Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 315 How about we take the liquid oxygen and methane route?

Simply put, launching a geostationary satellite requires multiple ignitions in space, but the engines of Dongfang's current rockets are all disposable. After ignition, the combustion chamber will burn out, and once the fuel is exhausted, the engine is ruined!
The Long March 2 uses unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide as oxidant. The advantage of these liquids is that they can be stored at room temperature. Russia dislikes them because they are all toxic, so it focuses on liquid oxygen and kerosene engines, while the Americans are focusing on liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engines.

Theoretically speaking, liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen engines are the cleanest, since the only combustion byproduct is water. The combustion chamber remains clean and does not coke. They were originally used not only on the Saturn V rocket but are now also used on the Space Shuttle, and have been reused multiple times.

Therefore, the Long March 3 rocket, which is currently being developed by relevant departments for geostationary satellites, plans to use the Long March 2 as the lower stage and develop a special liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen engine as the third stage to meet the requirements of multiple ignitions in space.

However... developing such an engine is not so easy. Historically, the first geostationary communication satellite in the East was launched in 84, but unfortunately it failed. The second ignition of the third-stage rocket failed, causing the satellite to remain in low Earth orbit.

However, preparations were made in advance. Three rockets and three satellites were prepared for a successful launch. Several months later, the second launch finally succeeded in getting the satellites into orbit.

Upon hearing the student's words, the naval leader spoke up: "Our Project 331 has been in the planning stages since 75. It can't be okay if there's still no progress. We need to speed things up and get them done as soon as possible."

On March 31, 75, the report on the development of China's satellite communications, jointly submitted by the State Planning Commission and the National Defense Science and Technology Commission, was approved. As a result, Project 331, a geostationary satellite project, was officially launched. However, after several years of research and demonstration, the Long March 3 rocket began its preliminary design in 80, and the first geostationary satellite was named Dongfanghong-2.

The project is definitely being pushed forward at full speed by the aerospace system, but progress is still too slow. We need to urge them on!

"Simply speeding up the process isn't enough. After all, building rockets is a crucial scientific research project that can't afford to be careless," Qin Liang said.

You're rushing me? What if speeding up causes problems?

"That's easy. If they don't have enough technical expertise, they can come to Northwestern Polytechnical University."

Qin Liang frowned, feeling that the leader's motives were impure. Was he trying to take advantage of Northwestern Polytechnical University for free?

"After we finish eating, let's go check out the aerospace department! Hurry up and eat!" The leader started urging Qin Liang.

So, after lunch, the group returned to the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Actually, the department's official name is still the Department of Aerospace Engineering, but since there are so many names, it's often shortened to the Department of Space Engineering.

"Old Wang, we're back again! We forgot to visit our navigation satellite project this morning!"

"Leader Zhang, is your navy going to contribute funds?"

"Ahem, we'll contribute money if we have it, and effort if we have it. Speaking of which, with navigation satellites, our naval ships will be able to know their location at any time when they are out at sea. This is of great significance to us. It is said that the satellite development is going smoothly, but the launch has encountered some problems? Don't worry, our navy will help coordinate!"

"Yes, the relevant departments are slow in their research and development, and we are getting impatient... Liangzi, do you think it's possible for Northwestern Polytechnical University to launch a hydrogen-oxygen engine research and development project? Maybe we can even be faster than the relevant departments."

Professor Wang looked at Qin Liang, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Currently, hydrogen-oxygen engines are widely recognized as the most suitable rocket engines! They have high specific impulse, are environmentally friendly, and generate significant vacuum thrust, making them highly regarded by aerospace experts…

Qin Liang pondered for a moment: "Professor Wang, since the national team is developing hydrogen-oxygen rocket engines, why don't we switch to a different technological approach?"

"what?"

