Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 227 Industrial Path
For a long period of history, wood has been the main or even the only material basis for human beings.

For example, the "殳", "梃" and "虫" in ancient Chinese weapons were actually wooden sticks. It is said that when King Wu defeated King Zhou, "blood flowed and the pestles floated."

Until the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, wooden sticks and sharpened wooden spears remained the main weapons and equipment.

During the late Qin Dynasty, the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising also involved "cutting wood for weapons and raising poles as flags."

After the emergence of bronze and iron tools, they were first used for sacrifices, luxury goods and wars, and finally entered the fields of production and life.

Well, for quite a long time, these two new materials that were harder and more plastic did not completely replace wood. Instead, they made great strides in wood processing technology and further enriched the wood culture.

At the same time, it also enables people to fully utilize their talents in making tools and machines.

The rich material properties and sources of wood gradually separated handicrafts from agriculture, realizing specialization and mass production. In a very short period of time, human wood manufacturing technology reached the level of perfection and perfection.

In the Wood Age, most tools and utensils were made of wood, except for cutting tools for processing wood.

Houses and furniture were made of wood, boats and carriages were made of wood, water pumps and water pipes were made of hollow tree trunks or bamboo, windmills and water wheels were made of wood, clocks were made of wood, looms and spinning wheels were made of wood, and even Gutenberg's printing press, a hundred years after it was invented, was still made of wood.

The use of wood to build machines and factories continued throughout most of the 19th century.

Before the advent of true railways, "railways" laid out with wooden tracks had existed for more than two hundred years.

In the early days, when humans used stone axes to process wood, their brain space was fully expanded. The increasingly complex brain, in turn, made the tools more complex and diverse, so that many years later, humans finally began to make complex tools - machines.

If we look at more complex mechanical devices, the earliest machines might be pulleys or levers, simple machines that were used to move heavy objects in the Neolithic Age.

Compared to tools, machines are more complex and efficient, but also more specific and capital-intensive.

Machines integrate tools and technology. Even the simplest machine is more efficient than a tool.

"With the same number of workers as before, operating more advanced machinery and equipment, we can produce many times more products than before. This is much more efficient than using tools!"

On January 1633, 1, a huge upthrust water wheel was erected at the lime mine south of Shixing City to replace the previous downthrust water wheel which was inefficient and restricted the changes in water flow height.

The bottom of an upwash wheel is not immersed in the water flow, but is placed outside the tailrace, and water is carried to the top of the wheel through a chute.

The source of the torque of an upthrust water wheel is not the impact of the water flow, but the energy released when the water falls from a height.

This design is much more efficient than a low-water wheel and can capture three-quarters of the energy contained in the water level difference.

A gate in the chute can control the amount of water diverted to the wheel, while a dam can enclose the flowing water into a reservoir, storing the energy until it is needed.

This stage-type water wheel borrowed the water-turning wheel model from Wang Zhen's "Book of Agriculture". In addition, the entire water wheel is almost entirely made of wood, except for a few wear-resistant parts that are made of iron. Not a single iron nail or any adhesive is used, and only wooden wedges are used to reinforce the connection.

Next to the water wheel is a limestone crushing and processing workshop. The power provided by the water wheel drives a rotating cam, which then drives several heavy hammers, giving them powerful kinetic energy, allowing them to be lifted and lowered continuously to crush huge pieces of limestone, making the entire processing process perfectly highly mechanized.

In addition to crushing limestone, this device is often used to crush metal ores, process wrought iron, beat dirty wool for fulling (that is, to clean and make it dense and thick), or pulp for papermaking and fur for leather making.

A cam mechanism was used to lift the pestle for seven centuries before being replaced by steam-driven machinery during the Industrial Revolution.

However, the water wheel is not without its disadvantages. It is extremely dependent on water sources. It must either be built near a river or a pool must be dug next to the workshop to store water.

Moreover, when the water freezes in the cold winter, this thing can no longer be used and has to be put to use.

