Kai Fu Han

Chapter 65 Drying Room

"Do you know the brick kiln that bakes bricks?" Liu Xinqi asked Liu Zhimu.

After Liu Zhimu replied that he knew it, Liu Xinqi discussed it with him again.

Liu Xinqi knew that the wood used for shipbuilding now needs to be dried for several years, or even more than ten years, before it can be used.Later generations would use drying rooms to dry wood when processing wood, shortening the drying process that originally took two to three years or more than ten years to more than ten days.

Later generations of wood drying rooms have very high requirements for temperature control, and humidification is also required in the middle to prevent the wood from drying out due to excessive heating. This is impossible to achieve with current technology.

But Liu Xinqi envisioned a simple drying kiln, building a heated adobe brick kiln. The kiln used wooden frames to stack the prepared adobe bricks, and then heated the adobe brick kiln to a certain temperature to accelerate the drying and hardening of the adobe bricks. process.

You can try this temperature between fifty degrees and two to three hundred degrees, and finally determine a suitable temperature range.In this temperature range, the adobe bricks will not crack due to uneven heating due to rapid drying, and can be dried as quickly as possible.

The drying process that originally took several days can be completed in a few hours.

"The method you mentioned sounds very feasible, but the temperature control is difficult. We in Liujiabao currently do not have a powerful 'leader', and even if we hire someone from outside, this technology will not be taught to us." Liu Zhimu listened to Liu Xinqi The idea of ​​​​proposing the difficulty in this idea.

"If we don't have a clue, we will try and summarize on our own, and there will always be a solution." Liu Xinqi replied: "This drying room for drying adobe bricks does not require high temperature accuracy. You can try it first."

The "boss" mentioned by Liu Zhimu are the people who fired porcelain and bricks to control the fire in ancient times. In ancient times when there were no thermometers, these were very high-end skilled workers and required a lot of experience to train them. Everyone was very precious, and everyone Individual salaries are very high.

Liu Xinqi actually knew the basic principle of a thermometer. It was very simple. It used the thermal expansion and contraction of mercury to measure temperature.

Mercury has been extracted in China for a long time. In ancient China, mercury has been extracted from cinnabar, and the output is considerable and sustainable.Everyone in later generations knows that there is a large amount of mercury in the tombs of Qin Shihuang.

Glass is obtained by calcining pure sand at high temperatures.

In this way, both materials for making a thermometer are not difficult to obtain, but it requires a lot of time to try and develop, and it will also cost a lot of money, and these two are currently in short supply in Liujiabao.

"Even if we make this drying room, we can't keep using the adobe bricks, right? The adobe bricks have a short lifespan and will be severely damaged in less than ten years due to wind and rain erosion." Liu Zhimu added.

"It is an expedient measure that Liujiabao now uses a large amount of adobe bricks, because making fire-fired bricks takes time and fuel, and Liujiabao's current economy cannot support it." Liu Xinqi replied: "The most important thing at the moment is to give all bricks as soon as possible. The tribesmen have a decent house, instead of just a few or even a dozen people huddled together on a big Kang like now."

"I understand. I will do my best to build the 'drying room' you mentioned as soon as possible," Liu Zhimu replied.

"You still don't understand what I said before. You have to give full play to the abilities of other people. Not everything is done by you. You can let others do the drying room, and you can point and watch Just don’t go astray. Once the drying room is built, this group of people will be cultivated.” Liu Xinqi said: “Otherwise, there will be more and more research projects in Liujiabao in the future, and you will soon be exhausted.”

"Okay, I'll go to Mr. Zhou soon to ask for more people, and then I'll ask Third Uncle for some old craftsmen." Liu Zhimu replied.

"now it's right."

"In addition to this drying room, brick kilns must also be built. Let's build a few first. The fire-fired bricks we currently need cannot always be bought outside. And I will also need good-quality refractory bricks later to build a kiln that can withstand higher temperatures. You need to figure it out step by step." Liu Xinqi instructed again.

The subsequent firing of glass, soil cement, rapid steel making, etc. all require kilns or furnaces that can withstand very high temperatures. To build these kilns or furnaces, good quality refractory bricks are needed.Start exploring early and plan ahead, so that you don't have no clue later.

In the process of exploration, corresponding talents will also be cultivated, killing two birds with one stone.

"By the way, I want to tell you one thing. In the future, you should go to various construction sites in Liujiabao more often. Not only do you go by yourself, but you also take turns with your craftsmen. On the one hand, you need to understand the construction sites What kind of tools are needed? On the one hand, observe and discover whether new tools can be made to improve work efficiency." Liu Xinqi thought of another thing: "Just like the rapid brick making machine I told you to make last time, it is very simple. The structure will increase the efficiency of brick making by dozens or dozens of times."

"In the future, I will make this requirement you mentioned a regular practice and regularly organize people to study and observe at various construction sites." Liu Zhimu responded.

The two communicated until the end of Shen Shi (17 o'clock). Liu Xinqi explained in detail to Liu Zhimu the various principles he used when making crossbows, and listed several other types of crossbows for him, so that Liu Zhimu could try to slow down when he had time. Improve slowly.

However, regarding the crossbow, Liu Xinqi still reminded Liu Zhimu not to spend too much energy. After the more efficient steelmaking method is mastered by Liu Jiabao, Liu Xinqi will immediately start the development of muskets and directly develop a custom-made flintlock gun. Crossbows have basically been eliminated and can only be used in special special operations.

……

"Clan leader, clan leader...," Liu Xinbao's loud shouting came from the yard.

Liu Xinqi walked out of the house and called him to him.

"Penglai and the others are back. Third Master asked me to inform you." Liu Xinbao said.

"Okay, let's go have a look."

The two went out and came to the dock. Four ships were docked side by side, and workers were already on board to unload the coal.

The laborers use the back baskets, and after getting off the ship, the charcoal in the back baskets is unloaded on the carriage. After the cart is full, it is pulled to the yard beside the warehouse to unload the cart.

"Too slow." Liu Xinqi said secretly after seeing it.

"It's very fast. The people who work for these are all well fed. The third master also gives them bonuses, and they work very hard for every two stones." Liu Xinbao heard Liu Xinqi's muttering and hurriedly explained.

Liu Xinbao didn't know that in later generations, it only took two or three days to load and unload tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of tons of coal. One hundred thousand tons was equivalent to 200 million shi.Among these four ships, the largest one only holds [-] shi, but it takes almost a day to unload it.

However, there is no gantry crane, no conveyor belt, no grab bucket, no container, and no container ship. Now thinking about these is in vain, and it is in vain. Liu Xinqi did not explain to him why he felt slow.

A simple animal-driven conveyor belt can still be made, and you can make this first later.

Thinking of this, Liu Xinqi couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "There is productivity that can be improved everywhere, but because there is no talent, it is difficult to realize it quickly. With the knowledge of future generations, it is really painful to see this slow pace now."

(End of this chapter)