"Hydrogen-oxygen engines have many advantages, but their disadvantages are also quite obvious. First, the density of liquid hydrogen is too low, requiring a sufficiently powerful fuel pump. Second, the low temperature of liquid hydrogen poses a great challenge to refueling and storage. Finally, the hydrogen embrittlement problem caused by liquid hydrogen is almost unsolvable, and the so-called multiple reuses are not reliable..."

The temperature of liquid hydrogen is 14K, which is about -250 degrees Celsius, just a dozen degrees away from absolute zero. The temperature of liquid oxygen is 154K, which is about -120 degrees Celsius. The difference between these two temperatures is 130 to 140 degrees Celsius!
On a rocket, not only do the fuel tanks for liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen need to be insulated from the outside, but they also need to be insulated from each other inside. Otherwise, the liquid hydrogen will freeze the liquid oxygen, and the liquid hydrogen may even vaporize!

Liquid hydrogen has a very low density, since hydrogen has the smallest molecular weight. As a result, to store enough fuel, a large fuel tank is required, and this is a problem that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will face in the future.

The most serious problem is hydrogen embrittlement.

Hydrogen, with its smallest molecular weight, can easily penetrate the gaps between other molecules, altering the properties of these materials and making them brittle. This is fine for single-use rocket engines, but problems arise if they are to be reused multiple times. As for hydrogen-powered vehicles…

"Yes, it's a problem with liquid hydrogen, but... it doesn't seem like there's a better option. Liangzi, are you suggesting we go with the liquid oxygen/kerosene route?"

The Americans and Western Europe chose the liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen route, while Russia used liquid oxygen and kerosene. In short, poison rockets are the least popular and have long been phased out.

Only Russia has successfully developed liquid oxygen-kerosene technology for many reasons. For instance, the Americans also tried, but couldn't solve the engine coking problem, so they switched to the hydrogen-oxygen engine route. Many years later, it was discovered that Russia was using high-purity kerosene refined from special crude oil from a certain oil field...

In later generations, the East also adopted this approach; the Long March 5 was a combination of a liquid oxygen/kerosene engine and a hydrogen/oxygen engine.

However... those are all research and development directions of the national team.

"Professor Wang, have you considered the liquid oxygen-methane route?"

"what?"

Professor Wang said that he had never heard of it before.

"The temperature difference between liquid oxygen and liquid methane is only 20K, so the insulation measures for the fuel tank can be greatly simplified. Even single-layer common bottom storage is not a problem, which can reduce ineffective mass and increase the maximum speed."

Qin Liang began to explain.

"Secondly, these two types of fuel can be stored for a long time in outer space orbit, which will be useful for attitude control when we develop our own spacecraft, such as space stations. Moreover, although I haven't done any experiments, I feel that the specific impulse of this engine should be quite good."

In aero engines, thrust-to-weight ratio is an important parameter, while in rocket engines, specific impulse is an even more important indicator than thrust. It refers to the duration for which the thrust generated by a unit mass of propellant in a rocket engine can be sustained.

The higher this number, the more fuel the engine can inject at a higher speed, generating greater thrust or thrust for a longer duration.

In this metric, the hydrogen-oxygen engine is undoubtedly number one, while the liquid oxygen-methane engine is number two!
Currently, no one in the world is doing this; Northwestern Polytechnical University is the first in the East! Once we develop it, we will quickly lead the trend.

Hydrogen-oxygen engines and liquid oxygen-kerosene engines have to take a backseat! Besides the advantages mentioned above, there are many other benefits, which we won't go into now.

For example, it is not prone to coking, the propellant has a low boiling point and evaporates easily. As long as it is purged with nitrogen, the engine can be easily restored to its original condition and can be reused multiple times. When it arrives on other planets, it can also use local resources to produce fuel.

Professor Wang listened attentively, nodding frequently: "Yes, then let's choose this route!"

At Northwestern Polytechnical University, some people have begun to blindly worship Qin Liang. No matter how incredible Qin Liang's suggestions may seem, they are always proven to be correct in hindsight. Listening to Qin Liang is always the right thing to do, especially since he has also listed many advantages.

