The Young Dragon of the Ming Dynasty: Bound to an Industrial Blueprint from the Start

He did not delve into the specific details behind the charcoal, but regarded it only as a potentially useful "thing".

When the news reached Xishanzhuang through Chuntao, Zhu Zhanji was looking at the samples that Sun Sanxin had sent, which were attempts to make the "outer wall" of coal cakes using different types of clay.

Upon hearing that his father might be interested in "Xishan Coal," especially in military applications, his eyes lit up.

Once the military market opens up, it will see stable and enormous demand.

However, the requirements are also higher: the quality must be absolutely reliable, transportation needs to be safer and more convenient, and the supply must be timely and sufficient. The current form of coal yards and coal cakes probably still needs improvement.

He picked up a coal briquette sample that Sun San had tested, which had a light grayish-white ceramic shell, and seemed to be deep in thought.

Pure coal briquettes are easily broken and suffer significant losses during long-distance transportation. What if there were a more robust "shell," or perhaps a different form altogether?

He walked to the desk, then suddenly turned to Chun Tao and said:

"Tell Master Sun that his idea of ​​experimenting with the clay exterior is very good and he can continue to explore it. Also, ask him if he can think of a way to make a portable stove specifically for burning these coal briquettes, in addition to a fixed brick stove."

It needs to be sturdy, economical in materials, and have good heat dissipation. Ideally, it should allow air to circulate vertically, like a scaled-down version of the chimney of a blast furnace.

His description still sounds like a child's "whimsical ideas" based on observation.

But when Sun San received this "topic," he fell into deep thought. A portable stove? Specifically for burning coal briquettes? With ventilation in the middle?

A few days later, Sun San brought several newly made, oddly shaped clay and wooden models to see him again.

There are small jars made of clay with air inlets and smoke outlets on the sides; there are cylinders made of thin iron sheets lined with clay; and there is the most complicated one, which is a double-layered structure with charcoal in the inner layer and a hollow outer layer, which is said to be able to preheat the air.

Zhu Zhanji examined it carefully and then had Chuntao ask Sun San many questions: Would the clay bricks crack during firing? Could the iron sheets be tightly bound? How could ventilation be ensured without the fire going out too quickly? Which method was more economical, more durable, and had better heat dissipation?

Sun San answered each question, though he also scratched his head at some of them.

When he experimented with firing clay-shell coal cakes, he found that the clay ratio and firing temperature were extremely difficult to control, and the cakes would crack or deform if he was not careful.

Iron hoops are sturdy, but iron is hard to find and expensive, and the heat dissipates too quickly, making it easy to get burned.

The idea of ​​that double-layer preheating design was ingenious, but the production process was too complicated.

"Your Highness, this portable stove is probably much more difficult to modify than a traditional cooking stove," Sun San said, somewhat discouraged.

"It needs to be lightweight and portable, sturdy and durable, and also have good heat dissipation so as not to waste charcoal. I'm not very smart, and after trying it out for the past few days, I still can't get it to my satisfaction."

Zhu Zhanji comforted him, "Master Sun, there's no need to rush. New things can't be perfected overnight. I was just thinking that if the stove could be moved, it might be more convenient to use."

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He suddenly changed the subject, as if he had just remembered something, "Oh right, I was reading some miscellaneous books last time, and they mentioned that when ancient people fired pottery, they would sometimes mix crushed seashell powder or coarse sand into the pottery blanks, saying that it would make the pottery more durable and less prone to cracking."

Also, if we're worried about the metal sheet getting too hot, could we wrap it with an insulating material, like a cover made of rattan or wood?

Sun San's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: "Shells are hard to find, but coarse sand? That's worth a try! Adding a sheath is a good idea! I'll think about it some more!"

In the days that followed, Sun San practically lived in the small experimental shed he had built himself next to the coal yard.

He experimented with different clay recipes, adding varying proportions of fine river sand, crushed limestone, and even broken pottery shards.

The failed firings piled up in a corner. Finally, after countless experiments, he successfully fired a type of grayish-brown, relatively dense, and crack-resistant ceramic pipe and slab.

