Chapter 577 The difference between ancient steam trains and modern maglev trains

   After lunch, it was already two o'clock, and the afternoon meeting continued.

  Compared to the meeting in the morning, the seats are partially empty. After all, the catapult project has nothing to do with the Air Force, or even Wang Lao and his AWACS radar research and development team.

"A catapult is a must for an aircraft carrier. With a catapult, an aircraft carrier can operate more aircraft and achieve higher take-off efficiency." Wu Shengli said: "At present, the mainstream in the world is still a steam catapult, but, The electromagnetic catapult has also shown its advanced nature, so we hope to compare and choose the best product. Now, let’s invite comrades from Institute 704 to introduce their research and development results.”

There are two domestic 704s, one of which is the aerospace department, and the other is the 704 Institute of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. The latter was established in 1956 and is also an old brand unit. It mainly develops supporting equipment for ships, involving special machinery and deck machinery. , Conveying machinery, special propulsion, anti-rolling devices, cabin machinery, motors and power stations, environmental protection equipment, seawater desalination, special valves, thermal air conditioning, hydraulic pressure, shock and noise reduction, etc. More than 30 professional categories.

  So, it is logical for them to engage in steam catapults for aircraft carriers.

  Project leader Zhou Weiguo stepped onto the rostrum, turned on the projector, and began to introduce to everyone.

"Everyone knows that in the last failed project, our unit started to develop the steam catapult. We have overcome many technical difficulties, such as the processing of high-precision cylinders, such as the welding of large-diameter gas storage tanks. Problems and so on, now we have overcome these technical difficulties, as long as the navy invests more money, we can make this steam catapult and conduct related tests.” Zhou Weiguo first introduced the basic situation.

   "Have all the technical difficulties been overcome?" Qin Tao also became curious: "How did you do it?"

   "Some technologies are solved by ourselves, and some technologies are solved by private companies. This is also the experience gained from blocking cables. Our private companies are really crouching tigers, hidden dragons." Zhou Weiguo said.

  Steam catapults are currently only in the hands of the American family. Although Lao Maozi also has them, after all, they haven’t been installed on the ship yet. I don’t know if there are any problems.

  As for other countries, there are no more. The French operate the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, or buy ready-made ones from the United States.

  Qin Tao did not expect that the domestic solution was actually solved, and the technology was found in a private enterprise! This is so surprising!

"Now, all we need to do is to manufacture prototypes, which will cost a lot of money. As long as the Navy continues to allocate funds for our project, we can manufacture samples and put them in our training base. I heard that there We are also making a special catapult-type carrier-based aircraft, and we will definitely be able to catch up by then."

need money!

   If you continue to develop the steam catapult, you need a lot of money! But now, what the navy lacks is funds, or in other words, the navy has always been short of funds!

   Now, Qin Tao frowned when he heard this. He has never liked the steam catapult project because he has full confidence in Magong. Now, the navy still needs to engage in double insurance. Is it worth it?

"Now, let me introduce the specific content to the leaders." Zhou Weiguo continued: "We first start with the processing of the cylinder. At present, we have already trial-produced one section, which is completely satisfactory after testing. We use advanced grinding machines... "

The principle of the steam catapult is not complicated, and it is a popular technology. However, it is very difficult to manufacture it. One of the important difficulties is the processing technology. With a length of more than 100 meters, the upper end of the cylinder has to be opened, and this opening has to be sealed, all of which put forward high requirements for processing.

  Qin Tao listened carefully to these technical introductions, and was also thinking about his next speech in his mind.

   "Okay, our introduction is over." Finally, Zhou Weiguo finished all the introduction content, and then bowed to everyone.

   "Finally, let's talk about the budget." Wu Shengli said.

   "If you want to build an experimental device on land, plus the required boilers and other facilities, you need to invest at least 50 million." Zhou Weiguo said: "We are confident that this catapult will reach the level of the Americans."

  A group of naval leaders nodded, Wu Shengli looked at the people on the other side, and said, "Next, I will ask Ma Gong to introduce to us."

"Leaders, hello everyone. We have completed the scale-down experiment of the catapult. We have conducted more than 5,000 experiments and accumulated a large amount of experimental data." Ma Gong stood on the rostrum and said to everyone: "Now, we are confident that we will establish a special catapult runway at the land base to complete the catapult takeoff of the carrier-based aircraft. In the morning, we listened to the introduction of the carrier-based early warning aircraft project. We are confident that even if the weight of the carrier-based early warning aircraft increases It can be ejected up to forty tons."