“Developing a completely new engine is no easy task.” A naval leader nearby said with some concern, “Internal combustion involves complex fluid dynamics, and we can only achieve this through repeated experiments…”

"We have supercomputers."

The leaders' concerns came to an abrupt end.

In the past, computer technology was too limited to simulate the complex airflow inside rocket engines. Now, Northwestern Polytechnical University has computers capable of simulating hundreds of billions of times, and it is estimated that in another year or two, they will be capable of simulating hundreds of billions of times. So why worry about not being able to simulate the combustion inside the engine?
Computer simulations, followed by experimental verification and data correction—Northwestern Polytechnical University will definitely be faster than the China Academy of Space Technology in developing a new rocket engine! Once this entirely new engine is developed…

Naval leaders suddenly had high hopes; they really wanted to see the new engine installed in a rocket to launch navigation satellites!

No one is more eager than the navy; the importance of navigation on the vast ocean is self-evident!
"But... this research and development project will cost a lot of money. Liangzi, our Datang Company needs to support us more."

If Professor Wang hadn't reminded him, Qin Liang would have almost forgotten that he was also the CEO of a company, Datang Company, the collective of all the school-run factories of Northwestern Polytechnical University! This company not only had to produce products, but also handle sales.

Fortunately, the various school-run factories were already independently operated and were used to it. Even without Datang Company, they could operate normally. Qin Liang's desk was just piled with reports from various companies.

After dinner, the naval leaders went home, and Qin Liang opened the door to his office. Looking at the large stack of documents on his desk, he couldn't help but smile wryly.

This Datang Company should have increased its manpower a long time ago!
However, the selection of this person must be done carefully. If the person is not capable enough, there may be problems. If the person is too shrewd, they may sideline you. If the person is beautiful, there may be some unclear relationships. If the person is ugly... you can't get past that hurdle in your heart.

Qin Liang was left with mixed feelings.

Wait a minute! I've been out for so long, how come there's not even a speck of dust on the table?

Creak... Just then, the door opened, and a person walked in carrying a bucket and a mop. Their eyes met, and they were both stunned.

"father?"

"Liangzi, you're back?"

"You're the one who usually cleans this room?"

"Well, you've been so busy since the New Year that no one else dared to come into this room. So, I volunteered to come in and clean and tidy it up for you every day. This is the most important place at Northwestern Polytechnical University..."

Qin Liang's mind raced: "Come here, Dad, come here for a second!"

"what?"

"Come, sit here! Take a look at this document, and after you've read it, tell me what your thoughts are."

Although my father is a genuine farmer, he has received some education because of his family's intellectual background. In the past few years, he has been studying at Northwestern Polytechnical University in his spare time and has learned a lot. Now, let's see how good my father's abilities are. As long as he can perform at his normal level, I will leave this place to him when I am not around. If there are any major issues, he can consult me.

My dad's only job is as a clerk in logistics, which doesn't offer much of a future. He might as well become the CEO's secretary...

I'm probably the only one in the whole world who managed to trick his dad into becoming his secretary.
"You brat, are you testing your dad's abilities?" Qin Baomin said as he took the documents.

This is a report from Loongson Technology.

"Well, in this report, Loongson requires that all of this year's revenue be invested in R&D and that projects be expanded. I think... this needs to be revised a bit. We need to set aside some funds to build a staff housing complex for Loongson employees. Their company is growing, but the average living space per person is only a dozen square meters, which is not conducive to Loongson's future development. Also, employee benefits should be increased..."

My dad actually has this awareness; he's not just about giving back anymore? That's impressive.

"Dad, do you think employees should enjoy themselves?"

"That's natural. When life is comfortable, you can concentrate on your work. They are responsible for the work, so we have to think more about their personal lives. This is also... the experience I've gained in logistics in recent years."