He used these terracotta panels to assemble a square, hollow furnace body, and smoothed the inside with specially made refractory clay.

The bottom of the stove has an air intake grille, and the top has a smoke outlet and a support for holding pots and pans.

Most importantly, he left a vertical, four-inch-diameter circular hole in the center of the furnace.

"Is this for putting coal briquettes in?" Chun Tao asked curiously, looking at the strange pottery stove model.

"Exactly!" Sun San gestured excitedly. "Look, young lady, this coal briquette also needs to be modified. Make it this tall with a round hole in the middle, just like, just like a honeycomb! Yes, honeycomb briquette!"

The coal briquettes are placed in the stove from the top and fit perfectly inside the central cylinder, allowing for ventilation from top to bottom and heating from all sides, ensuring a thorough and economical burn!

Outside the stove, the little man planned to make a cover out of woven bamboo strips or heat-resistant brambles, which would prevent burns, be easy to carry, and be easy to replace if it broke.

Honeycomb briquettes! Portable ceramic stove!

When Zhu Zhanji saw the preliminary model that combined the design of a clay stove and honeycomb briquettes, he admired Sun San's understanding and execution.

This is very close to the prototype of the honeycomb briquette stove in his memory.

Although the materials are simple and the appearance is rough, the core principles, hollow furnace body, vertical ventilation, and honeycomb briquettes are already present.

"Master Sun is truly talented!" Zhu Zhanji praised without reservation. "If this furnace can be completed, it will surely be a wonderful tool that benefits thousands of households! Especially those families living in cramped conditions where it is inconvenient to build a stove, or those whose camps or shops need to be moved frequently."

He immediately instructed: First, concentrate on improving the design of this clay honeycomb briquette stove, focusing on solving the yield rate of the fired clay blanks, the sealing of the stove body joints, and the practicality and aesthetics of the external heat-proof cover.

Second, a matching "honeycomb briquette" mold was designed simultaneously to ensure that the size of the briquette cake fits perfectly with the round hole in the furnace.

Third, all experimental processes and finished products must be recorded in detail.

Encouraged and given clear instructions, Sun San threw himself into it wholeheartedly.

He found the most skilled bamboo craftsman in the village to weave a stove cover and repeatedly adjusted the size of the honeycomb briquette mold.

Firing the pottery kiln became the biggest challenge, and the success rate was once pitifully low.

Upon learning of this, Zhu Zhanji instructed Chuntao to convey the message: "There is no need to strive for perfection the first time. The furnace body can be fired in parts, such as the furnace wall, furnace bottom, and furnace surface, and then assembled. The joints should be filled with a mixture of high-temperature resistant clay, hemp fiber, and iron sand. In addition, the temperature of the kiln can be adjusted more gradually."

These common-sense suggestions from later generations of ceramic craftsmen were like a wake-up call for Sun San.

He immediately adjusted the process, changing the whole firing to segmented firing and later assembly, and strictly controlled the kiln temperature changes, which indeed greatly improved the yield.

"Sigh! I'm still too young."

Zhu Zhanji thought to himself, if he were a little older, he could take the initiative to do things. Now that he is this age, being too flamboyant would arouse suspicion from too many people.

While Sun San was engrossed in tackling the challenge of "honeycomb briquette stoves," Xishan Charcoal Shop's business was booming.

Manager Guo's strict adherence to the "limited quantity" strategy has ironically sparked even greater purchasing desire.

Reservations are already booked for two weeks from now. The "rewards" from the Crown Prince's residence and the profits from the charcoal shop are used, through Chun Tao's clever management, to improve the estate's infrastructure, such as repairing canals and roads.

Part of it was used as funds to expand the coal yard's production, while another part became Zhu Zhanji's "private stash," which he carefully hoarded for future use.

On this day, Chuntao brought back an even more important message from the city:

A clerk from a branch office under Beijing responsible for construction and procurement of materials secretly inquired with Manager Guo through roundabout connections about whether he could provide a long-term, stable supply of "Xishan coal briquettes".

Price is negotiable, but consistent quality is required, and a master craftsman must provide guidance on cooking and possible stove modifications.