Edison really wanted to develop batteries for use in electric machinery and electric vehicles, and his own cement factory also urgently needed them.
However, batteries are really hard to come by. Porsche went to great lengths to build a pure electric car that could not run very far. The effective range was only a few dozen kilometers, and it could not pass the 100-kilometer threshold.
As for this new hybrid car, although its driving range can reach almost 200 kilometers, it weighs 4 tons, which is heavier than the 2.4-ton Japanese tank during World War II.
The "Bean Chariot" is heavy, so you can imagine its price - even if it is sold for scrap metal, four tons is not a small amount.
Therefore, Porsche really had a bit of a luxurious feel when it first appeared, and it was not cheap at the beginning... Of course, at this time, Porsche had not yet established the Porsche Company. Like most small car companies in the United States, it was founded with a few people. Cars are produced in small workshops, one at a time.
But as long as someone buys it, they can provide manual customized services according to customer needs. After all, sales volume is very low.
It's really inappropriate to drive such a big thing in a private car. Fortunately, this hybrid Porsche is large in size and has enough horsepower to not only haul people, but also cargo.
Edison's purpose of researching alkaline batteries is also to put them in electric vehicles. At present, alkaline batteries are indeed better than the lead-acid batteries used by Porsche, but it is still difficult to reduce the weight.
Moreover, the batteries made by Edison now have a huge risk of leakage. They are filled with sodium hydroxide, which is caustic soda. If it leaks, it will be very harmful.
Later, alkaline batteries were still used more often in daily electrical appliances, such as Nanfu's AA and AA batteries.
Lead-acid batteries have not been eliminated. Even more than a hundred years later, they are still used as batteries in fuel vehicles, such as to power in-car equipment and to power vehicle starter motors.
Of course, they have gone through many technological innovations at that time. Li Yu now uses lead-acid batteries for the starter motor in this electronic ignition system, because they are widely available, easy to buy, and not expensive.
Edison's alkaline batteries are much more expensive. Edison also saw it,
"Let me just say, DC will not be completely buried. It is indispensable after all." Li Yu said: "Technology has its place, and of course it must be used where it should be used."
"This is why I made the battery. I will never let DC power be silent forever." Edison said. Li Yu thought to himself, I'm afraid you will still be disappointed in the future. Although it is indeed impossible for humans to leave direct current, the application prospects of alternating current are even more unlimited.
He just said: "It will definitely not die out." Edison looked at these transmission systems again: "They should also be used in electric vehicles, right?"
"Yes, of course electric vehicles are inseparable from the transmission system." Li Yu said.
"It's interesting." Edison looked at it. Li Yu felt a little bad. Although everyone now thinks that Edison invented the alkaline battery, in fact, before him, the Swedish inventor Jongar was the first to make a battery using alkaline electrolyte. In addition, he also made many other excellent batteries. technology.
Unfortunately, due to patent litigation with Edison, his battery was not commercialized until 1910.
So Li Yu really didn't want to be involved in patent inventions with Edison, just in case he fell into trouble.
Edison often either bought the patents he liked, or found a way to only apply for them.
He has the support of the plutocrats behind him and has abundant funds. He has done this kind of thing more than once. Li Yu said: "Actually, it's just a gadget. Compared with your electric lights, phonographs, batteries, and movies, it's far behind."
"It's hard to say. If it can also be used in electric vehicles, I feel that the market will not be bad in the future." Even though Edison is not optimistic about fuel vehicles, the fact that this patented electric vehicle with a four-wheel drive system can also be used makes him feel disturbed. .
Fortunately, Sierra came back at this time. She walked in and said, "We have obtained the patent, but we still need to go through some procedures to register the company." Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
"You are such a great savior!" Edison was backed by plutocrats, and Sierra was also backed by his own family.
Edison asked in surprise: "Patent?" Sierra then realized that Edison was coming and said in surprise: "Oh my God! It's the genius inventor himself! What a surprise, Mr. Edison, please take a look at these two patents." She Taking out the documents in his hand, Li Yu's four-wheel drive system and electronic ignition system have been applied for by the US Patent Office.
