Chapter 78 The Problem of Radio Communication
With Rutherford and Ridgway in front of them, the young people present were a little nervous and did not dare to be the first to take the stage.
However, Marconi didn't have so many worries. He was an engineer anyway, so even if what he said was simple, it was understandable.
Now the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company he founded encountered a difficult problem.
Everyone here is an expert in the field of physics, and it’s a good time to ask these big guys for advice.
So, he stood up, walked to the white paper, and said in a humble tone, "Dear teachers, hello, my name is Marconi."
Someone present seemed to recognize him, "You are Marconi who invented wireless communication? It is said that you have achieved wireless communication between Britain and France."
Marconi was stunned, but he didn't expect that he was quite famous, so he smiled and said: "That's right. , that was the year before last."
He suddenly gained confidence and was ready to introduce himself first, saying: "Since humans invented the telegraph and the telephone, the speed of information transmission has been countless times faster than before."
“But they all require current to transmit signals within the wires. Mountains, rivers, and oceans will cause great difficulties in the construction of lines.”
"It even takes a physics master like Lord Kelvin to solve the problem of submarine cables."
"Even if economic factors are not taken into account, several continents around the world are covered with wires, but those moving vehicles , such as ships in the ocean, but there is still no way to communicate. ”
“So, I was wondering if I could design a communication method that does not rely on wires. ”
"I found inspiration from the electromagnetic waves discovered by Professor Hertz: electromagnetic waves propagate in the air at the speed of light without any medium."
"So I designed a device consisting of two parts, one is An electromagnetic wave transmitter and an electromagnetic wave receiver.”
"In 1895, I used this device to successfully send an electromagnetic wave signal to a distance of 1.5 miles, and received the signal with a receiver."
"This made me very excited. I continued to improve the device and test it. Electromagnetic waves of different wavelengths realize Morse code by adjusting their amplitude and period, thereby transmitting information. "
"I call this device that emits and receives electromagnetic waves a radio station."< br>
“Finally in 1899, I set up radio stations in England and France, and successfully realized wireless communication across the English Channel.”
Hearing this, I didn’t know about wireless communication before I was there. All the people couldn't help but exclaimed.
Doesn’t that mean that in the future, people across an ocean may be able to communicate in real time?
And this kind of communication does not require complicated circuits, just one radio station is enough.
Everyone's eyes changed when they looked at Marconi. Although he was not a physicist, his genius-like invention was not much worse than that of a top physicist.
For a time, everyone was full of curiosity about his research.
Li Qiwei was also very emotional. Marconi was a standard rich second generation. When he was doing radio communication experiments, he completed them in his own manor.
His father had a private library, and his mother found him a private tutor to study at home.
So he read countless electromagnetic books and did countless electromagnetic experiments, and then he invented the radio.
It is no exaggeration to say that radio changed the world.
Therefore, he himself was also named among the "100 Most Influential People in History", ranking 41st.
However, at this moment, the 27-year-old Marconi had a sad look on his face, "But at present, my research has encountered several problems, resulting in the lack of practicality of radio communications."
"The first is that it is very difficult to modulate the frequency, amplitude, period, etc. of electromagnetic waves."
"Currently, all of our company's products rely on manual adjustment, which causes large errors, takes a long time, and is prone to errors. "
"The second is that since electromagnetic waves propagate in straight lines, considering the curvature of the earth's surface, it seems that radio cannot achieve global communication."
"So I have never done it until now. Experiment. Because doing a transoceanic experiment requires too much manpower, material resources, and financial resources.”
“If it is not feasible in theory, it will be difficult for me to convince other people in the company to support me.”< br>
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, global communication was not that easy. At the same time, they also admired Marconi's spirit of research.
There is a huge gap between theory and practice, requiring countless efforts and sweat. Sometimes a bit of luck is needed.
The people in the room are all physicists. If you ask them about the properties of electromagnetic waves, they will definitely be able to talk about it for three days and three nights.
But for this kind of practical physical problem in reality, many people can only be confused.
Ridgway, the only one present, knew that the first problem needed to be solved with a vacuum tube.
Only miniaturized electronic tubes can efficiently achieve rectification, amplification, oscillation, mixing, frequency modulation, amplitude modulation, detection and other functions.
As for the second question, theoretical analysis is actually feasible.
Although the earth is round, the surface at high altitudes is entirely ionized, which can emit electromagnetic waves.
In real history, Marconi achieved ultra-long-distance radio communication from the United Kingdom to Canada in December of this year.
On the day of the test, there was a strong storm in Canada, and the receiving antenna was blown away.
Marconi used a kite to pull up the antenna. After anxious waiting, he gave up hope.
As a result, suddenly, a weak signal came, and the experiment was a great success.
Marconi himself did not understand why radio energy could travel such a long distance without being affected by the curvature of the earth.
Looking at it now, Marconi knew what he couldn’t do but did it. With such courage, it’s no wonder he succeeded.
Li Qiwei did not speak immediately, but looked at the other people at the long table.
Some of them lowered their heads, and some rested their chins on their hands, all thinking about Marconi's problem.
At this time, Langevin, who had never spoken, said: "Mr. Marconi, I think the first question may require a systematic device."
"I imagine , it should modulate electromagnetic waves through various circuit designs such as voltage and resistance, but there is currently no such product on the market. ”
Many people agree with Langzhivin’s point of view to process such complex electromagnetic information. , it certainly cannot be done manually.
The first question is indeed a bit difficult, it is equivalent to inventing a modulator out of thin air.
The physicists present were not good at this and could not give good suggestions. They had to rely on Marconi himself to explore.
At this time, Wilson said: "Marconi, I don't know the first question, but I have an idea for the second question."
"Can we establish a transfer station? The method is to build a radio station every certain distance. As long as the two radio stations can communicate normally, the connection can be continued no matter the distance."
Everyone's eyes lit up, this is a good idea. way.
Millikan gave Wilson a thumbs up, knowing that his brother Daowei was indeed proficient in experimental physics and could think of feasible solutions in an instant.
Wilson looked around: Basic practice, no 6.
However, Richardson suddenly asked another question, "But how to set up transfer stations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and ensure that they are not damaged?"
This is really a problem.
For a while, no one could come up with any good ideas.
Seeing that the time was almost up, Li Qiwei coughed lightly and said, "I have a little different idea."
The recent decline in reading has been a bit serious. Don't you like to watch this kind of bland academic plot?
To be honest, my head is almost spinning as I write these ten chapters or so.
It seems that all my book friends want to see the protagonist show off quickly, so don’t worry.
There will be a big climax soon, the Nobel Prize is coming!
Finally, thank you for your monthly and recommended support, thank you.
(End of this chapter)