Chapter 451: Working hard for the aircraft carrier career
Of course, Qin Tao couldn't raise any objections. It was his honor to accompany the leaders there. Could he even express his disagreement? What matters does he have that can be bigger than the leader's matters?
Two days later, the group took a special plane to Huating.
Qin Tao was flattered. After getting on the plane, he was stopped by Mr. Liu and sat next to Mr. Liu. Even though he came here in strong winds and waves, he had to be careful in front of Mr. Liu and think about his words beforehand. He could not He blurted out because he respected the old man in front of him.
Mr. Liu has been working hard for the motherland’s aircraft carrier cause! His biggest wish is to see the motherland's aircraft carrier serve.
And Qin Tao is the person who helps him realize his wish.
"In this way, the overall design of our aircraft carrier is almost complete." After listening to Qin Tao's work during this period, Mr. Liu nodded: "After the engine and power supply system are determined, this warship will have a heart, and... It also left a foreshadowing for future modifications.”
“Yes, our second design office has been working non-stop during this period. The overall design of the aircraft carrier should have been completed by now, so when we go over, we should be able to see more detailed drawings.”
Mr. Liu nodded: "By the way, I heard that you have always attached great importance to our energy security, and also proposed to build a strategic crude oil reserve. The military should also have its own reserves. We are all very interested. This project will gradually be developed in the future." If we continue to implement it, your Mingzhou Group will take the lead in this regard!"
"These are what we should do. To develop the economy, we must have energy, and we must pay attention to energy security." Qin Tao said: "Please ask your superiors to continue to demonstrate the railway and oil pipeline from Gwadar Port to our country. These mean more to us.”
Lao Liu nodded.
With frequent nods, the plane landed at Huating Airport and then went straight to the Huating Second Design Office.
Since receiving a large number of drawings, this place has been in a state of continuous rotation. I don’t know how many people live and eat in the design office. They have completed the input of the drawings with their hard work.
So, when everyone is sitting in the conference room and looking at the projection screen again, what appears on it is a detailed structural diagram drawn by a computer!
"Everyone, we have now completed the entry of all drawings and the modification of the power system." Babbage was also very excited: "Now, the ship island is still being designed. After all, many facilities require cooperation with related supporting companies. The design cannot be done until it is finalized. However, the hull is basically complete. In addition to the power, there are also electricity, fuel, fire protection, ventilation and other systems. The design has been completed. We have also reserved the launch tube in the front for the time being. Waiting for future modification.”
This is a detailed design drawing. In the era of the Red Empire, it took countless technicians and draftsmen to cooperate, and it would take a year to design the aircraft carrier. Now, they use computer-aided drafting, which greatly increases the speed. !
Various complex designs of the hull have been completed, and the construction process can also be simulated on a computer to determine whether it is reasonable.
“However, we currently have another project and would like to ask for your instructions. I wonder if we can make reservations in advance to prepare for future modifications.”
"Please tell me, with so many of our leaders here, we can make a decision on the spot." Qin Tao said. At this time, he was also very curious and didn't know what Babbage wanted to say.
“We want to reserve the pipeline for laying cables so that when needed in the future, cables can be inserted at any time and sufficient power can be delivered.” Babbage said while pressing the mouse button to mark it for everyone.
Preset pipelines, bury cables, and transmit electricity?
Qin Tao was a little confused: "Are you going to deliver this power to the front deck? What kind of power is needed there? It's not for the ship island."
“Yes, what is this reserved for?”
“Electromagnetic catapult.”
When Babbage said this word, Qin Tao was the most shocked: "What did you say?"
“Electromagnetic catapult.”
“This thing has come out?”
This project was of course promoted by Qin Tao. When he first talked with Ma Gong, he strongly supported Ma Gong in conducting relevant research. When there was no project in the Second Design Department, he also left a task for them to design the aircraft carrier. At this time, electromagnetic catapult is scheduled to be used.
However, that is just talk on paper. He fully supports electromagnetic catapult, but this does not mean that electromagnetic catapult can be built immediately.
Babbage said that it should be reserved for electromagnetic catapults. Doesn’t it mean that this kind of thing has the potential to go out of the laboratory?
“It hasn’t come out yet.” Babbage shook his head.
"Then why did you consider this requirement?" Qin Tao remembered clearly that when it came to the power system of warships, these people were still very conservative and were unwilling to use the medium-voltage DC solution proposed by Ma Gong. Now, these people actually Can you support horse workers? This is unscientific!
