The Ming Dynasty built a plutonium-239 production reactor and continued to refine and enrich uranium-235.
In fact, the Ming Dynasty’s accumulated enriched uranium 235 is several times more than its accumulated plutonium 239.
Because Ming Dynasty, like the United States at the time, was prepared to "walk on two legs" in terms of the selection of nuclear fuel and production methods.
The reason for walking on two legs is that the difficulty of refining and producing the two kinds of charges, plutonium and uranium, is displayed in two completely different directions.
The refining and enrichment of uranium 235 can be regarded as simple and crude to a certain extent.
When the material performance is sufficient and a strong enough centrifuge is built, it can be regarded as a model where powerful force can produce miracles.
Anyway, no one can interfere with the power consumption of Ming Xintianfu now.
As long as enough centrifuges are built and the power supply is sufficient, stable production can continue.
But the production of plutonium-239 requires careful and meticulous workmanship.
The production of plutonium-239 does not seem to require uranium enrichment like uranium-235, and can be produced through value-added production in a dedicated production reactor.
The raw material of the reactor can even use natural uranium directly, and there is no need to specifically separate uranium 235 and uranium 238.
However, the difficulty of producing and refining plutonium-239 is much more complicated than enriching uranium.
First, there are issues with the design, construction and control of the production reactor itself.
The logic of producing a reactor is essentially to fission uranium-235 in natural uranium, releasing neutrons to bombard uranium-238.
Transform uranium-238 into uranium-239, and then undergo two gamma decays before converting it into plutonium-239.
Finally, the generated plutonium 239 is separated from the raw material pile.
This process itself is full of difficulties.
This production process then simultaneously produces plutonium-240.
Plutonium-240 has a high spontaneous fission rate, which may cause the plutonium-239 bomb to go out of control.
The key is that after plutonium is produced, it is more troublesome to separate the plutonium-240 inside than to enrich uranium.
If the plutonium 240 concentration exceeds 20%, it can be directly regarded as waste.
The concentration of plutonium 240 must be less than 7% before it can be used as the nuclear charge of an atomic bomb.
Products in between can be used to generate electricity in nuclear power plants.
Therefore, the proportion of plutonium 240 must be controlled during the production process.
A heavy water moderated reactor must be used, and the production of heavy water is also troublesome, and requires constant and regular refueling.
Before the plutonium-240 is enriched to the critical point, the produced plutonium-239 is extracted.
In this repeated extraction process, a relatively large amount of waste will inevitably be formed.
So in fact, later generations of plutonium-239 production reactors usually use spent uranium-235 fuel as raw material, that is, "slag" is used for refining.
Finally, the production of plutonium-239 actually consumes uranium-235.
What drives the production reactor reaction is uranium 235.
Under the current level of technology, the total amount of uranium-235 consumed is much greater than the final amount of plutonium-239 produced.
After this series of twists and turns, looking at this series of processes and difficulties, one can already imagine a situation:
"The early production methods and the speed of producing plutonium 239 were definitely not fast enough."
In the history of Zhu Jingyuan's previous life, the United States produced only a little over ten kilograms of plutonium 239 in the late stages of the Manhattan Project.
And uranium 235 is more than fifty kilograms.
This is the result of their use of the less efficient gas diffusion method to enrich uranium.
As long as Ming Dynasty has the ability to perform miracles, if it wants to quickly obtain more nuclear fuel, it can only rely on uranium enrichment.
At the same time, Ming’s current need for plutonium fuel is not urgent.
The biggest advantage of plutonium fuel is the miniaturization of nuclear weapons.
Compared with plutonium-239, the critical mass of uranium-235 is several times larger.
Therefore, the mass of nuclear fuel consumed to make a uranium bomb will definitely be much greater than that of a plutonium bomb.
The final result must be that the weight of the entire uranium bomb exceeds the weight of the entire plutonium bomb.
However, the current technical level is limited, and the throwing weight of current fission bombs is still in the era of tons.
It doesn’t mean much whether the nuclear fuel is tens of kilograms or several kilograms.
