Chapter 654 Bessemer Steelmaking Method
As the first piece of iron ore in Green Field was mined, the construction of a steel plant was naturally put on the agenda.
Smelting iron ore into usable steel is not an easy task.
In another dimension of the universe, humans began to utilize natural metals in the Stone Age.
However, copper smelting was not learned until around 5000 BC, and it is said that the ancient Romans were already using iron nails.
However, until the 20th century, when metallurgical science made great progress, smelting a good piece of steel basically relied on luck.
Taking the continent of Bratis as an example, dwarves are usually believed to master the secrets of forging, but even those dwarves who are known as masters actually have very limited production capacity.
Just like Japanese swordsmiths in the past, they might only have a few pieces of work throughout the year.
It’s not that they don’t want to build more. After all, no one has trouble with money. The reason is that there are too many uncontrollable factors in the entire forging process.
Experience does help, but not always.
The good news is that Li Yu is here, and there is no need to wait hundreds of years for mass production of qualified steel.
An engineer named Bessemer had already written down the standard answer.
——By fully contacting the air with the molten iron, the oxygen and the carbon inside are chemically reacted to generate carbon dioxide, thereby taking away all the carbon in the iron. After the completion, the carbon element is added in proportion.
The advantage of this is that the carbon content of the iron ore itself can be completely ignored, and any quality of ore can be smelted into steel using this method.
Bessemer later opened his own steel plant and made a lot of money.
Li Yu remembered that during the period of great steel-making, local steel-making methods that mobilized the people in various places and vigorously promoted them used the same principle.
It can be seen that if there are no strict requirements on the quality of steel, steelmaking does not require any sophisticated equipment. With the current productivity level of Bratis, it can be done.
In this way, Luye should soon be able to achieve freedom of armor and weapons, and even be able to sell them domestically and export them in the future.
Of course, this is all for later. The most important thing now is to build the blast furnace first. Li Yu initially planned to leave this job to Ge Lipeng.
As a master of craftsmanship, Ge Lipeng is no stranger to the Bessemer steelmaking method. However, during this period, in addition to learning the language, Ge Lipeng was also busy imitating the Iowa rifling machine, which is used to cut the gun barrel. Rifled.
He had already made a musket according to Li Yu's request and helped Miss Rabbit win the championship in the martial arts competition.
But Ge Lipeng was not satisfied, especially after seeing the terrifying flying abilities of the Yi tribesmen, and without Li Yu's reminder, he had already begun to improve those flintlock guns.
What he is doing now is to carve rifling into the barrel to further improve the kinetic energy of the muzzle and the shooting accuracy.
However, Ge Lipeng recommended another person to Li Yu.
"He Chaoyang?" Li Yu thought for a while, shook his head and said, "He can't do it. He was hurt too deeply by civil engineering. I promised him before reincarnation that I would not force him to do civil engineering again."
"The past is the past, and the present is now. I feel that if you go to see him now, Lord Prophet, he will not refuse."
Ge Lipeng's words surprised Li Yu slightly.
"Really? Do you know where he is now?"
"He should be in the small village south of the Iron Tower, where a windmill was recently built. He went there after hearing the news."
Li Yu wondered if there was something wrong with his ears. Someone's resonant saying "No dog can learn civil engineering" was still ringing in his ears.
But no matter what, the prophet of Shuangxiu Sect still found He Chaoyang according to the direction pointed by Ge Lipeng.
From a distance, Li Yu saw He Chaoyang holding an iron pot on his head and holding his hands behind his back on the field ridge, inspecting the half-built windmill.
As you got closer, you could still hear him speaking in poor common language, jumping out word after word, and fearing that the nearby craftsmen wouldn't understand, he squatted down and started drawing on the ground. .
When Li Yu walked over, he was just talking, "This... structure is so boring, do you understand?"
After listening for a while, Li Yu couldn't stand it anymore, so he said to He Chaoyang, "You tell me first, and I will translate for you."
He Chaoyang heard the voices behind him and turned his head sharply. He found that the person who came was Li Yu, and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
The branch halfway painted just stopped there.
"Prophet Merlin, why are you here?"
"I'm here to find trouble."
"Looking for me?" He Chaoyang's face turned red, as if he was caught having an affair and raped in bed, and his back was completely soaked after a while.
"You should finish what you are doing first, and we will talk later."
He Chaoyang nodded. With Li Yu's help, he explained the problem clearly in just a few words.
Under the admiring eyes of all the craftsmen, the two walked back.
Li Yu said, "I thought you hated civil engineering."
"Well..." He Chaoyang hesitated, "I used to hate it, but now I don't hate it anymore."
"Why?"
"Because I seem to have found the joy of simple construction again, just like building Lego when I was a child, and I can also help others, which is... quite a sense of accomplishment."
He Chaoyang finally spoke out what was in his heart, and sighed with emotion at the end, "I discovered that it was not this profession that I hated, but the industry environment at that time.
"Working overtime has become a habit, trying my best to lick Party A, blindly pursuing speed, and constantly reducing costs... But who am I? It's useless even if I hate it." He Chaoyang laughed at himself.
However, a smile soon appeared on his face again, "Fortunately, it's different here, huh. I feel like I've fallen in love with Tumu again."
"It's good. I was thinking about what you should do in the future. Although you said you can do anything except civil engineering, being able to do a job you like is better than finding a job just to make a living. Work better." Li Yu said.
"It just so happens that I have a job here that I want to trouble you with. Logically speaking, when you come here, you will first attend a language school for three months before officially starting work.
"But the situation in various places has become turbulent recently, and I have to prepare in advance. I can only let you study and work at the same time. But don't worry, there will be no shortage of rest time, and wages will be paid as normal at work. and bonuses.”
He Chaoyang scratched his head, "Actually, I have found a part-time job as a construction project consultant for Miss Ilea... We met in the new city before. Mainly because I am also a little interested and want to hang out on the construction site.
"So I feel that I am ready to work. If you have any tasks, you can feel free to leave them to me. I will definitely complete them with high quality and quantity." (End of Chapter)