Chapter 243
Now that the parts are in place, Purficott naturally began to lead the alchemists to assemble the Serpentine Shield Machine 1.0.
However, because the current northern border lacks corresponding engineering equipment, and some parts are too heavy, Purficott had to ask several White Bear Knights to put on Steam Knight Armor to help.
It must be said that the steam rider with hundreds of horsepower is really good at doing these physical tasks, and it is much easier to use than the cranes and other engineering equipment of this era.
So much so that some alchemists suggested that Perficott develop some unarmed steam armors for engineering use specifically in related fields.
Purficott readily accepted this suggestion and assigned the task to the alchemist. He was given a disarmed early model of the Steam Knight Armor and authorized him to recruit a research team to improve it.
Although the alchemist appeared a little frightened, he still happily accepted the commission.
For him, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once the research results are achieved, not only will he be rich, but at least he will become famous.
If you are lucky, you can even get a noble title from Purficott.
Have you not seen that among the existing pioneer knights in the north, Oliver is just an ordinary businessman. He just gained the favor of Perfectcott and got the title of pioneer knight. Now he has become a The lord of Bay Town can be said to be the envy of others.
Although there is a bit of cognitive bias in this, overall there is no problem. Gaining the favor of Perfectcott can indeed exchange them for a noble title.
As for Purficott, she doesn't mind using a few favored noble titles to get herself a few subordinates who can satisfy her.
Since someone can make suggestions that she feels are constructive, Purficott doesn't mind giving the other person a chance to show off his abilities and talents.
Of course, compared to these, what Perficott is paying more attention to right now is the efficiency of completing his own work.
The assembly of the Serpentine Shield Machine 1.0 went very smoothly. Although the structure was very complex for this era, it was still inconceivable for Purficott and a group of alchemists who could obtain the title of university professor. Difficulty, they quickly assembled it and conducted preliminary test runs.
"Your Majesty, the Serpentine Shield Machine 1.0 is currently operating normally. However, the efficiency of the transmission mechanism is about 10% lower than expected in the design. The main problem is that the lubrication and transmission have not reached the expected values." An alchemist held a The statistical data was reported to Purficott. As he spoke, he sighed: "It's a pity that the whaling business in the North and the New World is not good. We can't get whale oil, which is the best grease! We now use The grease is butter, which is much less effective than whale oil.
But we are trying to optimize the transmission structure and gear ratio to make up for this.”
Hearing this. The alchemist sighed, and Purficott then remembered that the greases used in this era were still mainly natural animal fats, and synthetic greases refined from petroleum had not yet appeared in this era.
To be precise, there is no trace of petrochemical industry in this era.
Perfect put down what he was doing, took off the glasses from the bridge of his nose, rubbed his forehead and asked: "How much efficiency can be achieved if there is whale oil?"
"It is expected that the current data can be increased by 15%! However, the demand for whale oil is really too great, and the production capacity of the old world cannot meet the needs of various countries! Our country's whaling industry is not very developed. Every year, the empire has to import goods from the four northern countries. Import..." the alchemist explained, obviously he knew a lot about this.
Before he finished speaking, Purficott raised his hand to interrupt him, and then said: "I don't care about this. I just want to know whether whale oil is a necessity now?" The use of whale oil as grease did not surprise Purficott.
In the early industrial era, lubricants were mostly animal oil and vegetable oil. Later, after a large number of experiments, it was found that whale oil and rapeseed oil have better lubrication effects.
As the price of vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil increased in the 19th century, whale oil became the first choice for industrial lubricants.
In the original world, she once read a novel called "Moby Dick", which described in detail the situation of the whaling industry in North America in the 19th century.
The book describes in detail all aspects of the whaling industry at that time, including the application scope of whale oil. It is not only an excellent lubricating oil, but also the best lamp oil. When burning, it only has the fragrance of grease. , no unpleasant smell, no black smoke and no residue.
In industry, its application is extremely wide. It can be used in many fields such as steelmaking, tanning and lubrication. After hydrogenation, it can be used as raw material for food and soap, candles, etc.
It can be said that before petrochemical distillation separated non-animal oils and fats, human industry could not do without this excellent oil.
The whaling industry is also the first industry in human history to achieve global industrialization.
Purficott still clearly remembers that when he was searching for information after watching "Moby Dick", he found that the whaling industry on the American continent was extremely developed. Even when the United States was founded, the whaling industry was one of the five pillar industries in the United States. , provided the first pot of gold for the establishment of the United States.
Heidi Green, the richest woman in the Gilded Age of the United States in the 19th century, relied on her family's whaling fleet to accumulate huge wealth. During that era, she accumulated huge assets of more than 100 million US dollars.
New Bedford, Massachusetts, where Heidi Green made her fortune, was also the largest whaling center in North America at the time. A large number of whaling ships docked here every day, collecting large amounts of whale carcasses. The refined oil is transported ashore and then quickly sold for huge profits.
At that time, catching a whale brought each crew member an income equivalent to half a year's salary of a land worker.
There are even women constantly pretending to be men and working on ships, and many girls dream of marrying a whaling ship captain.
Whalers have become the embodiment of light to some extent, and whaling has become the most respected profession.
Herman Melville, the author of "Moby-Dick", wrote of New Bedford: "There is no place in the United States with so many aristocratic houses, parks, and gardens as here." This luxury is “obtained from catching whales from the bottom of the sea.”
Around 1846, nearly half of the fishing boats in the United States were engaged in the whaling industry, and 735 of the 900 whaling ships in the world were American.
In the 20th century alone, humans killed at least 2.8 million whales, and in the 19th century when the petrochemical industry was not developed, this number would only be even more exaggerated.
However, for Purficott now, all she cares about is whether whale oil is a necessity. As for the consequences this will bring, she is not within the scope of consideration.
(End of this chapter)