Chapter 472: Route Battle
At the same time, on the other side of the ocean, in the Boston metropolitan area of Massachusetts.
In a large laboratory at MIT, newly-minted professor Matthews Blade and several right-hand assistants are gathered around a single-stage turbine testing machine, preparing to start a new round of experiment.
This brand-new equipment is the MT1 test platform they purchased directly from their colleagues at Oxford University. It can completely test the entire combustion chamber-turbine structure, instead of just studying the condition of a single blade.
In fact, this kind of international collaboration is the greatest advantage of Western countries in the industrial field.
As the leader of the entire group, the United States does not need to possess key technologies in every field. As long as it can complete the international division of labor and resource integration, it can naturally obtain the best quality resources.
Of course, the price of this is that technology research and development and engineering practice will gradually become disconnected.
After all, technical information can be saved, but engineering experience cannot.
After experienced engineers retire, if they fail to leave a new generation of successors in advance, their abilities in this area will disappear rapidly.
Of course, in the current 1990s, Americans who had just won the Cold War did not think this was such a big problem.
"Regina, it's almost time to prepare. Go and set the experimental parameters. Brock, bring the samples for testing and get ready to start testing."
Brad said to the man standing on the other side of the equipment. two graduate students shouted.
Regina stretched out her arm and gave him an OK gesture.
Bullock took out several large turbine disks from a packaging box, and with the help of two other people, installed the one numbered 1 in the test position.
This equipment is different from the one ordered by Chang Haonan from 410. It uses an electric heating method that is easier to control and safer, instead of burning atomized aviation fuel to generate hot airflow, so in There is no need to clear the venue of everyone during the test.
Just stay at a safe distance.
A few minutes later, the three green lights on the console lit up, indicating that the entire experimental process just set could begin.
Although the device itself still needs some time to heat up, this can be completed automatically after setting.
And the data is also read and recorded online in real time.
The MIT laboratory is absolutely top-notch in terms of hardware. Compared with the Chinese laboratory, it is like two different worlds.
Not counting other auxiliary equipment, the MT1 test platform in the center of the laboratory alone is worth nearly one million US dollars.
But that's not important.
As a research group sponsored by General Electric, Professor Brad is not short of this little money.
After losing to its main competitor Pratt & Whitney in the selection of two fourth-generation engines, General Motors quickly set its sights on the fifth-generation engine for the next-generation air superiority fighter (NGAD). engine.
This research is part of a project sponsored by General Electric.
In terms of fourth-generation aero engines, both Pratt & Whitney and General Motors can still rely on traditional second-generation active cooling technology through materials science methods to achieve success.
But this is the limit.
Future fifth-generation engines will require new cooling technology anyway.
So, money is not the focus, the key is that he needs to produce results as soon as possible.
"Regina, remember to focus on the migration of the 'hot spot' at the turbine entrance, especially the difference between Experimental Group No. 2 and Control Group No. 1. You don't have to wait until the entire experiment is completed. As soon as the results come out, they will be sent to my office first.”
Professor Brad was not impatient, but with the corporate representative sent by General Motors standing nearby, he couldn't continue to take his time. This is the same as social animals. If your boss sees you fishing once, he will doubt whether you have been fishing all the time.
Now that Party A’s father is here, he must show a sense of urgency.
"Professor Brad, we saw that your research group published a paper last month titled "Study on Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Air Film Cooling Structures". The sample you are testing now, Is it also based on the cooling jet superposition technology mentioned in the paper? "
GM representative Andrew Goldstein asked as he looked at the roaring experimental equipment in front of him.
Although he is the person responsible for project management, he also studied thermodynamics in his early years, so he is not completely ignorant of technical issues.
"How is it possible..."
Brad glanced at Goldstein next to him.
He concealed the disdain in his eyes very well:
“The cooling jet superimposed on small and micro gas turbines has a good effect, but if it is enlarged to this size, the superimposed effect will not be achieved at all. The level mentioned in the paper is even less likely to solve the heat accumulation problem caused by uneven working fluid parameters at the turbine inlet.”
"So that article..."
Goldstein went out to work after only an undergraduate degree, and was not very clear about these things in scientific research.
"It's just scraps of some research results. My students need to graduate after all."
Brad replied nonchalantly.
Perhaps because he felt that his attitude towards the representatives sent by the sponsor was a bit harsh, he continued to explain:
"The turbine structure that is being tested now uses laminate cooling that combines film cooling and impact cooling. We have previously predicted the heat accumulation, which is the 'hot spot' I just mentioned, through numerical calculations. Migration rules in the entire turbine channel ”
“In this way, multiple rows of slot jets can be used for impact cooling in a targeted manner on its migration path to enhance the cooling effect, while the air can continue to be used at other locations. Film cooling, reducing unnecessary pressure loss, what is the final result..."
At this point, Brad paused.
He has actually calculated a rough number through the computer, but the real test results will come out soon, and the latter is obviously more convincing.
“We will know when the test results come out. In short, it will be a revolutionary improvement compared to traditional methods.”
After Brad finished speaking, he adjusted his lab coat with great satisfaction and put his hands in his pockets.
“In the past, due to the existence of hot spots, the cooling of the entire turbine part had to be redundantly designed according to the temperature there, which was a great waste of cooling power.”
“And I The new technology can solve this problem and maximize the cooling power where it should be used.”
This explanation is so down-to-earth that even Goldstein can understand it.
"Professor Brad, if someone reads the paper you published, will they go in the wrong research direction?"
While talking, the two walked towards the office next to them one after another.
“It’s possible.”
Brad stopped at the door of the office, turned his head and looked at Goldstein again:
“But if that’s the case, wouldn’t it? Is it better?”
(End of this chapter)