Chapter 28 The core of the problem
Foreman Ge said helplessly: "Sir, we must first obtain steel. Whether it is refining steel or pouring steel, it is not a one-step process. It is much more cumbersome than beating pig iron into armor. First make the pig iron into steel, and then use water to make it. Hammering requires more man-hours than making armor directly.”
"Steel can be made into steel by beating it repeatedly until it can be refined hundreds of times. Needless to say, the process is complicated. Nowadays, when famous swords are made, this method is used. More often, the steel filling method is used to combine wrought iron and pig iron. , it can be obtained by hammering. Although it does not require hundreds of refinements, it is still very cumbersome."
After hearing this, He Xi rubbed her temples.
This was something he hadn't thought of before.
A very superficial problem, the more you dig into it, the bigger the problem becomes, and it turns into a most fundamental and basic problem. The problem is that He Xi is not very clear about the technology of steelmaking. What if steel is produced in large batches?
He Xi doesn’t know either.
He was silent for a while and said: "We will adjourn the meeting now. Let's discuss whether there is any way to smelt steel quickly and in large quantities. If there is such a way, I will report it to the court and I will be rewarded." He originally wanted to say that he would not hesitate to seal the deal. Hou's reward.
In his opinion, if anyone can solve this most critical problem, the reward of becoming a prince will be small.
It's just that he is not Zhu Yuanzhang after all, so he dare not make such a promise.
Immediately, after He Xi went down, he retreated to the left and right in the side room. I took out my mobile phone and looked up the content about steelmaking, and read it again and again. But this is less than one page.
This was pieced together by him from various sources.
Basic properties of iron, the difference between steel and iron. Prerequisites for steelmaking, etc.
But He Xi looked over it over and over again, but couldn't get a clue. For example, it proposed a method of making steel by blowing oxygen into it. Please, this is the Ming Dynasty, where is the oxygen? Another example is what electroslag recasting method is. Where is the electricity? Anyway, you can’t count on that solar charger?
He Xi thought about it over and over again, but still had to work together. Rely on the experience and skills of these craftsmen. All he can do is give some ideas.
"I really don't know how steel smelting is done in fictional novels." He Xi thought to himself.
-------
He Xi organized her thoughts and came to the lobby again. He heard the heated discussion in the back hall. He listened for a while, but the various terms he didn't understand forced him to give up.
He coughed twice and walked out of the back hall.
These craftsmen immediately knelt down and saluted, saying: "Greetings to your lord."
He Xi said: "No need to be polite, just take a seat." As he said this, he took a seat and said: "Have you thought of anything like this?"
These craftsmen cast their eyes on Foreman Ge.
He Xi said: "Mr. Ge, please tell me."
"Yes." Foreman Ge said: "Sir, we have discussed that we can improve the steel filling method, wrap the wrought iron and pig iron together, and send them to the furnace for calcination. The pig iron first melts into molten iron. Mix it with the wrought iron Forging them together will be better than pouring steel."
He Xi didn't know that the method mentioned by Foreman Ge was the prototype of Su Gang after the Ming Dynasty.
Suzhou Steel's production base is in Wuhu. A large number of blacksmiths came from Nanjing. Because in the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang gathered all the skilled craftsmen in Nanjing. With the relocation of the capital in the Ming Dynasty and other events, the importance of Nanjing gradually declined, and some of these skilled craftsmen went to Beijing. Naturally, some of it also flows into the private sector.
It is probably no coincidence that most of these blacksmiths in Wuhu are from Nanjing.
However, He Xi didn't care after knowing it and said, "How much steel can this method produce at one time?"
Foreman Ge pondered for a moment and said, "I can probably get out dozens of kilograms at a time."
He Xi said: "Does it need to be forged?"
Foreman Ge said: "It's still needed."
He Xi said: "If we use this method to temper all the pig iron in stock into steel, how long will it take?"
Foreman Ge stopped talking.
Fifteen thousand tons is not a small amount. It must be completed first. Three months is absolutely impossible. So there is no need to say any more.
He Xi also understood the meaning of this silence. He pondered for a moment and said: "Let me tell you something. These are what I read in ancient books. About iron and steel. Do you know what iron is and what steel is?"
These craftsmen didn't give any face, and they didn't give Teacher He any reaction at all.
He Xi could only continue: "Pure iron is actually relatively soft. The iron we usually see is an alloy of iron and carbon. The proportion of carbon in iron determines its performance. The iron that contains more carbon is iron. , the steel with less carbon content. The higher the carbon content, the lower the melting point. This is why the melting point of iron is 1,500 degrees, and our general furnace temperature is around 1,300 degrees. Iron can be smelted. But To make steel, you need higher temperatures.”
"As for the concept of temperature, it means that water goes from ice to boiling, which is calculated as one hundred degrees."
Speaking of which.
The craftsmen below were even more confused.
