Chapter 251 Steel (Part 2)
I learned from my father that His Majesty Li Er urged him to quickly take up his post in the Ordnance Supervision, and at the same time he could not let go of his work in the Water Department.
Speaking of the Water Department, the Fang family's work is still very effective. That's why His Majesty Li Er transferred him to the position of Ordnance Supervisor and did not let him step down as usual. Of course, it may be that His Majesty Li Er cares more about new ships. A trial production, or simply a prank by His Majesty Li Er, can't you kid do it? Then I will put more burden on you and tire you to death...
The Fang family's waterwheels were sent to all prefectures and counties across the country with the drawings issued by the Ministry of Industry. Wherever conditions permit, several of them were erected for irrigation purposes.
Especially the Guanzhong area!
Since the beginning of spring, not a drop of rain has fallen in Guanzhong, and a severe drought has begun. Normal sowing in many places has been impossible, and it is a foregone conclusion that the grain harvest will be reduced or even eliminated! The officials of Sinong Temple were furious. Fortunately, the early Tang Dynasty inherited a large number of Sui Dynasty righteous warehouses, which stored a large amount of Sui Dynasty surplus grain, which would not lead to a food crisis.
At this moment, Fang Jun's waterwheel finally came into play!
Guanzhong in the Tang Dynasty was known as the 800-mile Qinchuan River and the "eight rivers surrounding Chang'an". It had extremely rich water conservancy resources and was well suited to the popularization of waterwheels.
Waterwheels stand tall in the rivers, and the clear river water flows continuously through the ditches into the dry world, finally resolving the crisis of severe drought.
However, Fang Jun doesn’t want to go to work yet. The iron-making furnace is just a rough one. Everything is simple and fast, and he strives to determine the new method of iron-making as soon as possible...
Frying iron stoves began to become popular. In fact, in the Ming Dynasty, manual stirring was used. There was always a strong man beside the stove, holding a thick wrought iron rod, stirring it back and forth while sweating like rain...
Fang Jun, who was deeply influenced by the industrial age, obviously would not let craftsmen do this kind of work that seriously damages health and is extremely inefficient. He made a bracket on the top of the stove, with a large round roller hanging in the middle, and three rollers underneath. The wrought iron rods stretched diagonally toward the hearth. The waterwheel still provided power, and there was mechanized iron frying equipment.
It has to be said that the waterwheel has become a panacea in Fang Jun's hands. It can be used wherever it is needed... However, the components of the waterwheel are still made of wood, and the damage rate is too high. When suitable steel is refined and made of steel Gears and bearings, the effect will be greatly improved.
Industrial development is a mutually reinforcing thing.
But at present, there is still a long way to go...
In the past, pig iron was cooled into ingots and then heated to make mature iron; but now this technology is to directly fry the molten pig iron from the blast furnace into mature iron. This method originally did not appear until the Ming Dynasty. Song Yingxing wrote in "Tiangong Kai" It is recorded in "Things". Of course, everything relies on a few basic principles, and all the steps are completely dependent on Fang Jun, who himself doesn’t know...
Wrought iron can be used directly to make agricultural tools such as hoes and shovels. Of course, the production process requires forging, carburizing and quenching. Wrought iron is soft, highly malleable and has excellent processing performance.
When it comes to forging, I have to mention an artifact that is both super-era technology and easy to operate—a hydraulic forging hammer!
The principle of this thing is so simple that even a primary school student who has studied a little bit of physics can make it. But what Fang Jun can't understand is why ancient people could invent water-type wind turbines, water drains, and water mills that convert water energy into mechanical energy. Waiting for mechanical tools, but failed to invent the hydraulic forging hammer?
Fang Jun also directed the craftsmen to build a forge. The basic structure of this thing is no different from the blacksmith shop where all rural blacksmiths repair hoes, shovels and other farm tools. It needs to be enlarged and thickened to forge large iron. pieces, thickened for thermal insulation.
There is a hydraulic forging hammer next to each forge. Under the forging hammer is a thick anvil. Under the anvil, there are thick oak wood piers. Below that is a concrete base cast by cement and stone. The multi-layer composite stress The structure can withstand the huge impact of the forging hammer falling.
The forging hammer weighs two hundred and fifty kilograms, has a stroke of three feet, and falls thirty times per minute. This is just for experimentation. Smaller forging hammers with faster falling weights can be made as needed. The large forging hammer is used for rough processing, while the small forging hammer is used for finishing. In fact, it is not much better, after all. It's still hammering. In the final analysis, the processing technology of hydraulic forging hammers is essentially the same as the hammering of blacksmiths. It's just an increase in efficiency.
Iron-making blast furnaces, blowers, hydraulic forging hammers, iron-frying furnaces...