Qin Tao felt that he must have heard wrongly.
"We see its prospects." Babic said: "We have had a lot of exchanges with Ma Gong on the medium-voltage DC system, and also learned about the projects he is currently working on. We believe that this technology will be used within ten years. It should be practical within a few years, and this aircraft carrier has at least another thirty years of life, so during its mid-term modification, there may be an opportunity to install an electromagnetic catapult to give it a more powerful combat capability."
The old guys were too weird and were very conservative at first. However, after communicating with Ma Gong, they were gradually impressed by Ma Gong’s technology. Later, they even began to support Ma Gong’s projects!
Qin Tao felt very interesting.
"I see that the place you have reserved is not only an angled deck, but also a leap deck?" Qin Tao asked.
"Yes, according to our previous plan, there was a plan to use electromagnetic catapults on angled decks. However, electromagnetic catapults are different from steam catapults. They do not need to be straight. Therefore, after the jump deck, It can also be installed in half, even if only fifty meters are reserved, with the push of the electromagnetic catapult, the carrier-based aircraft can take off at a short point with full fuel and bombs."
Qin Tao was shocked by these people's unbridled ideas, which were very similar to Lao Maozi's "Storm" class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Lao Maozi publishes an aircraft carrier design drawing every year, which has become a model for PPT aircraft carrier construction. However, it is different every year, which fully shows that Lao Maozi has been working hard. Moreover, they not only have drawings, but also models, and even above It can also place the Shenyang-57 carrier-based aircraft.
The latest one is called the Storm-class aircraft carrier, also known as the "23E00E" project. It still has a jump deck. Like the Ulyanovsk, only catapults can be used on the angled deck, and the jump deck can be mixed and matched. Behind it is The catapult, with the jump deck in front, is a mix and match, and Lao Maozi is also very fashionable, using the dual-ship island plan.
The British use twin islands. That’s because their aircraft carriers use gas turbines. The chimneys and air intakes are very large. If you want smooth intake and exhaust, the islands have to be set back. If you want a good view, the ships The island has to be closer to the front. After a compromise, we simply have a double-ship island.
This design of Lao Maozi is obviously nuclear-powered, and it also plays with two ship islands. I don’t know what the meaning is. Moreover, another interesting thing is that the displacement is as high as 120,000 tons, which fully reflects how bold people are and how productive the land is. The grandiose spirit, anyway, it is just a design drawing, and it will not be actually built.
Such exaggeration is not allowed in China, so Qin Tao was a little dissatisfied with Babbic's design. However, when Babbic talked about the idea, Qin Tao's eyes lit up again.
The take-off length of this short point is 105 meters. The distance is too short. If the carrier-based aircraft wants to take off safely, it must reduce its weight.
What now?
Now there’s a new solution: use catapults!
Even if it only provides an ejection distance of fifty meters, the carrier-based aircraft can carry one or two more tons of fuel and ammunition and take off with a full load!
It can be said that this idea is still very good, but it is just an idea.
Although Qin Tao was a little hot-headed just now, he quickly calmed down: "This warship can only carry more than 20 fighter jets, so the requirements for dispatch efficiency are not too high, and there is no problem taking off from far away points. Yes, adding these two more catapults will not have much effect. On the contrary, it will increase the complexity of the warship. Therefore, I think the arrangement here is unnecessary. On the contrary, the one on the bevel deck will be ejected if If the capability meets the standard and can eject an early warning aircraft, it can be considered."
Although the size of the warship is not small, because a lot of space is occupied by anti-ship missile launchers, the number of aircraft it carries is not large. It is simply incomparable to the seventy or eighty carrier-based aircraft carried by American aircraft carriers. Therefore, it is There is no need to add catapults in order to improve the dispatch efficiency of carrier-based aircraft.
In contrast, Qin Tao is very concerned about the part on the angled deck.
"Our current technology should not be able to achieve it, but in ten years, I think there should be breakthrough progress." Babbage said.
“Then, lines can be reserved on the angled deck. However, I don’t know if the power supply on the warship is enough. However, if we only eject the early warning aircraft, it shouldn’t be a big problem.”
Mr. Liu was a little confused. When he finished speaking, Mr. Liu couldn't help but ask: "What technology is electromagnetic ejection? Do we have this technology?"
Last time, I didn't say this. Now, Mr. Liu is very curious.