What temperature, what alloy of iron and carbon, etc., they seemed to understand. Thanks also to the broad and profound Chinese language. Although these craftsmen use literal meanings, they may not understand these words accurately. Some deviations, but not completely incomprehensible.
For example, what they understand about charcoal is not elemental charcoal. They don't have this concept, but figurative charcoal.
The temperature is even more incomprehensible. Because it's 1,500 degrees, is the melting point of iron fifteen times the melting point of water?
He Xi took a deep breath and didn't ask them to understand. Said: "We now have to build enough armor within three months. We cannot follow the old method. So we can only find a way to make a large amount of steel. Directly process it with water hammer. This is the most labor-saving method."
"For large-scale steelmaking, you cannot use small furnaces, you must have blast furnaces."
He Xi said: "As for the blast furnace, does anyone know about it?"
He Xi actually made a hasty sketch of what he understood to be a blast furnace. But this sketch is at best a concept drawing. He had no idea how to make it specifically.
Foreman Ge glanced at the surrounding craftsmen and found that they were all looking at him. I had no choice but to stand up on my own. After all, they didn't dare to lie when the superior officer asked. But most craftsmen are timid. Foreman Ge had more contact with He Xi.
This matter fell on him.
Foreman Ge said: "Sir, my ancestors were craftsmen in the former Song Dynasty and knew about blast furnaces. Nowadays, they are also useful for making iron. I just don't know if they are the blast furnaces you are talking about."
He Xi was overjoyed when he heard this and said, "Please Mr. Ge come forward and draw a picture of a blast furnace for me."
"This is the position of an adult. How dare a villain touch it?" Foreman Ge said.
He Xi stepped forward and grabbed Mr. Ge's hand. Mr. Ge's hands were very hard, with many calluses and sharp edges. He Xi pulled Mr. Ge up and said, "Mr. Ge, why should you be polite? There is no need to be polite here."
Mr. Ge was forced into He Xi's position by He Xi. He Xi found pens, ink, paper and inkstones for Mr. Ge, and studied the ink for Mr. Ge.
During this period of time in ancient times, He Xi's calligraphy made great progress. From the ink pig that can't be seen clearly, to the ink ball that can roughly tell what the word is. However, I did learn to grind ink.
At this moment, He Xi wanted to know what an ancient blast furnace looked like. Therefore, I didn’t care what was wrong with practicing ink for Mr. Ge.
But these craftsmen were stunned.
Under normal circumstances, for young noble people like He Xi, losing a single hair could cost them their lives. Whose wife do you like? The whole family must be mobilized to hand it over. As for grinding ink for craftsmen like them with their own hands, it was something that was beyond even the slightest thought.
Previously, He Xi said that he respects craftsmen. These craftsmen didn't believe it.
Now I am doubtful.
Foreman Ge looked at He Xi, slightly stunned. Foreman Ge secretly thought: "Although Mr. He may not be sincere, it is already rare to be able to do this. So why not sell my life to you? What's more, Mr. He may not have the heart to buy a horse's bones. Maybe. This is my family’s opportunity.”
Foreman Ge was not polite either. Picked up the brush and started drawing.
He Xi couldn't help but feel ashamed after seeing it.
Foreman Ge's drawing is very bad. There is no technique to speak of. Not to mention three views. Just simple line drawing. But it was absolutely impossible for He Xi to do it.
After a while, Foreman Ge finished the drawing.
It is a blast furnace that looks like a bottle, with a big belly and a small upper end. There is a feed port on the top and a discharge port on the bottom. There is also a long wind tunnel.
He Xi seemed to think of something in her mind and said, "Is there any preheating here?"
Foreman Ge pondered the words "preheating" and said: "This air duct is ignited. It is probably what adults call preheating."
He Xi said: "What kind of blower should I use?"
Foreman Ge said: "Use water to drain or use animal power to drive."
He Xi said: "Draw it and take a look."
Foreman Ge then drew the so-called water drain, which was a hydraulic blower. In fact, He Xi didn't know that this water drain was invented by Du Shi, the prefect of Nanyang in the Han Dynasty. Since then, there have been improvements. But it does not fall outside the framework of Governor Du.
He Xi looked at the blast furnace and the blower, and didn't know what to say for a moment.
Upon seeing this, Foreman Ge immediately explained clearly the operation of the blast furnace. How to feed materials, what co-solvent to add, etc.
It was even more difficult for He Xi to find fault.
Without him, the foundation left by our ancestors is too deep.
It seems that all technical problems have been solved.
The so-called blast furnaces of the Ming Dynasty were much more accurate than my own drawings. He only knows that air preheating can reduce temperature loss in the furnace. But I don’t know how to do it, but the blast furnace air duct has been designed. Specially ignited for heating.
As for the blower, it is a large bellows driven by water power. Seems pretty good too. Minimum requirements met.
As for co-solvents, such as limestone and fluorite, this craftsman also knows them all.
It seems yes. Why can't we tap steel directly? What is the problem?