  The 40-ton carrier-based early warning aircraft can also be ejected? Suddenly, countless people opened their eyes wide.

  The early warning aircraft project has just begun, and no one knows how heavy it will end up being. For an aircraft, it is very common to be overweight during the development process.

  If the electromagnetic catapult can reach this level, it will of course be of great benefit.

   "Actually, even if it is fifty tons, we still have a way to catapult it to take off. At worst, we can extend the length of the catapult." Ma Gong said confidently.

   Simply put the advantages of the electromagnetic catapult.

  There are many factors that affect the power of the steam catapult, including the diameter of the cylinder, the length of the cylinder, and the pressure resistance of the cylinder. The British BS-4 steam catapult, the world's first practical steam catapult, has a total length of 40 meters and a stroke of 31.4 meters. The aircraft pushed to a speed of 78 knots.

  The most commonly used supercarriers in the United States are C-13 steam catapults, with a stroke length of 99.13 meters, which can accelerate a 34-ton object to 185 knots.

  So, if we continue to increase the length, can the steam catapult be more powerful?

the answer is negative. The catapults currently used by the Americans are already optimized, and their potential has almost been fully utilized.

  The reason is the pressure of the steam.

  When the steam just enters the cylinder, the air pressure is the highest, the force pushing the piston is the strongest, and the acceleration is the highest. As the steam pushes the piston forward, the volume gradually expands, and the pressure will continue to decrease.

  So, the American catapult, the length of 100 meters is already the limit. Next, because the pressure of the steam has been reduced to a limit, even if it continues to increase its length, it can do very little work.

The electromagnetic catapult is different. Each section can be accelerated, and each section can be decelerated, and the acceleration and deceleration are adjustable. In this way, when designing the electromagnetic catapult, the length can be added or subtracted according to the needs. This advantage is that No steam catapult can compare.

  Qin Tao showed a smile on his face. He wanted to eliminate steam catapults, so Ma Gong must also think about it. Now Ma Gong’s reports are all promoting the advantages of electromagnetic catapults and combating steam catapults.

  Maybe I don’t need to think too much, just listen to the horseman’s report.

   "Because we use the electromagnetic ejection method, we don't need to consume precious fresh water. The steam burned by the aircraft carrier's boiler can be completely recycled in the power system. Let's talk about the energy storage device next."

Steam catapults consume a lot of fresh water. American aircraft carriers are nuclear-powered and have special seawater desalination equipment to meet their needs. Domestic aircraft carriers use boilers. If you want to use steam catapults, you must face fresh water filling. The problem is that there must be a special supply ship to refill with fresh water every few days, and the fresh water for burning boilers must be cleaner.

   There are advantages everywhere!

   "We have developed two energy storage devices, among which the flywheel energy storage has the fastest progress, and the capacitor energy storage technology is still under research." Ma Gong continued.

  At the beginning, his plan was to engage in capacitor energy storage, but when he found that there were many difficulties in this technical route, he quickly transitioned to flywheel energy storage.

The technical theory of flywheel energy storage has been around for a long time. As for the example used in reality, the most common one is the toy inertial car. When you push it with your hand, the flywheel inside rotates to store energy. After the car is released, the energy of the flywheel rotation is transferred to the car. , so that the car can go farther.

  The flywheel energy storage on the electromagnetic ejection system is similar to it, except that the motor drives the flywheel to rotate to store energy, and when needed, the flywheel drives the generator to output energy.

"Just like a steam catapult needs an air storage tank, an electromagnetic catapult also needs to store energy." Ma Gong explained to the people present: "We can simply calculate that the total power consumption of a 30-ton carrier-based aircraft is ejected and taken off. 38 degrees, considering the loss of energy conversion, that is, about 40 degrees of electricity, the burden on the power supply system of our aircraft carrier is not heavy, but this is completely instantaneous discharge, and the carrier aircraft has to be completed within two or three seconds. This kind of instantaneous power is as high as 60,000 kilowatts, which is 60 megawatts. It is similar to the power generation of a medium-sized hydropower station. If we want to directly use the power of the aircraft carrier, all other systems will have to be shut down. Therefore, we need to use the It's stored."

"At present, the flywheel energy storage device we have developed is 50 megawatts, so we only need the power supply system on the aircraft carrier to provide a power output of 10 megawatts. However, we believe that when the aircraft carrier starts construction, our 60 Megawatt, 70 megawatt-level flywheel energy storage device can be developed, and it will not hinder the power system of the aircraft carrier at all."

