The great hero of the Silk Road, starting from a farm farmer

After the inspection trip to the Wazhou R&D Institute, Song Yingkui returned to the office and called Guo Kaifeng and asked him to coordinate the government-owned factory to install several steam hammers produced by the R&D institute, so that this thing could be used in practical scenarios first.

Otherwise, it is hard to say when a serious and usable steam engine can be built just by relying on the craftsmen of the research and development institute working behind closed doors.

Of course, through the actual use of steam hammers, the research and development of steam engines will be promoted to maturity, but the future does not seem to be very good. Judging from what Song Yingkui observed, there is no hope that the so-called steam hammer can be improved to the point where it can replace existing technical means in terms of efficiency in a short time. Therefore, arranging for steam hammers to enter the factory is just a helpless move and is not a real solution to the problem.

After sending Guo Kaifeng away, Song Yingkui fell into deep thought.

At present, there is a problem with the research and development of steam engines, and my arrangements on this matter are a bit too idealistic. He originally wanted the research institute to develop a steam power engine first, and then make a steam power engine with practical application value based on the prototype engine and actual application scenarios.

The actual result is that such a task arrangement is too broad, leaving the craftsmen responsible for development work with nothing to grasp. The final result is that the craftsmen racked their brains to make a crude boiler, which on the surface does meet the task requirements. Isn't the task just to make a sealed pot for boiling water, and let the water vapor move back and forth against the piston through the pipe, thus driving the flywheel to rotate and linking the wheel sledgehammer? We actually did it.

But the craftsmen who made this thing didn't consider the practicality of this thing at all. They didn't even have any idea of ​​the practicality of the steam engine. With this way of thinking, it is strange that a truly useful steam engine can be made.

Therefore, based on the current level of craftsmen, it is best to make the tasks as specific as possible, so that they can use their ingenuity. If he hadn't been able to spare any time to do it himself, Song Yingkui would have planned to go out and develop the steam engine himself. After all, we are serious mechanical students. It is not impossible to build a simple steam engine by hand in a year and a half.

The ideal is very full, but the reality is very skinny. With the current situation, is it possible for Song Yingkui to drop everything and focus on this matter?
What specific tasks should be assigned to the craftsmen to substantially promote the development of steam engines?

Let them be a locomotive? Steam loom? Or make a steam lathe? It seems a bit unrealistic! Which one is better?
After thinking for a long time, Song Yingkui decided to assign the research institute a task of making a steam pump that was more realistic and less difficult. After all, in real historical time and space, the initial application scenario of steam engines was pumping water.

The hinterland currently controlled by the Anxi Army is relatively rich in coal resources, and the demand for pumped water for irrigation is also urgent. As long as the produced steam pump can basically pass the efficiency ratio, this thing will have prospects for promotion.

After having the basic direction, my ideas suddenly broadened. Generally speaking, there are three directions for developing steam-powered water pumps. The most common one is the impeller-type water pump, which uses the steam engine as the power device to drive the impeller to rotate at high speed to absorb water. This method requires very high speed of the steam engine, which is difficult to achieve under existing conditions.

The other is the Newgate steam pump, which was the original steam pump in the true sense. However, this thing is too complicated, the efficiency is very average, and it is not a steam power engine in the serious sense, so there is no need to consider this.

The last direction is to use the steam engine as a power engine to drive the existing waterwheel device to pump water. Taken together, this direction is the most realistic and easiest to implement. After all, the prototype of the pot for boiling water has been made. Of course, as a ambitious mechanic, you still need to have some unique and original thinking. After tossing and turning, Song Yingkui spent two days and nights drawing the original design of the world's first steam-powered water pump.

He combined the Aristotelian water pump in his memory with the steam engine and creatively designed an unprecedented steam pump.

To put it bluntly, this thing is very simple. It is to make a crude steam engine that can drive a flywheel as power, and then drive the Aristotle pump to pump water. The biggest feature or advantage is that it requires low power! If the steam engine rotates slowly, less water will be pumped; if the steam engine rotates fast, more water will be pumped. It will not be like an impeller pump, which cannot pump out water if it rotates slowly.

Another consideration for this design is that if the original waterwheel is used directly, once the speed of the steam engine is too fast, the water lifted by the waterwheel will splash. Maybe the water splashed out will be more than the water lifted up. Avoid excessive waste of unreliable effects.

From a sustainability point of view, this design also pave the way for the development of truly mainstream impeller pumps in the future. Once the power output of the steam engine is reliable, the impeller pump can be developed accordingly.

Looking at his design drawings, Song Yingkui felt more and more that he was a genius. Who else in this world can have such ingenious ideas?

Not to mention how exquisite the design is, let’s just say that the design concept and height are simply in the atmosphere! Fully consider the forward-looking and driving nature of technology.

At the beginning, the technical threshold requirements were low. As long as a steam engine could be made that could rotate, this thing would be practical. Future development and improvement will focus on the speed and power of the steam engine! It is entirely possible to formulate an incentive mechanism to fully involve the craftsmen who develop steam engines. Whoever makes a steam pump that pumps more water will be rewarded.

I believe that with a clear direction, the work motivation of the craftsmen in the research and development institute can be fully mobilized. It will not take long before a steam engine that meets the standard in terms of basic functions can be built!
After the steam pump begins to become practical, it will be a matter of course to further clarify the next development direction and goals of the steam engine!
"Sir, can a water boiler really be used to pump water? How did you come up with this?" When Li Guoqian got the drawing of the steam pump designed by Song Yingkui, she looked confused. She really had no idea about this thing.

"Think about it, a waterwheel can drive a forging hammer, and a steam engine can also drive a forging hammer. In that case, how difficult is it for a steam engine to drive a waterwheel to pump water? The most important thing in developing machinery is to open up your ideas and be able to draw inferences from one example to other cases. . The research institute must attach great importance to this work and make breakthrough progress in the shortest possible time.

By the way, the development of steam pumping trucks cannot be done by one team. For the time being, three working groups are set up to independently undertake the development tasks. The work of the three groups will be assessed and compared regularly. Whoever makes the water truck that is easy to use will be rewarded heavily. Of! "

(End of this chapter)