions and creations were relatively small and the profits generated were not large.

However, with the emergence of the 66 steam engine, he had reason to believe that with the large-scale use of steam engines, the Research Department would be able to be self-financing in the near future.

The Department of Science and Technology Research was established with the support of the Yan Fan regime.

It can be regarded as a national scientific research institution established with the power of the country.

In the first industrial revolution, there was actually no need to establish such political-level scientific research institutions.

The reason why he did this was actually very simple. He wanted to use the power of the country to promote the first industrial revolution more quickly.

I hope that when I finish this life, I can see the train rushing through mountains, rivers, and farmland with billowing smoke and white gas, and the roar of the whistle.

I hope to see with my own eyes that the iron-clad warships made by the Chinese, carrying the Chinese on board, can cruise the seven oceans without any restrictions or intimidation.

It turns out that even in this period of the first industrial revolution driven by the experience of craftsmen.

The power generated by the research institutions established by this kind of political power is really powerful.

It is impossible to build a steam engine so quickly by relying on individual strength alone.

In order to avoid the negative impact of official power on the Research Department.

He also spent a lot of effort in the process of establishing the Research Department.

First of all, the Yan Fan regime had no interest in the Research Department.

Secondly, the financial resources of the Research Division are divided into three parts.

Part of it is financial allocation.

The Yan Fan regime provided researchers with a minimum guaranteed salary to ensure that researchers could support their families.

If the Yan Fan official assigns designated research tasks to the Research Department, it must provide scientific research funds to the Research Department.

The patent results produced by the research are shared by both parties, and the Research Department has the right to share 50% of the patent dividends.

Another part of the financial resources comes from the research department's spontaneous research results and patent licensing income. This part is the dividend of all scientific researchers in the research department.

In other words, the more new technologies the Research Division invents and creates, the more profits they make.

And this part of the income will not be completely distributed as dividends.

Fifty percent of the annual patent licensing fees must be retained as the Research Department's own research funds.

The last part of the financial resources comes from the Research Department's undertaking of corporate research tasks. This kind of cooperation, how to charge for it, and how to distribute the patent income, is completely decided by the Research Department and the companies themselves, and the Yan Fan regime does not interfere.

It can be said that the Science and Technology Research Department is a semi-public and semi-private scientific research institution that was established by the Yan Fan regime and provided minimum living security for researchers by the Yan Fan regime.

…

Zhu Yuanzhang walked inside.

As he walked, he asked: "The first steel plant? There are second and third steel plants? Is there so much steel that can be consumed?"

Everyone immediately pricked up their ears.

In fact, when they saw the first two words, they were also very curious whether there were other steel factories in Yanfan.

Zhu Di explained with a smile: "It is just such a large steelmaking plant now. However, when this steelmaking plant was originally built, the steelworks were very optimistic about the future of steelmaking. Both the management and the workers believed that they In the future, we will build the second and third... steel plants. Although the steel plant is not allowed to be privately owned and is run by the government, the steel plant is also a shareholding system. Although our official side holds shares, we do not intervene in the operation. Retaining shares is just for the purpose of supervision. After all, whether it is steel or iron, they are strategic resources, and we need to supervise the whereabouts of these strategic resources."

“Also, it’s support.”

"After the Century Bridge was built, steel suddenly faced a situation where there was no market and it could not be digested. It is precisely because we, Yanfan, own shares and it is a government industry, that we have the motivation to use the power of the country to manufacture helmets for soldiers, expand infrastructure, etc. This method helped the No. 1 Steelmaking Plant survive the crisis at that time."

during this crisis.

Not only did it help the steelmaking plant survive the crisis.

Moreover, taking advantage of the special period of maintaining production and low steel prices, Yanjing's infrastructure construction was completed quickly and relatively cheaply.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Di with a smile, thoughtfully.

Some people tried to persuade Biao'er to let go of blast furnace technology and iron smelting technology and allow private ownership.

He knew exactly what these people were up to.

Blast furnace technology is nothing more.