   "This device can also be used in many other places." Qin Tao interjected.

  Qin Tao also knows about the two technical routes. He doesn't do these specifically. In short, as long as he can make a breakthrough.

  The flywheel energy storage device can also be used in many ways, such as adjusting the load of the power grid system, storing energy during the day and releasing it at night, or for electric vehicles, where the energy is stored during braking and released to charge the battery, etc.

"That's right, it can be used in many places. In the future, we can't do electromagnetic guns and other advanced devices without it. Of course, its technological breakthrough is not easy." Ma Gong said: "In order to store so many Energy, the speed of the edge of our flywheel can even exceed the speed of sound. Only special materials will not disintegrate due to centrifugal force. Its bearings must also be magnetically suspended, which can reduce resistance. The motor that drives it is also specially developed by us. You can switch back and forth between a generator and an electric motor."

  Qin Tao's gaze was on Magong's head, where gray hairs had already begun to appear. In the past few years, Magong has been working almost without sleep or food!

   "Ma Gong, you have worked hard to achieve technological breakthroughs." Qin Tao said.

Ma Gong shook his head: "For the strength of the motherland, we must work hard. If we want to lead, we must lead the United States. The United States is also following this route. However, I did not develop the flywheel energy storage technology, but my students. Wang Dong did it, although he is young, he is very energetic and intelligent."

  Wang Dong on the seat below showed a proud smile. He was very proud to be able to develop this device. Moreover, his technology belongs to the core technology of electromagnetic catapults!

   "Finally, let me introduce our budget. It will cost about 80 million yuan to build a ground prototype of this ejection system and use it to eject our carrier-based aircraft."

   In China, it is natural that RMB is used, but hearing this budget, the people present still frown, it is expensive, it is too expensive!

  Advanced technology is made with money. This kind of electromagnetic catapult needs a lot of advanced technology, so the price will naturally not be cheap.

   "So far, the mature technology in the world is the steam catapult. Should we play it safe and take the steam catapult first?" A leader present said.

   A penny can't beat a hero! The construction of the navy needs money everywhere, and the steam catapult is not unusable, and the budget is relatively small, so should we invest in less money first?

   "Ma Gong, you just said that you have experimented more than 5,000 times on the scale model. Do you need maintenance?" At this moment, Qin Tao spoke.

  The horseman immediately shook his head knowingly: "No, we are also sure to guarantee this value during the ground experiment, and no maintenance is required within 5,000 times."

  Five thousand times! Even if an aircraft carrier is calculated based on three catapults, it still has the ability to eject 1,500 times. If it is calculated based on the scale of fifty carrier-based aircraft, it is enough for each aircraft to eject 30 times. On the scale of a month of high-intensity combat!

   What about the steam catapult?

  The technology in the United States has fully matured, and it still needs to be maintained after 500 ejections. When watching American blockbusters, there are often scenes where the captain of an aircraft carrier asks to eject the carrier-based aircraft, but the catapult malfunctions and cannot be ejected.

  Because the domestic technology is still in the process of research, it may have to be maintained every two to three hundred times!

   This is not only a problem of dispatch efficiency, but also a problem of cost. Although the construction of an electromagnetic catapult costs a lot of money, it will greatly save costs in future use, and the cost of the entire life must be considered!

This is the same as domestic fighter jets. The purchase is very cheap, but the engine needs to be overhauled after 300 hours, and it will be scrapped after two overhauls. The total lifespan is less than 1,000 hours. Although the western ones are expensive, the whole life cost is not expensive.

   "It seems that President Qin still supports the electromagnetic catapult project." The leader said with emotion.

   "That's right, these two catapults are like ancient steam trains and modern maglev trains. Does it matter which one you support?"

  Hearing Qin Tao's metaphor, everyone was a little amused, but after laughing, after thinking about it carefully, it really is the case. One is steam power and the other is electromagnetic power. These are completely products of two different eras.

   Which one should I support? Or both are supported?

  The navy's original plan was to support both, but now it seems that if the support for both is too large, the navy will be overwhelmed!

   "It is undeniable that the electromagnetic ejection technology is advanced, but it is not known whether this technology is mature. Now, I think our navy should be safer." The leader spoke.

