In the 90s, you could acquire max-level skills every 14 days.

Chapter 112 The Glorious Years Before the Start of School

"Secondary winds are what solve this problem," Zhang Yong said, pointing to the dotted lines on the diagram with the tip of his pencil.

"By cutting in hot air at this height, the unburned combustible gas in the upper part of the furnace is reignited. It's like burning the same coal twice."

Old Zhou's eyes lit up.

"Wouldn't that mean—the same amount of coal could produce significantly more heat?"

"In theory, with the addition of an air preheater, the overall thermal efficiency can be increased from the current 60% to around 70% or 80%."

"Seventy or eighty percent!" Meng Qingshan's voice trembled. "How much coal can that save in a year?"

Zhang Yong did some calculations on the corner of the paper.

"Based on your annual consumption of 4,000 tons, you'll save 700 to 800 tons. At the current pithead price of 60 yuan per ton, that's over 40,000 yuan a year."

Old Zhou gasped.

Two more stokers gathered around, craning their necks to look at the blueprints, making clicking noises as they looked at them.

"Forty thousand yuan? Really?"

"If this can really save that much money, the factory can definitely give everyone more money."

Zhang Yong didn't offer any further explanation.

He finished adding the last few annotations to the drawing, stood up, and stretched his stiff back.

pain.

But I can endure it.

"Deputy Factory Director Meng, does your factory have a telephone?"

"Yes! There's one in the office." Meng Qingshan quickly led the way.

Zhang Yong followed him across half of the factory area and into a small office piled high with documents. A black rotary dial telephone sat on the corner of the desk.

Zhang Yong picked up the phone and dialed the number for the mechanical engineering laboratory at Peking University.

It rang six times before being answered.

"Feed? Mechanical Engineering Lab."

"Teacher Fang, I am Zhang Yong."

"Hey! Zhang Yong!" Fang Qiming's voice suddenly rang out. "Why did it take you so long to call? Did you get the data yet?"

"We got it. The actual measurement of the tube wall of the No. 1 furnace is just over two millimeters, the scale on the inner wall is more than three millimeters, and the temperature of the outer wall is 85 degrees Celsius."

I've drawn three diagrams, marking the reserved positions for the secondary air nozzles, but I'm not sure about the angle and orifice diameter, so I'll have to wait for you to take a look.

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"Did you draw this all by yourself on the spot?"

"Not just me, there was another architecture student from Tsinghua University with me."

"Oh, that's impressive! You're so young and already able to draw survey diagrams. What are the parameters? How did you determine the air preheater outlet temperature?"

"150. Based on their current flue gas temperature, it's estimated to be around 320 on the flue gas side, which is sufficient for heat exchange area."

7

Fang Qiming laughed on the other end of the phone.

That kind of heartfelt, excited laughter.

"Good lad, you've got it all figured out! Bring me the blueprints back right now. If this secondary air nozzle design works, the boiler efficiency could theoretically reach 80%!"

His laughter could be heard clearly by Meng Qingshan, who was three meters away, even through the receiver.

"You don't need to worry about the nozzle; the machine tool in my lab can handle the cutting. Bring the drawings back, and I'll recalculate the stress and thermal expansion. The machining drawings will be ready next week, and I should have time to go to the site together then."

37

"it is good."

"And one more thing—" Fang Qiming's tone was slightly teasing. "School starts the day after tomorrow, don't forget about registration. If you dare skip the first day of class, I'll personally come to your house and pull your ear out."

Zhang Yong's lips twitched, but the tug aggravated his wound, causing him to recoil in pain.

"Understood, Teacher Fang."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yong turned around.

Meng Qingshan stood at the door, his hands clenched together, his eyes a little red.

"Comrade Zhang Yong—thank you."

"Don't mention it. The plan hasn't been finalized yet. Once the nozzles are manufactured, I'll come over with Professor Fang to oversee the installation."

Meng Qingshan nodded vigorously.

When the two walked out of the office, Meng Dehou was standing at the end of the corridor.

The old man stood there for an unknown amount of time, but still didn't light his pipe.

He walked over, took an envelope from the inside pocket of his coat, and stuffed it into Zhang Yong's hand.

"One hundred yuan, the expert's travel expenses, paid by the factory."

Zhang Yong wanted to push it away.

"Take it." Meng Dehou's voice wasn't loud, but there was no room for negotiation. "You came all this way injured; this old man isn't unreasonable."

He paused for a moment.

"I'll eat in the cafeteria this afternoon before I leave."

This isn't a question. It's a notification.

The food in the cafeteria is very simple.

There was a big pot of stewed cabbage with large pieces of meat inside, plenty of steamed buns and chive dumplings, a plate of peanuts, and half a bottle of bulk liquor.

Meng Dehou personally poured Zhang Yong a glass of wine, but Zhang Yong declined, citing his injury. The old man didn't insist and drank it down himself.

After finishing his meal, Meng Qingshan wrapped the three blueprints in kraft paper, made a copy of all the boiler files, and stuffed them all into the jeep.

He gave me repeated instructions for a long time, and finally said with annoyance, "My family is not like a winery, we don't have any special products to give you. How about this, from now on, the three of you will all have to rely on me for coal!"

At 5 p.m., the Jeep started up.

Wei Shuyun sat in the driver's seat, Zhang Yong leaned against the passenger seat, and Sun Lei huddled in the back seat. All three of them reeked of coal dust.

As the car drove out of the coal plant gate, Zhang Yong saw Meng Qingshan standing at the gate, waving at them, in the rearview mirror.

The jeep turned onto the provincial highway, and the poplar trees on both sides seemed to fly backward.

The early September sunset shone through the windshield, making people drowsy.

Wei Shuyun held the steering wheel, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, a slight smile on her lips.

"Zhang Yong and Sun Lei".

"Hmm?" The two of them looked at Wei Shuyun at the same time.

"School starts the day after tomorrow."

"How about the three of us get together sometime? Zhang Yong, you've got to treat us to something good this time!"

Zhang Yong paused for a moment, then smiled.

The wound on the corner of his mouth started to hurt again, and he winced.

"I'll owe you two for now. I'll treat you both after school starts."

Sun Lei, sitting in the back row, was somewhat lost in thought as the magnificent sunset dazzled him, feeling as if something was blocking his chest.

He suddenly slapped his thigh, and without warning, burst into a loud shout: "A life spent struggling and wandering!"

That shout was truly awful, even startling Wei Shuyun, who was driving.

Zhang Yong burst into laughter and quickly added, "Confidence can change the future!"

Looking at the two people shaking their heads in the rearview mirror, Wei Shuyun couldn't help but laugh and mutter "crazy," but her voice quickly followed with, "Who can actually do that!"

The singing voices blended together in the small carriage, breaking through the roar of the engine. The three of them laughed and joked, singing "Glorious Years" in a disjointed way.

The jeep roared westward along the Jing-Tong Highway.

The setting sun shone through the rearview mirror, casting long shadows of the three young men.

The red sun slowly sank into the silhouettes of the buildings in the west of Beijing, turning the skyline into a scorching deep orange.

The jeep roared westward along the Jing-Tong Highway.

The day after tomorrow, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Beijing Normal University will admit three more promising students.

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