Liao Meng, head of Xinhua Building Materials Corporation (which merged the brick and tile factory, lime processing plant and cement factory under the Xinhua government), glanced at several Indian workers by the reservoir who were holding sledgehammers and hitting the frozen water surface from time to time, and couldn't help but shook his head slightly.

"We still need to find a way to develop a steam engine. While its efficiency isn't much higher than a waterwheel, it's completely unaffected by terrain, weather, and other factors, and it can be more seamlessly integrated with other machines."

"Fortunately, you're not like the others who directly asked our Industrial Technology Department to develop an electric motor." Zhang Ruosong tightened his fur coat and said with a wry smile, "Although this steam engine sounds simple, it's still quite difficult to develop a practical machine in our current situation."

"Because we still lack reliable machine parts and processing equipment. At the very least, we can't produce qualified cylinders and pistons, steam valves, condensers, flywheels, connecting rods and crankshafts, as well as the critical pressure regulator."

"Then... when can we get it done?" Liao Meng's expression froze. "It's been eight years, and we're still stuck with this little scramble. All we've created are a bunch of small workshops!" "In later generations, the industrial classifications are 41 major industrial categories, 207 medium industrial categories, and 666 minor industrial categories." Zhang Ruosong looked at him with amusement. "How many major industrial categories do you think Xinhua has established, how many medium industrial categories have we developed, and how many minor industrial categories have we ultimately realized?"

"My dear Commissioner Zhang..." Liao Meng was immediately amused and confused when he heard this. "This is the 17th century, not the 21st. How could there be so many industries? Even if we increase Xinhua's population to a million in our lifetime, we can't even dream of developing a full-scale industry chain like the one after the Industrial Revolution."

"Focusing on key areas and achieving breakthroughs is the only way to expand and strengthen our industrial capabilities in the shortest possible time. I'm suggesting we set up a project research department dedicated to steam engine production and manufacturing technology, striving to resolve our power source problem as soon as possible."

"Haha, your idea is great, but it completely ignores the real difficulties we face." Zhang Ruosong smiled and shook his head. "The advent of the steam engine was first and foremost due to the early theoretical research that laid the foundation for its development. For example, understanding the principles of steam power generation, involving knowledge of thermodynamics and gas expansion, and studying air pressure were crucial to the design of early steam engines."

"Of course, we already have the theoretical knowledge mentioned above and understand the principle of how to convert thermal energy into mechanical kinetic energy, which can greatly save this step. But what problems will we face next?"

"First, materials and technology. We need to select metal materials that can withstand high temperatures and high pressures, and we also need casting, forging, and machining capabilities to ensure the airtightness and durability of the components. Second, the reliability of some key components, such as designing and producing efficient boilers to ensure stable steam generation;"

“We need to manufacture precise cylinders and pistons to ensure that steam pushes the pistons smoothly. We also need to develop valve systems to control the passages for steam in and out to ensure the orderly operation of the machine.”

"Look, in order to produce a working steam engine, we need to solve so many problems. We need to manage numerous industrial product categories, which in turn will lead to several sub-sectors. Finally, we need to mobilize enormous manpower and material resources to achieve this goal. But the problem is, after diverting most of the resources, how can we promote the layout of other industries and the construction of related production chains?"

"You have to remember that the British Industrial Revolution began with textile technology. Because wooden cotton textile machines were mostly made of wood, they didn't require much metal. It took nearly sixty years of technological innovation in related industries like metallurgy and machinery manufacturing, and after improving machine processing precision, Watt successfully improved the previously inefficient steam engine and rapidly popularized it."

"..." After hearing this, Liao Meng sighed softly and remained silent.

"Development requires steady progress, not a quick rush to the finish line," Zhang Ruosong continued. "A few years ago, some suggested that, given our advanced knowledge of electricity, internal combustion engines, and the chemical industry, we should skip earlier technologies like the steam engine and move directly into a second industrial revolution centered on electrification."