"Everyone, the steam catapult is mature, but it is only a mature technology of the Americans. You can ask the French, is the steam catapult mature?" Qin Tao looked at the crowd and continued to fully support Magong: "Yes For us, whether it is steam catapult or electromagnetic catapult, they all start from scratch and are all new technologies, why should we choose backward technology routes instead of new ones?"

  Only Americans in the world are familiar with steam catapults. The French do not have this ability. Although the Red Empire has done it before, it has no practical application after all, and it is not known whether it is mature.

   "Taozi, just say what you want to say." Wu Shengli said to Qin Tao, "Don't always hide it."

"Okay, then I'll say it." Qin Tao said: "I still have the old view that the era of steam catapults is about to pass, and we don't need to take this last train, instead of wasting precious funds on outdated technologies , It’s better to go all out to develop advanced electromagnetic catapults. After all, there will be a large number of drones in the future, and only electromagnetic catapults can be used. Our navy will also build amphibious assault ships in the future, and it is more convenient to use electromagnetic catapults.”

  People in Institute 704 did not speak, but their faces were all black.

  They knew that Mr. Qin supported electromagnetic catapults, but Mr. Qin was not optimistic about steam catapults at all, which still made them very annoyed.

   It's just that they can only hold back, after all, President Qin has too much influence on the navy.

   "What if we invest all our energy in the electromagnetic catapult and the project fails?" a leader asked.

   "It won't fail, I can make a military order!" Ma Gong said: "We have experience with scale models, and this technology is mature!"

   "Our navy has to invest a lot of money in this project!" Another leader said: "Besides, time is also precious."

"For the issue of funds, Mingzhou Group can guarantee it." Qin Tao said: "If the project fails, all expenses will be reimbursed by Mingzhou Group! As for the issue of time, we can tentatively set a two-year period and use it This period of time is used to test whether the electromagnetic catapult is reliable, and if it proves immature after two years, then replace it with a steam catapult, anyway, the Navy will not be able to start building an aircraft carrier in the last two years.”

   "Two years is too long, one year at most." A leader said.

  Magong nodded: "As long as the funds are in place, we can spend half a year on installation and debugging, and half a year on catapult take-off experiments. We will use practical actions to prove that our project is reliable."

   In this way, under the impetus of Qin Tao, the steam catapult was temporarily put on hold again.

  Wu Shengli nodded: "Okay, let's do this. Our navy fully supports the electromagnetic catapult project. It takes one year to verify it. Time will prove everything. If it fails, all expenses will be reimbursed by Mingzhou Group!"

"It won't fail, the Navy just wait and see, we will have more advanced technology than the United States." Qin Tao said: "We will never gain anything by following other people's buttocks. We must choose brand new technology route, leading on the same starting line.”

   "Thank you for the support of the navy, and thank you to Mr. Qin for your support." Ma Gong was excited.

"Ma Gong, have you realized the pickiness of Party A's father?" Qin Tao said with a smile: "You still have to make money yourself. If you have money, why should you be made things difficult by the navy? You can make a prototype by yourself and let the navy come to you Come and buy them, and sell them for a high price."

   The big guys have long been accustomed to Mr. Qin's teasing words. There is no way, who will make the Mingzhou Group under Mr. Qin the favorite of the navy? They have to coax Boss Qin.

   "By the way, we will start experimenting with catapults in half a year, but carrier-based aircraft may not be able to be produced." Suddenly someone raised this question.

Now, the Navy's carrier-based aircraft J-15 has begun intensive training, and has also trained a large number of pilots. However, this type of aircraft is all ski-jump take-off. Catapult take-off requires modification of the front wheels and strengthening of the front landing gear Wait for the job.

  God knows whether 601 can be completed on time.

"Don't worry about this. Our J-31A fighter jets have already started intensive test flights. If the J-15 cannot be completed in time, we can use our prototype for test flights first. Anyway, our aircraft was designed with catapult take-off in mind. needs."

   "I suspect that Qin always wants to sell this fighter to us in this way, trying to become the standard configuration of our next aircraft carrier." A leader said.

   "Congratulations, you got the answer right." Qin Tao didn't hide it either.

   There was a burst of laughter in the meeting room.

The hearts of Zhou Weiguo and others were full of great disappointment. They thought they could experiment together, but unexpectedly, it would take a year. They would have to wait a year before they would have the opportunity. The catapult will fail based on that.

   Could it be that their technical route is really outdated?

   Not reconciled, they have been on this road for several years, but now they find that their work is wasted!

  (end of this chapter)