Luo Shao said: "The trucks we used to track secretly by car disappeared when we got here."
Yejiazhen said: "Have you checked everything around here?"
Luo Shao said: "There is nothing special here, just a few rows of buildings, an abandoned factory and a small forest."
Ye Jiazhen said: "Then let's take a look around here."
On the edge of a remote town, behind a few rows of buildings, there is an abandoned factory hidden.
Luo Shao said: "It looks like building a car or something. There is a tall gantry crane on top."
Walking further into the factory, there is a laboratory. The laboratory looks like it was once a busy place, but is now abandoned.
As soon as you enter the laboratory, you will be surrounded by a strong smell of engine oil and metal. Oil and rust stains on the walls. Abandoned machines and equipment were scattered around every corner, their surfaces covered in dust.
In the center of the laboratory is a huge engine model, its shell tainted by the erosion of time, but still showing the delicacy and craftsmanship it once had. Engine parts were scattered around, and some abandoned tools were still there, as if the workers had suddenly left the place.
Although the laboratory has been abandoned, you can still feel the bustle of the past. Whiteboards on the walls are filled with formulas and diagrams, displaying records of thoughts and experiments.
In the engine laboratory of this abandoned factory, time seems to have stood still. It's a forgotten corner but still exudes an alluring charm.
Luo Shao said: "What kind of engine do you think this looks like?"
Gao Zhouzhi said: "Such a big thing shouldn't be a car engine, it might be an airplane engine or a spacecraft engine."
The shape of aircraft engines is usually a long cylindrical shape. The outermost layer is the engine hood, which is a smooth shell that protects the internal mechanical components. Underneath the hood is the compressor, which consists of multiple compressor stages that compress and supply air to the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber is located behind the compressor, where fuel is mixed with compressed air and ignited to produce high-temperature and high-pressure gas. These gases pass through turbines, which are pushed by the high-temperature gases and drive compressors and other systems. The jet is located at the rear of the engine and is used to discharge the burned exhaust gases. The entire engine usually has a streamlined shape to reduce air resistance and improve the aircraft's performance.
Spacecraft engines are usually cylindrical or conical, with a long body and one or more nozzles. The engine's body is usually made of metal or composite materials and has a smooth outer surface. At one end of the body, there are usually one or more air inlets for the introduction of fuel and oxidizer. The air inlet is usually designed to be adjustable so that the flow of fuel and oxidizer can be adjusted as needed. At the other end of the engine, there are one or more nozzles that vent the products of combustion. The nozzle is usually round or oval with a smooth inner wall to ensure that the combustion products can be discharged smoothly. The size and shape of the nozzle can be adjusted as needed to control the magnitude and direction of thrust.
Luo Shao said: "You said they are sneaky, are they secretly building spaceships here? This place is so old, it doesn't look like a place to build spaceships."
Gao Zhouzhi said: "So there is only one model, and it is not a real engine."
Yang Yuling said: "If it is a spaceship, what does its power system consist of?"
Spacecraft power systems typically use rocket thrusters to provide thrust.
The main component of a rocket thruster is a mixture of fuel and oxidizer called propellant. When propellants are ignited, they produce large amounts of high-temperature and high-pressure gas. These gases are expelled through the nozzle, creating a thrust in the opposite direction.
Propellants can be solid fuels, liquid fuels, or mixtures. Solid fuel rockets use a mixture of solid fuel and oxidizer contained in a sealed combustion chamber. Once ignited, the solid fuel burns and produces large amounts of gas, which propels the rocket. Liquid fuel rockets use liquid fuel and liquid oxidizer. These fuels and oxidizers are stored in separate containers and then mixed and ignited through nozzles. Liquid fuel rockets generally have higher thrust and adjustable thrust.
Rocket thruster fuel can be composed of a variety of elements or compounds. A common liquid fuel rocket fuel is a combination of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Liquid oxygen serves as the oxidant and liquid hydrogen serves as the fuel. Solid propellant, usually consisting of a mixture of fuel and oxidizer. Common solid fuel ingredients include aluminum powder, polymers, ammonium nitrate, etc. Common fuel mixtures include liquid fuels (such as liquid oxygen used in liquid-fuel rockets) and solid oxidizers (such as polymer oxidizers).
Gao Zhouzhi said: "Have you ever heard of some super engines? They are used to travel between stars."
The spacecraft's engines use the high energy of the plasma to generate thrust. Plasma is a gas of charged particles that heats and accelerates the plasma to create thrust that drives the spacecraft forward.
The engine uses the energy produced by the mutual annihilation of antimatter and ordinary matter to generate thrust. Antimatter is a substance that is the opposite of ordinary matter. When antimatter meets ordinary matter, it will produce a huge release of energy, which can be used to propel a spacecraft.
Yang Yuling said: "If you are able to build engines, you must be a professional in aerospace technology."
Gao Zhouzhi said: "If the knowledge of fuel is used, it is probably related to chemical materials."
Yang Yuling said: "Who is making these things here? I don't know what they are used for."
Luo Shao said: "Maybe someone else is doing some experiments on aircraft engines here, and it's just for testing. Are we overthinking it?"
Yang Yuling said: "Such a hidden place."
Gao Zhouzhi said: "It's not very hidden, isn't it? Aren't there a few buildings next to it?"
Luo Shao said: "No one has lived in the buildings next to it for a long time."
Gao Zhouzhi said: "Then let me make a guess. He has his own special psychological characteristics. He likes to make his own calculations and doesn't want to be interfered with. He has very strong technical ability."
Yejiazhen said: "Why was this place abandoned?"
Luo Shao said: "They probably knew they were about to be discovered, and the model hadn't had time to be taken away or dismantled."
Ye Jiazhen said: "But there is no technical information here, neither electronic nor paper."
Luo Shao said: "So I don't know what specifically he used to make the engine, or what fuel mixture was used in it."
Gao Zhouzhi said: "At least we have some clues. We know that he is making an engine. So where does he want to fly to? Or where is he transporting things?"