Wang Xiaoer, the chief blacksmith of the Fang family, looked confused. His ancestors had never made iron like this for generations...
The graphite in the mine was put to great use. The Fang family ordered craftsmen to first crush the graphite, add water and sieve it into fine mud, then hand-shape it on a rapidly rotating wooden plate like a porcelain body, and finally put it in a special high-temperature kiln. After ten hours of medium firing, the graphite crucible is freshly baked.
Wrought iron has been refining for a long time, and Fang Jun's method cannot improve the quality. It can only reduce the cost to the greatest extent and greatly increase the output.
The greatest value lies in steel!
In ancient times, steelmaking mainly had three processes: steel frying, steel making, and steel pouring.
Frying steel is actually frying iron, which can be produced in a frying furnace, but the fried iron is mainly wrought iron, with a small amount of medium and low carbon steel, and the quality is very unstable.
Steelmaking uses fried steel as raw material, which is repeatedly folded and forged after heating, or repeatedly forged with several raw materials with different compositions. The process is complex and costly, and is only suitable for making swords and swords. Of course, with the hydraulic forging hammer, Baidu can The difficulty of the steelmaking process was immediately reduced by several levels. After all, the most difficult part of steelmaking is repeated folding and forging. The hydraulic forging hammer bangs and bangs. How much faster than human power?
The method of pouring steel is recorded in "Mengxi Bi Tan": "The so-called steel in the world is made of soft iron, but pig iron is trapped in it and sealed with mud to refine it. The forging order is mixed together, which is called group steel, and it is also called steel. Fill steel.”
These three processes are not suitable for large-scale industrial production.
What Fang Jun wants to refine is crucible steel.
Since the invention of the crucible steel-making method in the Spring and Autumn Period, it became most prosperous in the Han Dynasty. The steel smelted was used to make strong fish scale armor and sharp ring-headed knives. Only then did the invincible Han army have the ability to conquer the Xiongnu. The glorious victory from the Mongolian Plateau to Europe gave rise to the great reputation of "Those who offend the Han will be punished no matter how far away"!
Perhaps it was the war between the Five Hus and the Chinese, or perhaps some other inexplicable reason. The crucible method was lost during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Instead, the crucible method blossomed inside the wall and fragrant outside the wall. It was developed in India. The wootz steel refined by Asan using this method, The Damascus Saber was so sharp that it cut off the heads of countless Crusaders.
Of course, maybe it’s because the quality of iron ore in India is better...
The crucible method has been used in human society for more than two thousand years. It was not until the mid-to-late 19th century that it was gradually replaced by the new open-hearth steelmaking method. However, the converters and electric furnaces that emerged in the 20th century can be regarded as variants of the crucible method. Two thousand years later it was reborn.
Blast furnace, waterwheel, iron furnace, hydraulic forging hammer...
Fang Jun looked at all this, a surge of pride rushed into his heart!
If the experiment is successful, then the powerful soldiers of the Tang Dynasty will be equipped with sharp weapons that are hundreds of years ahead of this era. They will gallop on the battlefield and be proud of the desert. Who else can stop the Han family from conquering the world? !
Wu Meiniang wore a beard with arrow sleeves, and her black hair was tied with a plain white ribbon. She was neat and tidy, showing off her slim figure.
Standing next to Fang Jun, watching dozens of craftsmen build this magical workshop under Fang Jun's command, I couldn't help but admire it, and even more so! Ability is the true charm of a man!
Lang Jun's brain is so long, why can he always come up with so many incredible and magical things?
He always smiles and seems careless about everything, but when he calms down, his unparalleled potential will immediately burst out! It seems that there is nothing in this world that he cannot do...
Fang Jun pointed to the busy craftsmen and the standing iron-making furnace, and said proudly: "From now on, those soaps, glass and other items have become appendages. This is the most valuable thing of our Fang family, which is enough to establish a foothold in the world." The Tang Dynasty’s enduring roots Ben! So," Fang Jun turned his head and said with a smile: "From now on, take control of everything here. If I can't give you the status of the main wife, then I will use this iron factory to prove to you that you are in my heart. The value!”
Wu Meiniang seemed to feel that her throat was tightly grasped by a hand, and her heart seemed to have been severely hammered. She said with a chuckle: "Do you want to... hand over this iron factory to the slave family?"
No one knows better than her how long Fang Jun has been planning for this iron factory and how much he attaches great importance to it! Even if you risk being convicted and punished by your Majesty, you must build this iron factory before the Western Expedition!
Rather than handing over this iron factory to her, it would be better to say that Fang Jun handed over all his fundamentals to her...
Looking up various information, I still have to make up random things, I feel so tired...
(End of chapter)