But for iron smelting, he would never let it go privately.

Just like Lao Si said.

Iron is a strategic resource.

It’s about war!

The stability of imperial power!

When the court cannot ensure that it is stable enough and unshakable.

You must know where the iron is going.

But if the Jinling Industrial Zone continues to implement the current model, once Hui Zu leaves, the top and bottom cannot share the same desire, and I am afraid it will return to the ending when Lu Zhao was in charge of the industrial zone, with rapid decline and half-death.

The fourth child was obviously reminding him.

The Jinling Industrial Zone can be compared to what Yanjing is doing.

Shareholdings are jointly held by officials, management, and workers.

The government only retains the power of supervision and does not participate in the operation, leaving the operation entirely to the management and workers.

In this way, if officials are not dispatched, there will be no bureaucracy and negative impact on the factory.

The heat wave hitting his face interrupted Zhu Yuanzhang's thoughts.

hiss!

At the same time, bursts of breathing sound came from behind.

Rows and rows, neatly rehearsed, braving the rolling heat wave, a small crucible furnace half a person's height appeared in everyone's sight.

Fifty rows!

Twenty seats per row!

A thousand small crucible furnaces were arranged together to form a spectacular sight. For everyone here in the Ming Dynasty, the impact was too great.

So shocking!

Lan Yu and others looked at each other.

They all saw deep shock in each other's eyes.

Mu Ying couldn't wait to ask: "Lao Si, how much steel can a small steel furnace like yours produce per furnace?"

"One hundred kilograms." Zhu Di smiled and stretched out a finger. "If all the steel furnaces were produced at the same time, one hundred thousand kilograms of steel could be produced in one day. However, it is impossible to operate all the steel furnaces at the same time. Every day, about One in five steel furnaces is open.”

The main reason is that this small steel crucible furnace has too many shortcomings.

Maintenance is too time consuming.

"How much steel is produced per year?" Zhu Xi asked.

"We haven't counted yet this year, but we produced 100 tons of steel last year!" Zhu Di raised the corners of his lips slightly, feeling proud and unable to hide it.

Even if this kind of small 100-pound crucible furnace makes steel, the technical content is very low.

But it’s already an amazing achievement!

Historically, Zhang Zhidong founded a large steel smelting plant in Hubei.

Only a few hundred thousand tons of steel a year, right?

Now in Yanjing, five or six hundred years earlier, it can already produce 100 tons of steel!

Even though the quality of this steel is not as good as the quality of steel from large steel smelting plants.

But it’s still steel after all!

After all, it is more advanced than wrought iron.

Of course, objective facts must also be faced squarely.

Making steel in this way consumes too much energy and costs too much.

Five or six people can only produce a small furnace of uneven quality steel in one day.

In order to achieve uniform overall quality of steel.

The steel produced in a single small steel furnace must be mixed with steel in other small steel furnaces, re-melted, and poured into billets.

There is nothing we can do about this.

If this mixing and re-melting process is not performed.

The quality of each batch of steel varies greatly.

If used to make bicycle rims, there will be a phenomenon that some bicycles are very durable and some will break after a short period of use.

Product quality is unstable and has a great impact on product strength.

However, as long as Jin Mi and the others build a converter to make steel, steel production will increase, and hundreds of thousands of tons a year will not be an unattainable dream.

And the quality will be more balanced.

…

One hundred tons!

Compared with Zhu Di, he is not satisfied with the steel output and quality.

Everyone on Daming's side fell silent instantly after hearing this number.

One hundred tons!

In the Ming Dynasty, steel production is zero!

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the thousand small steel furnaces and came to his senses, "Let's go and see Jin Mi's experiment."

Zhu Di nodded and led the way.

After a while.

Arriving at the east side of the steel plant, there is a separate and isolated empty yard.

Everyone looked up.

Looking at the dark steel 'behemoth' in front of him.

Two ten-foot-tall blast furnaces stand on both sides ten meters apart.

