Chapter 707 Lao Ba is coming to buy a submarine

“Mr. Qin, good news!” Qin Tao had just finished his trip to the capital and returned to Mingzhou. Zhao Ling, who had come back a step ahead, greeted him with a smile: “The 039B submarine we produced has become famous!”

 Famous? Qin Tao was also a little curious: "Why are you famous?"

"In a joint military exercise with the US aircraft carrier formation, this submarine successfully broke through the opponent's heavy defenses, rushed to the US aircraft carrier and then surfaced, shocking them!" Zhao Ling said excitedly: " Now, this matter is being spread internationally, and currently only our submarines can do it, and other submarines simply cannot compete with American aircraft carriers."

"Of course." Qin Tao said: "Every weapon and equipment produced by our Mingzhou Group is the most advanced. It can all play a huge role in future naval battles! Taking advantage of this opportunity, we will also promote it well One wave.”

039B was originally a foreign trade submarine. Taking advantage of this east wind and selling it again, our orders will definitely continue to increase. It seems that it is time for Mingzhou Group to prepare for the construction of its third domestic shipyard.

In the country, there was originally only a local shipyard in Mingzhou. Later, it jointly established a shipyard with Sanhang Heavy Industry. Now that Sanhang Heavy Industry has withdrawn its shares, the Huating shipyard has become a sole proprietorship of Mingzhou Group. After that, it mainly produces liquefied products. Air ships, and the slipway here is freed up to build other ships, especially warships.

 But now, arc sparks are everywhere on the slipway, and orders are still fully booked. We will have to accept a large number of foreign trade orders in the future, and we may not be able to produce them here.

"Yes, Mr. Qin, we should publicize it well. We have already made a publicity plan. Can you please take a look?" Zhao Ling said.

Since she has become the secretary of Mr. Qin of Mingzhou Group, she must do her best, especially when Qin Tao is away, she must show her ability.

Now, after hearing her words, Qin Tao took over the publicity plan with satisfaction.

 Newspapers, TV, especially Zhang Zhong’s program, as well as the Internet and other media will promote it together, and the specific content has been compiled. However, Qin Tao frowned when he looked at these publicity plans.

“Why, Mr. Qin, this plan is not suitable?” Zhao Ling looked at Qin Tao worriedly.

"True and false, false and true, this is the most appropriate publicity strategy." Qin Tao said: "Anyway, it is not us who are publicizing it, it is other people who are promoting it. We might as well set these data higher."

　　When it comes to deceiving people, Zhao Ling is still a bit reluctant to do so.

“For example, in terms of the steel used in submarines, we can completely promote that we use advanced steel with a yield strength of 1,500 MPa, which is the best in the world.” Qin Tao said.

 Yield degree 1500 MPa? Zhao Ling opened her eyes wide: "Is this too high? After all, the yield strength of the most advanced steel in the United States is less than 1,200 MPa."

"Why is it so high? We are always making progress in the pursuit of advanced materials. We cannot rest on our laurels. In the future, we will be able to have steel materials of more than 2,000 MPa. What does this mean now? We can leave it to military commentators. Analysis shows that our submarine can get close to the American submarine because it dives to a depth of 600 meters and uses the ocean to cover its own noise. By the way, the sea area where the exercise is conducted is 600 meters deep, right?"

Zhao Ling nodded.

"Also, our steel not only has high yield, but also has excellent welding performance." Qin Tao continued: "It does not require preheating, or only requires simple preheating before welding. The strength of the steel and the use of the steel In all aspects, it has reached the most advanced level in the world.”

A few decades ago, the mainstream steel was C-Mn steel, with a yield strength of only 300 to 400 MPa. After the 1950s, the United States began to use a large amount of martensitic transformation-strengthened heat-treated steel, also known as HY series steel. , these steels have high strength and good low-temperature toughness, but their welding performance is not very good and they need to be preheated in advance. Large American warships, especially aircraft carriers and submarines, all use HY series steel.

Now, Qin Tao just wants to let the outside world know that when it comes to steel for shipbuilding, he is the number one in the world! The performance of our own steel far exceeds that of American steel.

Then what? Let the Americans continue to catch up and surpass, and see if they can develop steel with the same performance.

Zhao Ling already understood Qin Tao's thoughts. She nodded: "Okay, I will make arrangements."

"Steel is just one of them, and there are many subsystems. For example, we are also very strong in underwater silent performance. We have transitioned from seven-blade large side-inclined propellers to pump-jet propellers. Our underwater noise can Reduced to 90 decibels, it is completely integrated into the background noise of the ocean. We are also very strong in AIP performance. We already have a new generation of more powerful Stirling engines, and we are also planning to use lithium batteries to replace existing AIP engines. There are lead-acid batteries.”