However, the patent stipulates a lot of details, that is, there can be other four-wheel drive solutions and electronic ignition systems in the future.
Edison had seen too many patents in his life, and he knew at a glance that they were certain. These patents were not easy to refute.
But he felt very strange. Could this Li Yu have been studying it for a long time? Otherwise, why would it be so fast? At least a few weeks ago he didn't know there was a new laboratory on Fifth Avenue.
After Li Yu relaxed, he asked: "Mr. Edison, you are a regular customer of the Patent Office. Do you think these patents are OK?" Edison flipped through the documents. The design drawings were very clear and the drawing level was very high, just like a Top engineers.
——He didn’t know that mechanical drawing was a required course for Li Yu’s previous major. Because the drawings and designs were extremely perfect and the expressions were clear, plus the operation of Sierra, the patent office had nothing to say and directly issued the patent.
Edison could only sigh: "A very excellent patent." Li Yu smiled and said: "Thank you Mr. Edison for the compliment. It is such an honor to have your recognition!" Edison suddenly asked: "Will you also get involved in research and development in the battery field in the future? Li Yu immediately said: "No, I don't understand battery technology."
"That's it," Edison said,
"What a pity." Li Yu didn't want to compete head-on with him. And although the sales of electric vehicles are good now, it won't be long before Ford will use the Model T to put an end to electric vehicles, and this end will lock out electric vehicles for hundreds of years.
But at this time, electric vehicles still have a few happy years. Edison hoped that his battery would sell well, because in this era, as in later generations, batteries accounted for most of the cost of electric vehicles.
Li Yu knew that alkaline batteries were unlikely to be used in cars on a large scale, and Edison's alkaline batteries in the early years not only had safety risks, but also did not have particularly strong performance.
Even though the risk of leakage was improved and successfully applied to electric vehicles around 1909, allowing the electric vehicle's cruising range to reach more than 100 kilometers, Ford Model T cars began to roll off the production line in batches at that time, marking the end of electric vehicles. Coming soon.
However, Edison's alkaline batteries have since opened up the market in the industrial and railway fields by virtue of their advantages of not easily losing power when stored for a long time and being able to be overcharged for a long time.
Li Yu said tactfully: "Battery is a very difficult technology, and I don't have the relevant knowledge yet." Edison thought so too, and his Monroe Laboratory spent a lot of manpower and material resources on this.
"Then, if you develop in the field of electric vehicles in the future, I think we can cooperate." Edison said.
Li Yu said: "It's the best." Anyway, the current electric vehicle market will not last long. Edison said a few more words and then left. He still had a lot of things to do.
For him, the most critical thing this year is the new movie. As the boss of the company, he needs to find the media to negotiate marketing plans, negotiate cooperation with some theaters, and place advertisements and film reviews in newspapers.
In fact, it is no different from later movie promotions, except that there is no rating website. After Edison left, Sierra said to Li Yu: "Why is Edison here now? It seems that he is very satisfied with your research results." Li Yu said with a smile: "He came here with people from the American Astronomical Society, I think. Just a coincidence."
"He's a big shot," Sierra said.
"With his approval, it's not easy." Li Yu could only say: "It's really not easy." Sierra also knew from the reviewers' evaluations at the patent office that Li Yu's invention was very practical, and it was more than worthy of the investment in the laboratory. .
Now she is very confident in Li Yu's results,
"I think Mr. Leland and Mr. Hunter will not refuse, and even other car manufacturers will rush to adopt it." Li Yu nodded: "When the company is registered, we can go to Detroit." Sierra is already eager to try,
"I will urge them to approve it as soon as possible. I can't wait to see them sell out." Li Yu said: "If the product sales are widespread in the future, the shipping cost can be amortized, which is of course a good thing."
"Shipping cost?" Sierra asked in surprise,
"Could it be that you want to set up a factory in China in the future?" Li Yu explained: "Yes, and I also want to put the general company in Shanghai or Tianjin. After all, I think the United States is not the only market for automobiles."
