Courtyard Houses: The Great Masters of a Nation Hidden Within

So Gao Jianguo decided to start with something simpler.

This thing also requires technical expertise. Currently, the technology, materials, and equipment are sufficient. Once it's made, not only will the steel rolling mill itself need it, but upstream steel mills and a large number of other factories will also need it.

Thermocouple.

This thing has been used in industry for more than half a century, as a temperature sensor, the most common type.

Simply put, it involves soldering two different conductors or semiconductor materials, a and b, together at one end to create a closed loop.

When the temperatures at points a and b are different, an electromotive force is generated, and a current flows in the circuit. This is the thermoelectric effect.

Thermocouples work by relying on this effect.

It has many advantages: stable performance, accurate measurement, fast thermal response, continuous measurement range from -200 degrees Celsius to 2800 degrees Celsius, robust and durable, strong enough mechanical strength, easy to install, and inexpensive.

However, thermocouples come in different graduations, and you have to choose the correct graduation to use them.

The most common type is the K-type, a cheap metal thermocouple that measures temperatures from -200 to 1300 degrees Celsius. It has a relatively balanced overall performance and is inexpensive, making it the most common type used in factories.

What Gao Jianguo wanted to develop was a variant of the K-type thermocouple, the N-type thermocouple, also called a nickel-chromium-silicon-nickel-silicon thermocouple. It was also a cheap product, but it was only figured out in the 1970s.

In addition to the same capabilities as the K-type, the n-type also solves two of the K-type's old problems: one is that the thermoelectric potential is always unstable between 300 and 500 degrees Celsius, and the other is that it has the same problem around 800 degrees Celsius.

Moreover, the n-type has good linearity, a relatively large thermoelectric potential, high sensitivity, good stability and uniformity, stronger oxidation resistance than the k-type, and is not expensive. It is also unaffected by short-range ordering, making it superior to the k-type in overall quality.

Why did Gao Jianguo insist on getting involved with this thing when he didn't even get the thermocouple blueprints?

It's related to his past life.

He was a senior in college at the time, working on his graduation project, titled "Design of Data Acquisition System under High Temperature Environment," and thermocouples were the components used in it.

In order to do a good job on his graduation project, although he didn't use any thermocouples he made himself and bought all the ready-made ones, this kid still studied a lot of information about thermocouples and understood it quite well.

He knew that the most troublesome part of this thing was the ratio and composition of the positive and negative electrode materials; as for the other things, the factory's current conditions were perfectly capable of producing them.

The irony is that, because of that graduation project, Gao Jianguo had the material proportions of various thermocouples memorized perfectly. He could even recite the names of the S-type, R-type, and B-type thermocouples, each with its own unique advantages. However, those things were too expensive, so he gave up on them.

Just do it.

Gao Jianguo spread out the paper and began working on the research plan for thermocouples, while also compiling the report on the return air furnace at the same time.

He wrote this from morning till night, eating only bread and milk for a few bites.

Anyone who's ever typed knows that when you get into a flow, it's really addictive, and you can't even move your butt off the keyboard.

He even completely forgot about the daily lottery.

It wasn't until the second day that I remembered. After a moment of stunned silence, I could only console myself: even if I did draw something, at most I'd just draw a lousy novel.

Gao Jianguo has a real talent for comforting himself.

Monday, 9:30 a.m.

Chen's office.

Seeing that Engineer Chen was a little more relaxed, Gao Jianguo quickly slipped in and placed two documents on his desk: "Engineer Chen, these are some ideas I have; please give me your feedback."

He casually offered me a cigarette.

Chen, who happened to be free, opened his cigarette pack, took one out, and tossed it to Gao Jianguo: "Alright, I'm free these days, just taking a look. Here, light one up, I saw you smoking the other day. Help yourself to some water if you're thirsty."

Gao Jianguo lit a cigarette, poured himself a glass of water, and dragged a chair down to sit.

Engineer Chen took the document from the top. The cover had a line of text on it: "Research Plan for Energy-Saving Solid Fuel Daily Stove with Secondary Combustion of Return Air".

Old Chen glanced at the name and thought it was interesting.

Opening the cover, there aren't many pages, but the contents are quite comprehensive.