Behind the blast furnace, there is a ladder and blast furnace observation deck made entirely of angle steel and iron plates, similar to the Century Bridge, with a rivet structure.

The two blast furnaces themselves are only six or seven feet high.

The base made of cement and steel bars is only three to four feet high.

In the two blast furnaces, the funnel mouths where the iron slurry solution is placed are opposite each other. Under the funnel mouths, refractory crucible bricks are used to build a diversion trough to guide the iron slurry solution.

The diversion channels merge in the middle to form a diversion channel extending forward.

Under the diversion trough, there is a container that looks like a goldfish bowl, with a narrow mouth and bottom, and a fat container with a "big belly" in the middle.

Behind this strange cast iron container, there is a large stove that seems to be able to accommodate this strange cast iron container.

…

Hundreds of workers are busy.

One of them, wearing a gray overalls and a thin helmet, was busy giving instructions.

"Master Wang and Master Liu finally check the exhaust pipes and valves of the steam boiler for the last time!"

"Okay!"

"Brother Liu, conduct a final inspection on the gantry mixing wheel for hoisting ore!"

"Okay, Xiao Wang, don't be nervous. I promise to eliminate some hidden dangers before the official production!"

"Don't worry, Xiao Wang. This is related to the jobs and dividends of us steelmaking factory workers. We hope that this experiment will succeed more than anyone else. As long as it succeeds, from now on, our Yanfan's steel with better quality will be It can replace iron on a large scale!”

"Ha ha……"

…

Everyone listened to the shouts, trumpets, and whistles.

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed to the thin and thin figure, "Is that Jin Mi?"

Zhu Di smiled and nodded. Seeing that the preparations were almost done, he turned and whispered to the director of the steelmaking plant.

The factory manager trotted away.

After a while, he returned with Jin Mi.

Under Jin Mi's safety helmet, his face was covered with gray and black. He wiped it with his sleeves as he ran. When he came to Zhu Yuanzhang, his face had turned into a big painted face. He grinned, showing eight white teeth, "Master, Master." , you didn’t say a word when you came, I went to greet you.”

Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying looked at the young man with a colorful face in front of them with smiles.

Ma Xiuying smiled kindly and said with concern: "I am much thinner than when Junior Brother Qian Xiongying and Junior Sister Cailu got married."

Jin Mi smiled and scratched his head, explaining: "During this period, building the blast furnace is indeed a bit tiring and busy, but it will be fine if I get through this period of time. As long as this experiment is successful, it won't take long for me to eat it back."

Zhu Yuanzhang handed his handkerchief to Jin Mi and asked: "This business is tiring, hard, dirty and messy. Is it your own volition, or is it your master's wish that you are willing to endure this hardship for your master's sake?"

Given the education that Jin Mi and the others received from Lao Si and Miao Yun.

to be honest.

Even if children like Jin Mi become officials, they will definitely become capable ministers and officials.

At least, if it were in Daming.

Such a talented and capable child.

I will never come to a steel factory to do such a hard, tiring, and dirty job.

Jin Mi looked at the handkerchief handed over by Zhu Yuanzhang and clapped his hands repeatedly, "Master, I can just use a towel."

As he spoke, he took off the towel tied around his neck and wiped his face vigorously. While wiping, he said with a bright smile: "Master asked us to engage in research. At first, we did not understand it, but later we all understood that Master's Good intentions.”

The master is afraid that they will step into the involuntary whirlpool of officialdom.

In the end, it was swallowed up by this whirlpool, and not even the bones and residue were left!

new

In addition to their masters and wives, even their parents, who are heavily influenced by tradition, actually hope that they can become officials.

"It's not that the master won't let us become officials. The master said that before we are thirty, we can't make anything famous, so we can still be officials. However, I don't want to be an official anymore. Master, master and wife, I really like what I'm doing now. Soon after, when Yu Tongzhi takes us on another expedition, I will follow him to various parts of the world to look for various metals formed by volcanic eruptions, various meteorites falling from the sky, and study their ingredients. Making better steel..."