"The function of the steam catapult is the same as that of the steam catapult. It is to give the aircraft extra propulsion so that it can take off in a short distance. However, the energy used is different. The steam catapult uses the energy stored in the steam, while the electromagnetic catapult uses It is electrical energy, and its core device is the linear ejection motor. To put it simply, it is equivalent to cutting and flattening a motor. The original rotor rotates in an alternating magnetic field, and now the rotation is turned into translation. The rotor becomes the mover, and the stator is still the stator, but this stator is only hundreds of meters long."
To put it simply, it is just a big motor, but it is turned into a linear motor. This is the basic principle of using the motor to drive the aircraft forward.
(At first, Huadongzhixiong thought it was a simple Ampere force moving in a magnetic field. Later, he found that the model was not that simple, and was more similar to a linear motor.)
"In other words, the basic theories are all available, but they have not been used?" Mr. Liu asked. Speaking of electric motors, this thing is very common.
"Yes, in fact, in the 1940s, Americans did research and exploration, and even designed a test prototype to catapult combat aircraft. At that time, steam catapults had not yet appeared, but later they gave up because of too many technical difficulties. Electromagnetic catapults, however, in 1982, the Americans restarted the development of electromagnetic catapults. According to their plan, the next generation of aircraft carriers will be equipped with electromagnetic catapults. We are now starting to study electromagnetic catapults. In this regard, we can be on the same starting line as Americans."
"Mr. Qin, for us, this is a bit ahead of its time. Before we learn to walk, we have to learn to run!" A leader said: "Should we be more cautious? First study the steam catapult, and wait until the steam After the catapult research is mature, will we then study the electromagnetic catapult technology?"
"This is not the difference between walking and running. They are both running, or we can use swimming as a better metaphor. One is breaststroke and the other is freestyle. There is no inheritance relationship. These swimming methods can reach the other side."
Qin Tao is a firm believer in electromagnetic catapults, because he knows that there is no need for him to continue to study steam catapults. With the help of Ma engineers, we can overtake others in this aspect and be at the forefront of the world!
“If we talk about the advantages and disadvantages, the difference between the two is equivalent to the old steam train and the modern maglev train. The electromagnetic catapult has many advantages that the steam catapult cannot achieve.”
Qin Tao began to brainwash everyone, no, popularize science.
"First of all, the adjustment of the steam catapult is inconvenient. Although it has five levels of adjustment, even at the lowest power, the ejection force is still very strong. Therefore, it can only eject heavy aircraft and cannot eject light drones. Wait until In the future, the use of drones will become more and more common. They cannot withstand the powerful thrust of steam catapults. However, our electromagnetic catapult can flexibly adjust the power of ejection, from zero to maximum, steplessly adjustable. "
(Some readers have been denying vertical take-off and landing fighters, thinking that this thing is useless. For example, our 076 has also begun to have electromagnetic catapults. However, after careful analysis by East China Heroes, they feel that with that kind of deck length, , is it a bit difficult to eject our heavy-duty carrier-based aircraft? Is this electromagnetic catapult used to eject drones like the Attack-11? It is about the same for an aircraft of more than ten tons, twenty It’s over a ton, so the 076’s small body may not be able to bear it.)
"Moreover, every time a steam catapult is ejected hundreds of times, it needs to be repaired. I wonder if you have seen the scene where Americans dismantle the surface of the deck for repairs. Moreover, malfunctions often occur, as in the movie Top Gun Here, when the Americans need more combat aircraft, the catapult suddenly fails and the aircraft cannot take off. The structure of our electromagnetic catapult is completely different from that of the steam catapult. Not only is the catapult highly efficient, it is also reliable. The reliability has also been greatly improved, and even if there is a fault, the faulty module can be quickly replaced."
This thing is a linear motor. The modules are the same along the ejection track. As long as some spare modules are prepared on the aircraft carrier, they can be replaced at any time in case of failure.
"You have said so much, it must be mature. If it is immature, will its failure rate be higher? Moreover, this thing is based on electromagnetic principles, will it affect other electronics on the warship? Does the equipment cause interference?”
There are many voices of doubt. After all, everyone is still not confident. Even Americans have not used something. Do we dare to use it? What should I do if I am immature?
Furthermore, this suspicion is justified. After the Yankees' tall electromagnetic catapults were equipped on aircraft carriers, it turned out that the technology was immature and problems occurred frequently, so much so that some people asked to replace the electromagnetic catapults and install mature steam catapults.
Where can I buy more advanced technology than Americans?
“Since you are so interested, should we go and investigate?” Qin Tao said.