The preface begins with, "In order to improve the quality of life for the general public in cold climates, while conserving fuel and reducing their production and living expenses..."

Scanning further down, hey, this kid has a whole repertoire of words.

Overview, necessity of R&D, feasibility of R&D, requirements analysis, preliminary design, R&D schedule, R&D cost, funding plan, and test plan—several pages long, neatly organized.

The schedule section not only included a table but also a Gantt chart, and the attached design drawings were detailed and comprehensive.

Old Chen quickly skimmed through the document, and after finishing, he looked up and lit another cigarette: "Hmm, not bad. Putting everything else aside, the format and organization of this document alone have aspects that even I could learn from. Take the Gantt chart for example; many of the older technicians in the factory have never even heard of it."

Actually, Gao Jianguo disliked the old format for technical research project proposals used in the factory, so he simply copied the format used for project proposals in later generations.

Hearing Old Chen's praise, Gao Jianguo felt a little embarrassed: "I just made up this format myself, and you've made a fool of yourself."

Engineer Chen tapped his cigarette ash and steered the conversation back to the materials: "I've looked at them. They're good; the principles and design should be consistent. Although they're not directly related to the factory's work, if they're to actually get it done, the logistics department and the sales company will probably be quite involved."

Gao Jianguo felt relieved; the return furnace was finally settled.

While compiling the report, Engineer Chen threw out a question: "But looking at the two experimental models, the principle and design of Model A are already quite impressive. Is Model B, which has four longitudinal slits in the furnace wall, really necessary?"

Gao Jianguo couldn't just reveal the truth—"I deliberately left a Type B sample there waiting to be picked up by someone else."

Four longitudinal seams can be made by welding together a few steel plates, making it no different from a proper Type A mold.

When doing research, the finished products that pass the tests are definitely public property; you can touch them but not take them. Waiting for mass production before buying them is another story.

Why not just produce a failed model and buy it out yourself? That way you won't take advantage of public resources, and you can still get all the heating equipment ready before winter, without wasting any time.

He had no choice but to reveal half of his thoughts: "I just wanted to try and see if I could increase the air intake a bit more. Hehe, that's what I was thinking. If the experiment doesn't work well, I'll just pay for it myself. I can't let the government cover for me."

Engineer Chen paused for a moment after hearing this, then broke into a knowing smile—the kind that screams "I know you've got the guts to see through my kid!" He chuckled twice, "Haha, it's rare to see someone so thoughtful. But how can I let a newbie like you shoulder the losses alone? I, as your supervisor, will take the gamble with you. Type B, two units!"

Gao Jianguo was deeply moved: "Oh, thank you so much, Engineer Chen. I have no words to express my gratitude for your kindness."

The two exchanged a glance and chuckled softly, both understanding each other's thoughts.

Chen's smile was the kind of smug smile that said, "You're as clever as a monkey, but you can't escape my grasp."

Gao Jianguo's smile was the kind of reassuring smile that said, "I've prepared a hundred tall hats, and I still have ninety-nine left. I'll give them away slowly later."

Engineer Chen slammed the materials together: "Hmm, this energy-saving solid fuel daily-use stove with secondary combustion and return air is a success. The principle is reliable, the research is simple, it's effective quickly, it has a wide range of applications, the cost is low, and it's worthwhile to promote it."

At this point, Old Chen's lips twitched: "Why did you give this thing such a long name? It's inconvenient."

Gao Jianguo scratched his head: "I'm not good at naming things, Engineer Chen, you can come up with one for me."

Old Chen perked up: "Hmm, let's leave the name on the report unchanged. From a technical point of view, it's a good name; it encapsulates the principle, technology, characteristics, and applicability in one concise sentence. However, it's inconvenient to call it in daily life, so let's just call it a 'return air furnace'."

You have to admire Old Chen; he typed out the future name with just one sentence.

Gao Jianguo immediately flattered him, "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Foreman Chen was satisfied with one set of materials, so he reached out and grabbed the second one.

His eyes lit up when he looked at it.

He sat up straight, pushed his glasses up his nose, unfolded the report, and began to carefully read through it, word by word.

The report cover read: "Research Plan for Thermocouple-Type Primary Sensors".