"I found a special piece of steel during my previous expedition. After research, I have discovered some things. I believe that this special steel formed by volcanic eruptions and meteorite burning can point the way for the development of steel..."

…

"Master and Master, I am already a well-known metallurgical engineer. My master also said that in the future, when the Imperial College of Engineering and Engineering opens a metallurgical department, I will be asked to write a book based on my research!"

"Also, Senior Brother Dongxu studied ballistics and studied the acceleration of gravity and the relationship between acceleration and speed."

"Junior Brother Zhou Chao studied animal specimens and proposed the hypothesis of natural selection, survival of the fittest, and biological evolution."

"Junior brother Xia and several junior brothers worked together to formulate industrial measurement standards, etc..."

…

Jin Mi introduced happily.

Others looked at Zhu Di vaguely.

They all know that some of the achievements made by Zhu Silang's students have been verified to be correct, and they have greatly helped Zhu Silang's Yanfan industry.

Some have yet to be proven correct.

Although I knew about it in the past, I didn’t think much about it or pay too much attention to it.

But at this moment, Wang Jinmi said it in a summary form.

Then I suddenly realized that students like Zhu Silang, at such a young age, had already achieved so many achievements.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the young man in front of him, his face covered with sweat. The more he wiped it with a towel, the more stained his face became. He smiled and grabbed Jin Mi's dark and oily hand, and personally stuffed his handkerchief into Jin Mi's pocket. , "Master, this handkerchief is not valuable. It is just used by Master and is given to you. There is no one in this world who is more pure and clean than you little guys. Master, I hope you can continue to maintain it."

Jin Mi smiled shyly and nodded heavily.

He knew that his master gave him this handkerchief to wipe away the dust that fell on his soul from time to time.

It's an encouragement.

Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai and others looked at Jin Mi with slightly red eyes of envy.

What an honor it is to be able to let the emperor hold his dirty hands and call himself master in one breath!

There is also a handkerchief used by the emperor! This is almost equivalent to a death-free iron scroll!

What kind of shit luck happened to Zhu Silang's students.

Zhu Di didn't know that Huang Zicheng and others were thinking sourly and jealously at this moment.

If he knew, he would retort without hesitation.

If we say that in the past, little guys like Jin Mi were favored by their father and mother because of him.

It was the reaction of the father, the emperor, and the queen Aiwujiwu.

So now, the favor that Jin Mi and the others received has nothing to do with him.

It is through their own efforts and achievements that they have won the recognition and appreciation of their father, queen and mother!

"Director Xiao Wang, everything is ready!"

At this moment, a liaison worker standing on the top of the iron platform in the middle of the boiler shouted while waving three three-color flags in his hand and uttering the semaphore.

Zhu Yuanzhang patted Jin Mi on the shoulder and said with a smile: "You go and give the command first, and I will explain it to the master in person later."

"It's Master."

Jin Mi responded, turned around, and jogged forward a few steps.

Grabbing the whistle hanging around his neck.

Di——

The whistle sounded, and the busy workers stood at their respective posts according to the division of labor.

"Load coke, ignite, blast!"

Jin Mi's voice fell.

A moment later, standing on the high platform, the operator responsible for liaison between the front and rear shouted: "The No. 1 valve connected to the blower is open, the No. 1 cylinder is operating normally, and the blower is operating normally!"

"Valve No. 2 is open, cylinder No. 2 is operating normally, and the coking coal bucket is operating normally!"

…

"Ignition completed! Coking coal loading completed!"

"Requesting reloading of iron ore!"

Jin Mi also waved the flag and shouted at the same time: "Start loading!"

Rumble…

The roar of the reciprocating motion of the steam engine cylinder became even louder and more intense.

After a while, everyone saw the high gantry, the pulley hoisting machine and the connected steel cables tightened, and a bucket filled with iron ore slowly rising.

"One two one!"

When the bucket was higher than the charging port of the blast furnace, workers standing on the large iron platform near the blast furnace shouted slogans and pulled the bucket over through the horizontal guide rail.