Moreover, Ming Dynasty has followed the implosion atomic bomb route from the beginning. Both uranium bombs and plutonium bombs are implosion designs.
The mass of nuclear fuel required for an implosion-type uranium bomb is actually less than half that of the previous gun-type "Little Boy" bomb.
The difference between the nuclear fuel required between the two is actually a few kilograms and a dozen kilograms.
In the future, nuclear weapons will continue to be miniaturized, and they will eventually reach hundreds or even tens of kilograms.
But by that time, the ability to control the critical state of nuclear charges will definitely be improved simultaneously, which means that less nuclear fuel will be needed.
The difference in fuel consumption between the two will become a difference of three to four kilograms and seven to eight kilograms.
This is Zhu Jingyuan's experience in his previous life.
In cases where the weight of the warhead is not particularly sensitive, the pure uranium bomb solution is still feasible.
In the two nuclear tests carried out by Ming Dynasty on the Tiannan Continent, the two fission bombs detonated were a plutonium bomb and a uranium bomb.
The four bombs Zhu Zhaoxie escorted to the mainland were three uranium bombs and one plutonium bomb.
There is basically no difference in the throwing weight of these bombs, and they are all very close to the integer of two tons.
In fact, whether it is using centrifuges to enrich uranium 235 or producing plutonium 239 in heavy water reactors, they are all large-scale heavy industries.
Although the two paths have their own merits, neither can be easily achieved by small countries.
Even in Zhu Jingyuan's previous life, most countries had no choice at all. It would be good if they could implement a plan.
The only countries that can walk on two legs like the Ming Dynasty are the United States and Lucia.
Lucia was unable to walk on two legs in the early days. Based on the information obtained, she first completed the test explosion of the plutonium bomb, and then completed the technology of the uranium bomb.
But Daming was bigger than the two of them combined.
The second part of the report is about the status of follow-up research related to fission weapons.
The explosion experiment has been a complete success and the existing research and production system is basically complete.
The next key tasks of relevant research institutions have shifted to the upgrading and optimization of fission bombs, as well as the design of more types of bombs.
That is, the miniaturization and practicalization of fission weapons.
Continue to reduce the throwing weight of bombs, continue to increase the reaction ratio of nuclear charges, and continue to increase the actual yield of bombs.
It is expected that within two to three years, the total weight of the bomb will be reduced to less than one ton, and the explosive yield will be increased to more than 50,000.
The explosive yield of a pure fission atomic bomb can actually reach the level of 500,000 tons.
It's just that the efficiency and weight will be ugly.
However, on the basis of 20,000 tons, it is still very necessary to continue to upgrade to the level of five to 100,000 tons.
This research is certainly faster than the development of fusion bombs.
Even if rapid development succeeds, early fusion bombs will certainly be larger and heavier.
No matter how many tricks Zhu Jingyuan knows, the principle of using atomic bombs as a primary means that fusion bombs will always be larger and heavier than atomic bombs.
The continued “refining” of the atomic bomb itself is the basis for the miniaturization of nuclear weapons.
It must be continuously researched and improved.
As for the so-called practicalization, it means developing more types of fission bombs that can be directly installed.
These include bombs suitable for different bombers, bombs delivered using existing and upcoming missiles, and bombs capable of serving as artillery shells.
Just like the early development of nuclear weapons in previous lives, with new weapons that are powerful enough, people tend to apply them to all aspects of war.
The third part of the report is about the situation of marine power nuclear power reactors.
Nuclear fission reactors are the most powerful continuously controllable energy source currently available to mankind.
Even for nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and nuclear power plants, there may be discussions in the industry and among the private sector about whether to continue using them due to cost-effectiveness and environmental safety issues, but nuclear-powered submarines are not up for discussion.
Nuclear fission reactors are the only energy source currently available to humans that allow submarines to truly submerge for long periods of time.
Nuclear submarines are an indispensable part of strategic nuclear strikes.
Therefore, marine nuclear power reactors must be studied.
Zhu Jingyuan also knew this.