Zhao Ling thought seriously: "Lithium batteries have greater energy density. If lead-acid batteries are really replaced with lithium batteries, it is really possible to improve the underwater endurance of submarines a lot."

What Qin Tao meant by these words was to deceive the outside world and make others take the wrong path. Now, the technical route of this lithium battery seems to be correct.

“Yes, if a lead-acid battery can enable a submarine to operate at low speed for four days, then a lithium battery can enable a submarine to operate at low speed for more than fifteen days. However, don’t forget that lithium is an element with very active chemical properties.”

Now, the energy density of lithium-ion batteries has reached the order of 100WH/KG, which is far more than two or three times that of lead-acid batteries. Under the same weight, lithium-ion batteries have more energy and have good charge and discharge characteristics. Except that they cannot be large In addition to current discharge, other aspects are fully surpassed.

 In later generations, this value has reached two to three hundred, which is also the main factor in the continuous improvement of the endurance of electric vehicles. There are also some special batteries that have reached four to five hundred.

 However, the shortcomings of lithium batteries are also obvious: they are more likely to explode! Once an internal battery is squeezed and damaged, or a battery circuit fails and is short-circuited, etc., it will cause the lithium battery to burn, and then the entire battery pack will be ignited. Just think about it and you can imagine what that picture looks like. Magnificent.

Zhao Ling felt a chill in her heart. Qin Tao's goal was actually to turn the submarines of those deceived submarine manufacturers into worthless pieces that could burn at any time.

Xu Zhengyang was silent. Mr. Qin had already let the news out, and the islanders had been fooled. Now, they are just continuing to cheer for this route.

“Wait a minute, if lithium batteries are so dangerous, why do you still use lithium batteries in the electric vehicle route you proposed?” Zhao Ling looked at Qin Tao curiously. This is unscientific.

"The greater the number, the greater the danger. The number of lithium batteries carried by a submarine is dozens or even hundreds of times that of electric vehicles." Qin Tao said: "Moreover, we did not launch this product immediately. We are constantly researching the management technology of battery packs and developing special chips to monitor the batteries to make the battery packs safer as much as possible. Moreover, we are also developing larger lithium batteries to increase the battery capacity and reduce the battery consumption. The number of cells in the battery pack.”

 Zhao Ling nodded, Qin Tao's consideration must be very complete, so there is no need for her to worry about things unfounded.

"By the way, some very suspicious people have appeared outside our shipyard recently. They probably want to pry for information. In order to avoid leaks, I have issued an order recently. There is nothing special for our shipbuilding workers. Try not to go out, just stay in the docks, canteens and dormitories of the family home in the shipyard," Zhao Ling said.

Spies have always been there, and they are always infiltrating. This cannot be prevented. The main thing is to improve the quality of the crew. But recently, as 039B became famous, there are more people operating outside, including foreign intelligence personnel, media, etc., they all Looking for more information.

"Well, your approach is appropriate. However, the ban cannot last forever and has to be relaxed. It is better to arrange some people to publicize what we just said. After those people get enough information, they can I will leave." Qin Tao said.

Zhao Ling's eyes lit up. Yes, these false information were passed on, and the Mingzhou Group could not be blamed afterwards. After all, these information were disclosed by the media and had nothing to do with their group!

 It kills two birds with one stone and solves the problem perfectly.

At this moment, Xu Zhengyang received new news. He waited patiently for Qin Tao and Zhao Ling to finish talking about these things, and then said: "Mr. Qin, I just received the news that my father wants to come to us to inspect the 039B diesel power plant." submarine."

"Lao Ba? Of course you are welcome!" Qin Tao said: "Lao Ba is our true friend. If they want to order 039B, we can provide the best price."

 “What if Lao Ba asks for more?” Zhao Ling asked.

Qin Tao glanced at his wife with approval. Her wife's thinking was becoming more and more flexible, and she could immediately think of what might happen: "The most I can do is ask to start construction in their shipyard, and we can agree to it!"

Of course, this is also in line with Lao Ba's style. After all, Lao Ba has limited funds on hand. If he wants to do big things with less money and also improve his industrial strength and employment rate, of course he has to build it himself.

The Air Force's Fierce Dragon fighter jets, the Army's Khalid tanks, and the Navy's frigates can all be built by themselves, including submarines. However, is it appropriate to export this advanced submarine technology directly to Lao Ba?

 Zhao Ling and Xu Zhengyang were both surprised. Can they agree to this?