Boom!

The bucket tilts towards the charging port, and a bucket full of iron ore is poured into the blast furnace.

With the continuous addition of iron ore.

The temperature of the blast furnace also gradually increased.

About half an hour later.

Standing on the high platform, the worker in charge of liaison waved a flag and shouted: "Pig iron furnace, wrought iron furnace, loading is complete!"

After Jin Mi waved the flag several times.

He handed the order flag to the worker next to him, turned around and trotted to Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying, "Master and Master, I will take you to the back of the blast furnace. Behind the blast furnace are the steam engine area and the stockpile area."

"good!"

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and nodded with kindness.

Immediately, everyone followed Jin Mi to the back along the cement sidewalk.

A very huge boiler appeared in front of him.

A thigh-thick steam pipe extends from the boiler, and is divided into more than a dozen small steam pipes, which are close to the ground and lead to everywhere.

Yes, leading to the blower.

Some lead to lifting wheels.

…

Jin Mi pointed at the boiler and introduced: "Master, this is the largest boiler we have built so far. This kind of lying boiler is called a horizontal boiler. This boiler mainly produces powerful steam."

"Steam power can drive three blowers, two ore buckets, two coking coal buckets, and a converter cylinder at the same time. This comprehensive steelmaking furnace has a total of nine large and small cylinders, all relying on this one The big boiler drives it.”

"We estimate that this production line can be fully operated with only 300 people, and the designed annual steel production capacity is 150,000 tons!"

…

One hundred and fifty thousand tons? !

Feeling embarrassed, Lu Ben followed the crowd with the corners of his lips twitching fiercely.

What is the concept of 150,000 tons! ?

In the Ming Dynasty, excluding the private sector, the imperial court's iron production was probably only about 150,000 tons per year, right?

As for steel production, excluding wrought iron, it is almost zero.

He already knew that the quality of the imperial court's wrought iron was similar to that of Yan Fan's steel.

And now, Yan Fan is actually pursuing steel production to reach 150,000 tons? !

Thousands of tons!

There are jealous and hateful people.

There are also people who simply admire, envy, and are curious.

Lan Yu and others put on the safety helmets given by the workers and approached the steel furnace.

Look at the large and small cylinders connected to machines such as blowers and hoisting wheels.

Take a tour from the back and come to the front again.

Jin Mi pointed to the strange pot-bellied furnace between the two blast furnaces and introduced: "Master, this is the converter. After the molten pig iron and molten wrought iron are mixed and flow into this converter, the converter will be pulled into the blast furnace behind for mixed smelting."

"This blast furnace is equipped with two cylinders, which can swing forward, backward, left, and right, in three directions, so that the two kinds of molten iron in the furnace can be fully mixed and smelted."

…

Zhu Yuanzhang deliberately smiled and asked: "You introduced it so carefully, aren't you afraid that we visitors will see it and secretly learn your technique?"

Jin Mi scratched his head and looked at Zhu Di.

Zhu Di looked up with a smile and looked at the top of the blast furnace.

Jin Mi scratched his head again and could only tell the truth: "Master, let alone whether this new steel-making method can be achieved. Even if it can be achieved, I think that with Ming's current technological reserves, it cannot be built even if it knows the principle." , a lot of technologies were used in the construction of this steelmaking furnace, including many new technologies."

"For such a tall steel furnace, the imperial court can make it smaller."

"But the bearings used in the lifting wheels and the small cylinders and two cylinders we made to generate strong power can realize the three swing motions of the converter..."

"These are technologies that the court cannot solve now."

"Even the steel cable used in the bucket cannot be made by the imperial court. A steel cable as thick as a thumb is not a steel bar as thick as a thumb. To stretch a piece of iron into a complete length of 100 meters, or even 200 meters, or 300 meters of iron wire, and then use at least fifty pieces of iron wire to twist it into a solid and flexible steel cable with a rope twister. This technology alone is not available in the imperial court now. "

"And this technology is the most common technology required to build such a steel-making furnace."