Therefore, Ming's new element project had two goals: bombs and power from the beginning.
Research on marine reactors began simultaneously with fission bombs.
When researching reactors for the production and reprocessing of plutonium 239, we were simultaneously researching pressurized water reactors for heat output.
Experiments on fission bombs are now complete.
Regarding marine power reactors, all theoretical research has been completed and the construction of onshore test reactors has begun.
It is now possible to start designing and building nuclear-powered ships.
If the onshore test reactor operates normally, then production of real marine reactors can begin and be put directly on ships in a few years.
If all goes well, it is expected that the Ming Dynasty nuclear-powered ship will be launched in about five years.
This speed is much faster than the Americans in previous lives.
The nuclear submarine project in the previous life was also a separate engineering project launched after the completion of the Manhattan Project.
The first nuclear submarine entered service nine years after the Manhattan Project was completed.
Ming Dynasty will probably shorten this time by half.
In fact, like the entire new element project, it does not mean that Ming's research speed will be faster than that of the Americans in previous lives.
Rather, under the leadership of the Ming Emperor, all related projects of the Ming Dynasty were implemented intensively, one after another or even at the same time.
American projects are executed semi-independently one by one.
Every time a new project is launched, there may be a lot of wrangling issues waiting for the relevant personnel.
Even if scientists have mature ideas, they still need to be able to convince officials and the military to promote the project. Officials and the military also need to push Congress to fund the project.
Only then can we start organizing people to start specific research.
There will also be a lot of business problems in this process, including the selection and cooperation of manufacturers responsible for production.
They will waste a lot of time on these links that cannot be saved.
Just like now, before the construction of the onshore test reactor is completed, Zhu Zhaoxie's report has already stated:
"The design and construction of nuclear submarines can be started in advance."
The reactor has not been verified yet. How can we design a nuclear submarine using this kind of reactor?
The logic is very simple. The reactor design team gives the space required by the reactor and the main parameters of the reactor.
When designing a nuclear submarine, the power and transmission system are designed according to the parameters of the reactor, while sufficient installation space is left for the reactor.
After the nuclear submarine has built its hull and frame, the place where the reactor is installed will be temporarily vacant.
After the reactor verification is completed, it will be shipped over for shipment.
Of course, the premise is that the onshore experiments of the reactor can really be completed on time and normally.
Otherwise, at the last minute, if there is a problem with the reactor design and it needs to be significantly modified, then the submarine with its shell built will also need to be significantly modified.
Although existing products will not be completely obsolete, it will certainly waste a lot of money and time.
Therefore, the more critical issue is that there must be someone with sufficient authority to endorse and take responsibility for this project management method.
This person can only be the emperor.
And Zhu Jingyuan's decision was: "Yes."
If it succeeds, the nuclear submarine will be launched in three years. If it fails, tens of millions of money will be wasted, and it may take five years before the nuclear submarine can be launched.
Zhu Jingyuan can still afford this price.
The key is that the current research direction is also given by Zhu Jingyuan, and it is generally correct.
The probability of success is inherently high.
More than ten years ago, the design of Ming Dynasty's high-speed battleships and aircraft carriers actually adopted this very common project management method.
It ended up being largely successful.
Although the relevant managers and workers worked very hard, there were many repeated design modifications and adjustments.
But it also caused the Ming Dynasty's warship design to rapidly change.
The fourth part of the report covers the relevant research progress of fusion bombs.
Ming Dynasty's research on fusion bombs was started in the middle and late stages of theoretical research on fission bombs.
This is actually a typical parallel project solution.
It was also a reasonable arrangement based on Zhu Jingyuan's foresight.
Fission weapons should be used as the detonation stage of fusion weapons.
You don't have to wait until fission weapons are made before designing fusion weapons from scratch.
After the basic principles of fission weapons are clarified, we can start research on fusion weapons on the premise that "fission weapons already exist".
Zhu Jingyuan’s home country in his previous life did the same thing.
That's why after the fission weapons were completed, fusion weapons were built in less than three years.