"This is also in line with international practice. Laoba must order a sufficient quantity, at least five ships. The first few ships will be produced here, and the last few ships will be produced by them. By the time they can produce it, it will already be five. Years later, by that time, we will already have more advanced submarines, so even if we leave it to Lao Ba to produce, it will not matter. Moreover, Lao Ba can produce it himself, which can not only improve the industrial level, but also reduce the cost. They It is also beneficial to us to have more submarines to fight against Ah San. We don’t have nuclear submarines to lease to Lao Ba, so we can only improve Lao Ba’s strength in this way.”

Hearing Qin Tao's words, Zhao Ling and Xu Zhengyang nodded. Yes, if you think about it this way, it is really a win-win result.

This is not the first time I have dealt with Lao Ba. Take shipbuilding as an example. When the Mingzhou Group developed an advanced frigate, it exported it to Lao Ba. However, the anti-aircraft missiles on it were changed from Hongqi-16 to Shiki. Li, of course, that was just the first one. Later, the missiles that Lao Ba ordered were all Made in China. The two missiles are completely interchangeable, and the fire control system does not need to be modified.

 Now, Lao Ba is coming to order submarines again! The person leading the team this time was still Mahmoud, whom Qin Tao had known before. Mahmoud, an old friend who once led the ordering of frigates, was also very happy to see Qin Tao again.

"Mr. Qin, I'm glad to see you." Mahmoud stretched out his hand: "We are grateful to Dongfang and Mingzhou Group. With your help, we have modernized our warships and our frigates have been used successfully. Very good, now they are the main force of our navy."

Ah San on the opposite side is building aircraft carriers one after another, but Lao Ba has no money and cannot support a navy of that level. In their equipment sequence, the frigates built by the Mingzhou Group are already the largest in displacement and the most advanced. battleships, and the rest is the outdated Perry class. They rely on a small but capable navy to safeguard their maritime rights and interests.

“We are also very happy.” Qin Tao said: “We look forward to more cooperation in submarines. Now, please take a look at our submarine production line.”

Different from shipbuilding, submarines are built in a closed workshop. After entering the workshop, Mahmoud and the officers he brought were stunned when they looked at the huge factory building.

“Mr. Qin, does it need to be built in such a large closed factory to build a submarine?” Mahmoud asked.

“It can also be built in the open air, but in order to avoid being discovered by aerial reconnaissance and to avoid steel rusting, submarines are generally produced in closed workshops.” Qin Tao said.

He knew what Lao Ba was worried about. Building submarines in this workshop was too expensive. If you want to build submarines, you have to build a factory first. This is a huge expense!

Seeing their worried eyes, Qin Tao said: "Of course, if you want to save costs, you can also build a simple shed." Qin Tao said: "Currently, our Mingzhou Group has a special construction plan for simple sheds. Compared with steel bars, Concrete factory buildings save half the investment and half the time, and if they are not used in the future, they can be dismantled and sold for scrap metal.”

Mahmoud's eyes lit up, is there such a way? However, what does Mr. Qin mean by this? Has he decided to export the production line to us? I haven’t mentioned it yet!

"Mr. Qin, in the past few years, the underwater threats to us have become more and more serious. The Asan Navy has once again leased nuclear submarines from Damao. We also need advanced submarines to fight against them. Therefore, I learned about the advanced capabilities of your 039B submarine. After the performance, we finally made the decision to purchase from you." Mahmoud was also open and honest.

“Well, you didn’t come here before, was it because you were hesitant?”

Mahmoud did not hide anything: "Yes, in the past few years, we imported four Guishu Shen-class conventional submarines from France, which are also our Hanguo-class submarines. In the third Indo-Pakistan War, this submarine was very powerful It performed brilliantly, making a surprise attack on the west coast of Asan, sinking an anti-submarine frigate of the Asan Navy, and escaping from the Asan Navy's anti-submarine pursuit. Therefore, we were very satisfied with the French goods. Later, we purchased two more Agostas. The Type 70 submarine also feels good. In the past few years, we have been inspecting French submarines and want to purchase its further improved model, which is the Agosta Type 90."

 Weapons sales have inertia. Once they get used to it, customers will continue to choose.

The original Guishu Shen-class submarine was purchased by Lao Ba on his own initiative, but this Agosta 70 type had some luck. In 1977, the Rainbow Nation was sanctioned due to domestic policies and ordered this type from France. The submarine could not be delivered, so Laoba missed it. The two submarines were delivered in 1979 and 1980 respectively.

Lao Ba has always used French submarines, so he is used to French submarines. If there is no accident this time, he will definitely continue to choose French submarines. The French have long considered this to be their own business. After all, this kind of Ago The Star 90 submarine is tailor-made for Lao Ba. Although they also actively promote it to other countries, the end user is Lao Ba.

 Unfortunately, things have changed.