…

Zhu Yuanzhang listened carefully and nodded silently.

He had seen the steel cable used to lift the bucket just now.

Forget about steel cables.

The imperial court couldn't do the casting process of that huge horizontal boiler.

As the imperial cannon casting technology matured.

He also has a great understanding of casting technology.

Such a sealed large boiler cannot be used if there is a trachoma on it and the air tightness is not enough.

The larger the size, the higher the possibility of trachoma!

This is also the reason why the larger the cannon is, the more difficult it is to cast it.

Laosi originally provided the casting technology for coastal defense cannons, but until now, the yield rate of craftsmen casting coastal defense cannons has been very low.

Not to mention this horizontal boiler, which is larger than a shore defense gun and has a more complicated casting process.

…

Three or four hours.

It's approaching noon.

The temperature is getting hotter.

The situation around the blast furnace is even more unbearable.

Some people began to whisper and complain, and even made vicious speculations.

"No matter how good Yan Fan is, half of the points will be deducted for this weather!"

"It's been so long, can it be done?"

…

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was so hot that his face was covered with sweat. Hearing the whispers coming from behind him, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

A group of people were just watching, but they actually complained!

Ming Dynasty is lagging behind step by step, not without reason!

"Master."

When the flag signal was played again from the high platform, Jin Mi turned around with some goggles and handed them to Zhu Yuanzhang, Ma Xiuying and others: "The observers of the two blast furnaces reported that iron slurry can be produced. The converters will make steel later. If you don't wear goggles, Not good for eyes."

Zhu Yuanzhang took it and saw the goggles made of thin iron, green glass, and wooden ear frames.

Follow Zhu Di's actions and put it on.

Zhu Di explained with a smile: "Father, this kind of green glass is a poor-grade glass. However, because of this green layer, this kind of glass happens to have light filtering properties. Workers here in the iron smelting plant often Staring at a high-temperature boiler is very harmful to the eyes, so this green glass is just right.”

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and nodded.

Although this green glass was not trafficked back to Ming Dynasty.

But he had seen it since he came to Yanjing.

The glass used in people's homes is all made of this kind of green glass.

If the quality is poor, it must be cheap.

Of course, this kind of advantage is only for the people under Laosi's rule.

Ordinary people in the imperial court may not be able to afford it.

Ming Dynasty could use glass to install windows, and households that could afford it would not use this kind of green glass, but would choose glass that is whiter and more translucent.

I am afraid that this is also the reason why Yanfan green glass was not sold in Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang was lost in thought.

Two workers opened the funnel mouth at the same time.

The fiery red iron slurry flows out in billows, and finally merges into a diversion trough and flows into the converter.

"Okay! That's it!"

When the red iron slurry filled two-thirds of the converter, Jin Mi shouted, and the iron slurry solution in the diversion trough stopped. Jin Mi shouted: "Pull the converter into the fire, open valve 89, and start the converter." Steelmaking!”

Squeak!

Some harsh sounds sounded.

The converter was pulled into the coke furnace behind, burning with billowing waves of fire.

The converter swings in three positions.

The fiery red iron slurry burned violently in the furnace, the flames rose, and the iron slurry sprayed out from time to time.

Everyone's faces turned red in the reflection.

Magnificent industrial atmosphere.

Everyone was shocked.

Lu Ben and Hu Weiyong couldn't help it. They came out from behind and came closer, staring with red eyes.

Zhu Yuanzhang was a little worried when he saw Jin Mi holding up a shield made of iron sheet near the converter where the iron slurry was splashing. He frowned slightly and asked, "What is Jin Mi doing? It's too dangerous."

Could it be!

Zhu Di opened his mouth, thinking of some possibility, but not sure.

Zhu Yuanzhang saw that Zhu Di was silent and kept patient. When Jin Mi returned with steam all over his body, he couldn't wait to ask: "Jin Mi, it's so dangerous, why are you getting close?"

Everyone looked at Jin Mi.

…

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