"However, despite our knowledge and theoretical expertise, achieving a second industrial revolution remains elusive. At the very least, we must first enhance our basic industrial capabilities and improve existing materials and manufacturing processes to the point where they can meet the demands of manufacturing complex industrial equipment."

"The first industrial revolution, represented by textiles and steam engines, relied mainly on the experience of predecessors and the improvement of existing technologies, while the second industrial revolution, represented by electrification, relied heavily on scientific theories, advanced transportation and communication networks, and required a large number of educated and highly qualified labor forces."

"So, let's not aim too high. Let's just follow the trends of industrial development and move forward step by step. Furthermore, because we possess foresight and have the right path, we won't take detours. Even if we continue with our existing industrial development, we can still stay one step ahead of the rest of the world."

"What if we're all gone?"

"Then we can also, through forward-looking planning and a technology and knowledge system far superior to other countries, ensure that the country we build has a solid and strong industrial base, rather than becoming impoverished and weak and becoming a snack on other countries' tables."

"You have to know that our generation alone cannot achieve the ultimate goal of global domination. The American Empire, for example, was incredibly lucky. From its birth to its rise to world dominance, it took over 160 years."

"For us, Xinhua has only been around for eight years, starting from the year we landed on Qiming Island. Our total population is only around 13,000. To expect to achieve such rapid development and leap into the steam age would be sheer disrespect for the laws of development."

"Alas, that's because the Spanish are like an invisible mountain, constantly weighing down Xinhua, making us feel an inexplicable threat and constraint." Liao Meng said with a wry smile, "We've been preparing for war for over a year, but the Spanish have remained patient and have never sent troops to attack Qiming Island."

"This has caused everyone at Xinhua to be on high alert, constantly on guard against them. Not only has the pace of immigration slowed down, but the development of other affairs has also been severely affected to varying degrees."

"A month ago, in order to build a coking plant, the state used some harsh measures against the Indians within its jurisdiction. This drove hundreds of Indians into riots, which then triggered a fierce armed conflict."

"Although Zheng Yuexin, who presided over the affairs of the sub-state, seemed a bit hasty and rough in this matter, he was also pursuing the speed of local development. He wanted to quickly implement the coking coal project assigned by the committee. He tried to increase our Xinhua's industrial strength as much as possible before the Spanish invasion, which would increase our chances of victory after the war broke out."

"Commissioner Zhang, if we had a few steam-powered ironclad gunboats, why would we need to worry about the Spanish coming? We could completely block the Spanish harbor and prevent them from even getting out to sea!"

"Hehe..." Zhang Ruosong laughed and said, "Why, are Zhou Yong and Tang Qidong bringing up the idea of ​​building an ironclad warship again? Without figuring out how to refine high-quality wrought iron and steel, prevent iron parts from rusting, and develop steam-assisted propulsion, building a seemingly plausible ironclad warship is completely meaningless."

"Rather than focusing on the ship's defenses, it would be more practical to increase the cannon's rate of fire and the power of its explosive shells. In this era, everyone sailed wooden sailing ships. If we could develop reliable and stable explosive shells, we would surely shine in the naval battle against the Spanish."

"The military industry's explosive bomb project has not been further upgraded and improved?" Liao Meng immediately became interested when he heard about explosive bombs.

"We did encounter some problems," Zhang Ruosong sighed. "It's mainly a performance issue. The projectile yield rate is less than 40%, and the fuse failure rate is over 50%. After launch, whether it will explode on time depends entirely on probability."

"More importantly, explosive bombs are extremely expensive. One explosive bomb costs as much as over twenty solid bullets, but the damage they cause is extremely unstable."

"To say it's completely worthless isn't entirely true. At the very least, explosive bombs can be used as a psychological deterrent weapon, and they can be quite effective in intimidating people on the battlefield."

"If we want to produce explosive bombs with practical significance, we will probably have to wait until we make major breakthroughs in related technologies such as steel smelting, chemical fuses, and precision processing."

(End of this chapter)