Lao Ba fell in love with Dongfang's 054 frigates and ordered a few. As a result, the navy ran out of money, so it did not purchase such submarines in 1994, and continued to consider it. This consideration has continued for several years. Time passed, and the French waited and waited. When they heard the news that Lao Ba went to the East to purchase submarines, they didn't know what they would think.

"Your choice is correct. Our 039B submarine has better performance than the Agosta 90 submarine in all aspects." Qin Tao said: "When the French are selling to you, they always show off their performance. AIP system, right? In fact, their system is very dangerous. In addition to using liquid oxygen, they also need special ethanol as fuel. Ethanol is easy to volatilize. Once ethanol appears in the submarine, it is very likely that leading to fire or even explosion."

Qin Tao will never be soft-hearted when he needs to throw dirty water on others. Moreover, he was not wrong.

If you want to increase the submarine's underwater endurance, you need a specialized power system that does not rely on air. Mingzhou Group uses a Stirling engine, which requires an additional liquid oxygen tank to provide oxidizer, but the fuel only needs to be carried by the submarine. Diesel is fine. This is already a mature AIP system.

However, the French, who have always liked to pursue romance, also want to be unique on submarines. Compared with the Agosta 70, the biggest improvement of the Agosta 90 is the addition of a nine-meter-long AIP cabin. The cabin is equipped with a closed cycle steam turbine AIP system developed based on the closed "Rankin" cycle engine.

The principle of this system is different from that of the Stirling engine. It is also an external combustion engine, but it uses a steam turbine solution. Specifically, after the liquid oxygen is oxidized, it enters the combustion chamber and burns ethanol, and the high-temperature gas passes through the steam generator. After cooling, it returns to the combustion chamber, and the steam generator turns into high-temperature and high-pressure steam after washing the heat, which drives the steam turbine to do work and drives the generator to generate electricity.

 The only advantage of this method is low noise, but the disadvantage is that it is bulky and economical. And, most crucially, it also requires the use of ethanol as fuel!

If the user is Lao Maozi, then Qin Tao will definitely say that this thing cannot be used, otherwise after going to sea, all the ethanol will be drunk before it is used. And here in Lao Ba, drinking is impossible, but an accidental fire is possible.

Of course, what is more dangerous is the German fuel cell, which contains not only liquid oxygen, but also liquid hydrogen. If this thing explodes, it will be no joke.

Hearing what Qin Tao said, Mahmoud nodded: "Yes, carrying extra ethanol is a big problem, but the French are still very sincere. They not only exported the entire submarine to us, but also promised to let us produce it ourselves. .”

The French are also sparing no effort in marketing. They plan to build three submarines. The first one will be built at the Cherbourg Shipyard of the French DCNS company. The second one will be assembled from supplied parts. France will provide parts and be assembled at the Karachi Shipyard. Laoba Navy will build the first three ships by itself, so that with three ships, Laoba will have the construction capability.

Qin Tao nodded: "The French allow you to build it yourself, and of course we can, too. However, you have to think clearly. If the quantity built is too small, it may not be more cost-effective than purchasing."

"Why?"

“Because you lack relevant equipment.” Qin Tao said: “If you want to build a submarine, you must have a plate bending machine. Do you have one?”

 Of course this old man is gone!

“Think about it, if you get the design drawings of a submarine from the French, and then start construction in your shipyard, and at that time, you find that you don’t have a plate bending machine, do you have to find the French to purchase it?”

Mahmoud nodded, this is natural.

“When the French offer you an outrageously high price, will you buy it or not?”

If you buy it, the price is too expensive, and Laoba will suffer a big loss. If you don’t buy it, how can you produce advanced submarines without a plate bending machine? You will definitely be in a dilemma then.

Mahmoud was suddenly shocked. Fortunately, he has not cooperated with the French in purchasing submarines in the past few years when working on the 054 frigate project. If he did, he would definitely fall into a trap!

 When the time comes when we are unable to dismount, we will definitely have to let the French take advantage of us!

Thinking of this, sweat broke out on his back. Fortunately, Dongfang's 039B submarine was outstanding. They decided to come to Dongfang for inspection. By the way, they communicated with Mr. Qin to know how deep the water inside was.

“Mr. Qin, if we want to make it ourselves, can you provide a plate bending machine? What’s the price?” Mahmoud asked Qin Tao.

Now, when they come to the East to purchase, they actually have their own Xiaojiujiu. They want to use France’s promise to bargain with the East. The French promised that we can build it ourselves. What about you? Will you give us this opportunity?

"Of course. What we can provide is a fully automatic plate bending machine. The performance is better than the French products and the price is only half of theirs. However, are you sure you want it?" Qin Tao began to ask.

 (End of this chapter)