"Okay, Dad, take another look at this document."

Qin Baomin picked it up again, glanced at it a few times, and then frowned.

“There’s something wrong with the personnel appointments at this factory. These people clearly got in through back channels. We can’t open that door! Judging from this report, they’re trying to push the responsibility onto you. They can only appoint people after you sign it.”

"Dad, how did you know he got in through connections?"

“A while ago, some of these people’s relatives came to me and brought me a lot of things, but I returned them all. Hmph, how could those sugar-coated bullets possibly buy your dad? This report absolutely cannot be approved! Of course, we can’t blame the leader either, after all, he’s in a difficult position. Let us handle this kind of thing that offends people!”

"Hmm, Dad, it seems you're really suited for this position. Today, let's finish processing these documents together. In the future, when you come here to clean, please process the documents as well. If you're still unsure, come and ask me again."

"That won't do. Your father can't overstep his authority."

"Dad, from this moment on, you are the number two employee of Datang Company, the assistant general manager!"

"This……"

"Dad, look at me, Duoduo is busy all the time for me, and she even goes abroad often. What about you? Shouldn't you share some of the burden with your son?"

"Won't these outsiders say bad things about our family?"

"A straight body casts a straight shadow, Dad. I heard you're actively applying to join the Party? Your awareness isn't quite there yet."

"Okay, then I'll share some of your work! But... you also have to agree to one of your father's requests."

"Go ahead."

"Give me a grandson right now!"

"Dad, your awareness is too low. The country is calling for late marriage and late childbirth, and fewer births with better outcomes."

"I don't care about the country's call. The Qin family needs to have an heir as soon as possible. You young people only plan to enjoy yourselves and have your own little world. Have the child and let your father take care of it. You've already raised the child, so your father will have experience taking care of another one!"

"Ok."

Northwestern Polytechnical University has unknowingly become one of the world's most advanced scientific research institutions, and it also integrates scientific research and production.

The war in the South Atlantic was far from over.

The Land of Weeping, Rose Palace.

"General, the British are here!"

Castelli nodded: "Okay, you go and talk first, and then report back to me when you've reached an agreement."

They are the victors, so naturally they should adopt a more authoritative stance at this time!
In the conference room.

One group of people wore smiles, while the other group had faces as cold as ice.

"Excuse me, are you here to formally transfer control of the Falkland Islands to us? If so, then there's no need for that, as we have already taken back the Falkland Islands on our own."

"Yes, the Falkland Islands will always be ours!"

John North stared coldly at the man opposite him: "We're here to get our children back. In the last naval battle, you salvaged many of our sailors who had fallen into the water. Now, I want to take them all with me."

“Taking them away is no problem.” Anaya said from the other side, “After all, if those people stay here, they will only be a few more mouths to feed. Our food supply is not enough for them.”

The crying Chinese people burst into laughter again; this was a way of insulting the British on the other side as good-for-nothings.

"Okay, then please release them. I want to take them home. Their families have been waiting for them to come home day and night."

“You have to pay for their meals during this period. It doesn’t have to be too much, just $100,000 per person.”

Another burst of laughter erupted from the other side.

One hundred thousand dollars, three thousand people equals three hundred million dollars! That's a huge number for Britain right now, but... John North gritted his teeth: "Okay, no problem."

What, no problem?
Anaya was stunned. She thought the other party was going to haggle, but to her surprise, they agreed right away.
"besides……"

"There are no other conditions. Either we pay $100,000 per person to take these people away, or we'll use a nuclear bomb to completely destroy you!" John North gritted his teeth. "Do you think we've really failed? No, we only refrained from using our nuclear weapons out of mercy!"

"Are you threatening us?"

"No, I'm just telling you a fact: losing a war with conventional weapons doesn't mean we've truly failed. Only those who possess nuclear weapons are true superpowers; everything else... is trash!"

(End of this chapter)