After two or three months of running-in, the new WS-10 core machine using high-temperature superalloys and carbon-carbon composite materials developed by the Rocket Research Institute was finally built.
The turbine disc is made of nickel-chromium iron alloy and adopts a powder metallurgy process that was very rare in China before.
However, this process is not yet particularly mature. Basically, all aspects of industrial equipment were modified bit by bit by Zhang Xingyang and his engineers.
In addition to being able to meet the needs of the Rocket Research Institute's own production of turbine disk test products for new engines, it can also provide some to the WS-10 project team for testing.
Of course, the small quantity does not mean that the things made by the Rocket Research Institute are expensive.
In fact, the main limitation on production at this stage is that the number of equipment and the number of workers who can operate these equipment are too few.
As long as the equipment and workers are in place, mass production can be achieved in minutes.
"What were the performance test results?"
Zhang Zhengjiang looked anxiously at Chen Jianqing, who had just finished testing the turbine disk made by the Rocket Research Institute.
Chen Jianqing held the report that had just been spit out from the printer and still smelled of ink, beaming with joy:
"Compared with the previous turbine discs we manufactured ourselves, this new turbine disc has almost 20% better performance in all aspects."
"Especially the high-temperature powder metallurgy technology they used seems to be very advanced. The entire turbine disk is formed in one piece and the crystal structure is also very good."
Zhang Zhengjiang was also very happy to hear Chen Jianqing's good news. He took the report and kept reading it.
I want to confirm with my own eyes whether what Chen Jianqing said is true.
Is the new turbine disk sent by the Rocket Research Institute really that good?
Zhang Zhengjiang scanned the various data in the report bit by bit.
Indeed, compared to the turbine disc they had been using before, the performance has indeed improved a lot.
Especially in the key high-temperature resistance performance test, it increased by nearly 40%.
The extreme temperature was raised to nearly 3,000 degrees.
"The Rocket Research Institute has really made a lot of achievements in terms of materials now!"
Zhang Zhengjiang smiled, flicked the report in his hand, and said to Chen Jianqing.
After rubbing his head that was a little dizzy due to long hours of work, Chen Jianqing, although slightly tired, still said happily:
"Now, our engine has a more reliable core!"
In its previous life, the WS-10 could not be loaded with the J-10 at first, which was a thorn in the hearts of countless people.
In the past ten or twenty years, in this regard, every time we faced accountability from the Chinese people, we could not hold our heads high.
The big problem is actually that the materials of the engine are not up to standard and the processing technology is not in place, making the engine unable to meet the standards for military aircraft.
"Yeah, but that's not a good thing!"
Zhang Zhengjiang sighed with emotion.
The Rocket Research Institute's research and development speed far exceeded his imagination.
Originally, he thought that no matter how fast the research institute was, it would still take a year or two.
That's why he promised Zhang Xingyang that research funds would not be owed to the Rocket Research Institute.
Zhang Zhengjiang's idea at that time was that if the water flows slowly, although the funds for the WS-10 project are not particularly sufficient now, it can still be achieved if it is provided slowly in quarters.
But what is unexpected is that the Rocket Research Institute is spending money on progress almost every day. In less than four months, it has produced materials that meet or even exceed the requirements.
However, along with the new turbine disc comes a long research and development expense bill.
Seeing the figures above, even Zhang Zhengjiang, who had always been steady, was so frightened that it was difficult to attach them.
"But they are also very good at spending money. They spent tens of millions of R&D funds in four months."
Zhang Zhengjiang couldn't help but sigh.
"Now all the R&D funds we just approved will have to go into it!"
Chen Jianqing didn't care about this.
After all, it is completely worth spending so much money on such a powerful material.
"Teacher Zhang, don't think like that. You can solve our big problem with just such a small amount of money."
“To be honest, it’s still worth it!”
It’s not that Zhang Zhengjiang doesn’t understand these principles.
This high-temperature powder metallurgy process and integrated molding process must be solved by the WS-10 project team themselves.
At least it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and we don’t know how long it will take to successfully develop it.
For the project team who are particularly short of time now, the problem can be solved in such a short time.
Let alone tens of millions, even hundreds of millions is still worth it.
Because this matter cannot actually be viewed from the perspective of the WS-10 project team alone.
If the perspective is moved to a higher altitude, as long as the WS-10 can be successfully developed and equipped with the J-10 fighter jet.
Then there is no need to import the AL-31F engine from Damaojia in the north at a high price, which can save a lot of money.
Even if the performance of the newly developed WS-10 engine is not particularly superior, it does not matter much.
As long as you have it, the other party will not dare to ask for excessive prices when negotiating for introduction, and you can save the country a lot of money.
In fact, this is true not only in the engine field, but also in many industrial fields.
When you don't have it, foreign manufacturers have pricing power and can charge as high a price as they want.
And after you break through the core technology, the other party will no longer be so tough on you.
This is the case with the particularly famous photolithography machines of later generations.
When you don't master the core technology, the other party can shout that they won't sell it to you. But after you break through the other party's technical blockade, you start to call for cooperation between the two parties.
"Now, you can try to install the test machine right away."
Zhang Zhengjiang looked at the report and sighed.
"We have coordinated with the Air Force before, and they have agreed to allocate us a Su-27 for engine testing."
While Zhang Zhengjiang was talking about the installation experiment, Chen Jianqing talked about the results of the communication with the Air Force.
At this time, the J-10 has not yet been completely finalized and is still in the experimental stage, especially because the engine problem has not yet been resolved. Some detailed issues on the aircraft body have also been delayed because the engine has not been finalized.
However, in terms of overall progress, the J-10 project team is much smoother than the WS-10 project team and has been making steady progress.
If the WS-10 wants to conduct engine experiments, it can only conduct experiments on the Su-27 that was just introduced from Damao four years ago.
Although people later said that the first batch of Su-27 always thought that it had many problems.
But as a twin-engine heavy-duty third-generation fighter, it was still very advanced at this time.
Its platform design has a lot of potential to develop, and it can develop a variety of fighter models.
It is indeed more than enough to use it as an experimental platform for WS-10.