"If that's the case, you should also set up a branch factory in the United States, right?" Sierra asked.
"Of course," Li Yu understood the operation of the automobile industry in later generations.
"Isn't the current LY company just the American branch?"
"You mean, not only the factory, you will also set up a head office in China?" Li Yu nodded: "That's right." Sierra thought for a while, opened her mouth and said, "This is your wish, I can't say much. .”
"Thank you for understanding." Li Yu smiled. As he spoke, Mark Twain's voice came in: "Miss Sierra, you can drive faster. I already have an idea to buy a car." Sierra had already driven an improved Buick sedan, although the modern It sounds like it is not as popular as Cadillac, but Buick was actually a luxury sedan in its early days.
Li Yu asked: "Mr. Mark Twain, why are you here?" Mark Twain said: "I went to the Patent Office with Miss Sierra to apply for a patent, and my patent was approved. It's worth celebrating! I must give it to Tesla and you see, it’s just that when I went to Tesla’s laboratory just now, he was not there.”
"Let me see it first." Li Yu took Mark Twain's patent certificate. After improvement, it looked more like an underwear button. Li Yu said with a smile: "Maybe Mr. Mark Twain will also be a friend of women in the future." Mark Twain seems to have accepted this reality,
"I asked the designers at the clothing factory, and they also said that it is more suitable for making underwear. Alas, my breeches and vest are pitiful." Li Yu laughed and said, "I would like to send you another Chinese saying, but it is unintentional."
“There are so many Chinese proverbs,” Mark Twain said,
"It makes me want to see if there is a special collection of Chinese proverbs. I will definitely add them when I write in the future."
"There are many categories of Chinese proverbs, but many of them have allusions behind them. For a while, there seemed to be no such book in English." Li Yu said.
"What a pity," said Mark Twain,
"I'm afraid the only Americans who know these proverbs are sinologists and China experts." Mark Twain sat on the chair and prepared to wait for Tesla to come back. He must tell Tesla the news in order to redeem himself. The past failure of being defrauded of $200,000 by a typesetting machine.
Moreover, this time he designed it by himself. Even though the clothing factory estimated that the patent could only give him 50,000 to 60,000 US dollars, which was far from the loss of 200,000 US dollars, he could at least win back his face.
The more Mark Twain looked at his button patent, the happier he became. He didn't think it was an unusable design, and he was even happy to be a friend of women.
On the other side, Li Yu looked at his button patent and suddenly had some ideas. The four-wheel drive system and electronic ignition system will definitely not be used on a large scale in the short term, and it will be some time before they can be commercialized.
Before that, you can definitely make some small inventions, the kind that can make money. This is also the best way Li Yu can think of to make money at present, and it is also a way to expand the laboratory.
The button in front of him instantly inspired him. There is a very common design in later generations that does not yet exist at all, and it is also very widely used - zippers.
Ten years ago, in 1893, American Judson registered a zipper patent, but his design was very primitive, and the quality of the zipper made based on this was simply difficult to pass.
Just last year, in 1902, an American company bought the patent, registered the trademark and started trying to produce it, but it soon went bankrupt.
Because they still couldn't overcome the design difficulties, the zippers they made either couldn't be zipped or suddenly collapsed.
This situation is so embarrassing. Think about what it would be like if the zipper of your pants suddenly collapsed in public... In the context of the current widespread popularity of gentlemanly demeanor, it can be called social death.
Therefore, it is inevitable that the company will fail. At this time, the zipper was immature, both in terms of tooth design and locking device.
In fact, it is also a matter of design concept. From the perspective of Li Yu, who majored in mechanical design more than a hundred years ago, zippers are not even a class assignment. Compared with four-wheel drive systems, they are not too simple.
Moreover, underwear can only be used by women, and zippers can be used by both men and women. This improvement patent can be sold for at least 100,000 US dollars, and it may be more than that.
Anyway, it's okay. Li Yu is going to get this small invention patent and make some money.