Mr. Liu nodded: "Yes, we are going to have a look. If it is really feasible, we will also give strong support to achieve overtaking of our aircraft carrier technology in a corner. If not, we cannot force ourselves to do it. We must still put reliability first." premise!"
Babbage was reduced to a supporting role. He was originally going to explain the detailed design plan of the aircraft carrier. However, before he even said much, the leaders were no longer interested. Therefore, Babbage could only join the others. Go to where the horseman is.
Golden Sun Electric Co., Ltd.
This company was jointly founded by the Mingzhou Group and the Naval Engineering University. Ma Ming became the person in charge of the company. However, he obviously did not know much about how to run a business. He usually spent time in the laboratory.
As a result, Mingzhou Group can only help with the operation of this motor company. Fortunately, the company's products have high profits. Even if the annual sales are in single digits, as long as they can be sold, they can still make a lot of profits.
Taking last year as an example, Qin Tao supported the Mingzhou Group’s nuclear power plant to use the twelve-phase generator from Golden Sun Motor Company. The design and construction of this generator alone was enough to cover the expenses of their motor company for a year.
For Ma Ming, he was completely ignorant of what was going on outside the window, and he only focused on technology.
What technology are you doing?
One is medium-voltage DC power supply for the whole ship, and the other is electromagnetic catapult!
In fact, Qin Tao also planned to launch an electric vehicle project, but it was obvious that Ma Ming did not have the time. Moreover, the plan was not explained clearly and laid out last time.
Although Golden Sun Motor Company is already considered a company, Ma Ming is still famous at the Naval Engineering University. He has not taken off his military uniform. He is used to wearing it like this.
"Mr. Liu?" When a large group of people entered the experimental building, Ma Ming hurried over to greet them. When he saw the person leading the team in front, Ma Ming was extremely surprised.
"I heard that technology that is in sync with the Americans is being researched here, so let's come and take a look." Mr. Liu said with a smile: "How far has your electromagnetic catapult been researched? By the way, it seems that you have not applied for scientific research funds. Bar?"
Ma Ming nodded: "Yes, thanks to Mr. Qin's suggestion, we established Golden Sun Motor Company two years ago. We use the profits of this company to invest in research and development, which can also reduce the burden on the Navy. Anyway, our company produces The products are mainly used by the navy.”
The main product of Golden Sun Motor Company is the twelve-phase generator, which is mainly used for navy submarines. The price of the company's products is much cheaper than importing from abroad, but it can still make good profits.
Using these profits to conduct research and development not only saves the navy procurement funds, but also eliminates the disadvantages of applying for funds from superiors. It can be said that everyone is happy.
“What is the status of this project now?” Wu Shengli was also very interested.
"The research and development of a brand-new product requires about five steps." Ma Ming is very rigorous: "The first step is to conduct theoretical research, that is, to solve technical problems theoretically and prove that it is a feasible solution. The second step is to create a scaled prototype to verify the correctness of the theory. Currently, we have reached this step. Next, there are scale experiments, ground experiments, and finally engineering installation."
"Have you reached the second step?" Qin Tao sighed with emotion: "Only the first step, for many countries, will take several years, even decades!"
Horse workers are so powerful!
There are specialties in the field of technology. In the field of electromagnetic catapults, Ma Gong is the absolute authority. The Yankees started the research project of electromagnetic catapults in 1982, and it was only in 2010 that they began to eject the F-18 carrier-based aircraft for the first time. It took a full thirty years.
Qin Tao doesn’t know the inside story of R&D, but just analyzing the principles, it is estimated that it has a history of more than ten years.
What now?
It took Ma Gong two years to enter the scaling experiment stage!
Isn’t this too fast?
“Mainly because we have chosen the correct technical route.” Ma Gong said: “When we are conducting theoretical research, we are feeling the advantages of this route.”
Although this technical route was proposed by Ma Gong, it was fully affirmed by Qin Tao, and then Ma Gong would firmly move forward on this route. If we go the right way, the speed will of course be faster.
“Mr. Ma, can you give us a detailed introduction?” Wu Shengli asked from the side.
“Of course, everyone, follow me, the scaled prototype is right here.”
The entire laboratory is very spacious, just like a large conference room, with an overall length of more than fifty meters. At this time, a scaled prototype of more than thirty meters long is placed on one side.
Why can’t the entire length be used?
Of course, you have to leave a braking distance of twenty meters. If you build a fifty-meter prototype, the ejection slider will definitely break through the wall if it flies out.
(End of this chapter)