If you pay attention to the propaganda caliber, you will find that what the newspaper said was not that it took less than three years to complete the hydrogen bomb.
Instead, he repeatedly emphasized that "after the atomic bomb exploded," it only took more than two years to detonate the hydrogen bomb.
This kind of propaganda actually avoids accurate figures on the actual research time of the country's hydrogen bomb.
It took more than seven years between the explosion of the atomic bomb in the United States and the explosion of the fusion bomb.
Because the United States was a pioneer at the time, and all paths and methods had to be explored by itself.
When the Manhattan Project began, although some people had already proposed the direction of using the energy of fission bombs to trigger fusion reactions.
However, this direction has not become a formal research direction and goal.
Even before Red Lucia developed the atomic bomb, American officials were not very enthusiastic about this research.
After all, they are the only country with atomic bombs.
At that time, the atomic bomb was already a thunder sword superior to conventional weapons.
At the same time, there were errors in their understanding of the hydrogen bomb route. The power of the early mille-feuille design was not significantly improved compared to the atomic bomb at that time.
They feel there is no need to expend great effort in research.
Only after it was confirmed that Lucia had completed the atomic bomb did the United States increase investment in fusion bomb research.
So it is completely normal for the United States to take longer between bombs.
To put it bluntly, they have no focus.
But on the other hand, don’t they want it done quickly? They don't have that condition at all.
The American Court was essentially an association of merchants.
The key is that there is no speaker with absolute authority. The president cannot directly order all personnel to cooperate with him and persuade Congress to let them see the benefits.
Without feeling the pressure of competition, they will not spend enough money to invest in projects with no visible benefits.
Although Ming Dynasty is also a pioneer, it has a focused model.
Zhu Jingyuan gave the right direction, allowing related research to skip the design of the mille-feuille cake and directly explore the use of X-ray irradiation and lithium deuteride 6.
The Emperor and Huangzhuang provided absolute financial, environmental and talent support, allowing them to work more efficiently than normal explorers.
Therefore, although their speed may not be as fast as the home country that was the pursuer in the previous life, it will definitely be faster than the Americans in the previous life.
So far, relevant research has progressed quite smoothly, and theoretical research and preparation of supporting production processes are now in the key research stage.
The researchers gave an estimated time of completion of three years.
Zhu Jingyuan knew that the three years must be a conservative estimate, and Ming officials did not dare to make big claims.
At the same time, the finished product that can be produced in three years should also be a fusion bomb with certain practical significance.
Just like Zhu Jingyuan's country's first hydrogen bomb in his previous life, it weighed no more than the first atomic bomb and was an experiment completed directly by airdrop from an airplane.
Obviously, in the next three to five years, the entire new element project will usher in a big harvest period.
The fission bomb was actually just the first harvest, but it also opened the door to a new era.
Zhu Jingyuan is basically satisfied with the situation of the New Element Engineering project.
After reading the report, in addition to approving it, I also gave it a high evaluation:
“Very good, the progress of the project has obviously exceeded initial expectations, and it took thirteen years to complete the original fifteen-year plan.
“What’s even more gratifying is that if nothing unexpected happens, the original thirty-year goal should be completed within twenty years.
"This is all a great contribution to you and all the craftsmen. It is your unremitting efforts over the past thirteen years that have led to the current harvest.
“So, from now on, all project-related personnel will receive a two-level salary increase.
"All those who have made actual outstanding contributions to the project, as well as all those who have participated in the project from 13 years ago to the present, will all receive a first-class honorary title."
After hearing this, Zhu Zhaoxie quickly bowed and thanked all the officers:
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After Zhu Jingyuan nodded slightly, Zhu Zhaoxie immediately spoke:
"His Majesty pointed out the right direction, so all the research can be so smooth. I really don't dare to take credit..."
When Zhu Jingyuan heard these compliments, he was not polite.
What Zhu Zhaoxie said is not wrong.
Moreover, as an emperor, one cannot be too modest to the detriment of one's majesty.
So Zhu Jingyuan accepted it directly, and then led them to discuss the arrangements for the Forbidden Army.
