Chapter 2855
, Section 9: Research Progress of Various Projects
Chapter 2855 Research Progress of Each Project in the Nine Departments
September
The sweltering heat of summer has faded from the old city, leaving only a cool breeze wandering through the cracks in the bricks of the alleyways.
In the courtyard, the large locust tree in the central courtyard tried its best to control the leaves on its branches, but under the urging of time, a few withered leaves still fell down. However, in this quiet morning, they seemed very harmonious, as if afraid of waking the surrounding residents, quietly spreading on the ground and decorating the ground.
With a creak, Yang Xiaotao opened the door, stretched, and then watched the figure emerge from the hanging flower gate.
Just then, the old Taoist priest, who was out for his early morning stroll, came along, carrying a fried dough stick in one hand and fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan in the other, saying, "The weather these days is truly 'one autumn rain brings a chill'—"
The last syllable was drawn out, as if the speaker had lived in the city for many years and was deeply versed in the hutong culture.
"Freshly fried dough sticks smell so good."
The old Taoist priest approached and handed the fried dough sticks to Yang Xiaotao, not forgetting to glance at the doghouse.
There, four or five little heads popped out, their clear little eyes filled with curiosity about the world.
Yang Xiaotao took the fried dough stick and asked, "I'm telling you, don't bother looking, it's already taken."
"I know, I know."
"Besides, now that I have the Celestial Venerable, I can still make a move on his younger siblings. They're just so lovable."
After the old Taoist finished speaking, he walked to the doghouse and saw seven or eight puppies leaning against Blackie.
Wangcai, standing to the side, wagged its tail; it already knew where its child had gone.
Just like last time, only one of the eight puppies born this time will be kept; the rest will be given away.
Although I was reluctant to part with them, I knew my family's situation was such that we simply couldn't afford to raise so many.
However, the place it was sent to was not bad either.
The two were reserved by Yu Zecheng to keep Dalong and Xiaolong company.
Two old men came to our door and asked for them, supposedly for Zheng Chaoyang in Shanghai.
Since both of them had spoken, Yang Xiaotao didn't refuse.
Of the remaining three, one was reserved by Tong Xiaolong, one was to be sent to the old man of Yangjiazhuang, and the last one was snatched away by Zhao Gang after he received the news.
Speaking of which, Zhao Gang's wife, Feng Nan, joined the ranks of rural teachers under Ran Qiuye's guidance, becoming one of Ran Qiuye's two henchmen along with Cui Ping. This news was probably spread by Ran Qiuye on purpose.
The last one was specially left by Yang Xiaotao, who planned to put it in Old Ye's house so that it would be taken care of.
The old Taoist priest reached out and stroked each of the little heads, feeling the wetness of the puppy's tongue licking his palm, and couldn't help but squat down to tease them.
Yang Xiaotao didn't say anything more, picked up the fried dough sticks and went into the house to prepare breakfast.
Now, it's the start of the school year, an important time for rural middle schools. Ran Qiuye and Cuiping are too busy to care for their children, so they have to leave them in Yangjiazhuang.
Fortunately, there are quite a few children in the village, and Miaomiao is also older than Duanwu and can take care of her younger siblings, so there is nothing to worry about.
During this period, Yang Xiaotao, no longer burdened with the task of delivering grain to the state, became much more energetic.
They are very adept at their work.
Especially in computer research, whether due to system reasons or 'forced restraint', Yang Xiaotao felt that inspiration kept bursting forth in subsequent research and development.
There's even a misconception that you can build the computer you want without raising your computer sub-skill to level 2.
Of course, if you can make the best product, who would want to take detours? It's much better to get it right the first time.
I made a simple egg drop soup in the kitchen and prepared some pickled vegetables; breakfast was ready.
The food was placed on the table, and Yang Xiaotao waited for Old Ye to return from his walk.
crunch
The door opened, and Old Ye and the old Taoist priest walked in together, with the old Taoist priest holding a puppy in his arms.
"Look, I picked this out for Old Ye, isn't it great?"
As the old Taoist priest spoke, he placed the small dog, which was about half a foot long, on the table. The little guy's eyes scanned around, and finally, when he saw Yang Xiaotao, he unconsciously opened his little mouth and let out a whimpering sound.
Yang Xiaotao reached out and took it. The little guy stuck out his tongue, and his dark eyes reflected Yang Xiaotao's image. He then placed it on his lap. "Not bad, this one is pretty good."
The old Taoist priest laughed heartily upon hearing this, and then said to Elder Ye, "See? You were right to listen to me, weren't you?"
Old Ye picked up his chopsticks and soaked the fried dough sticks in the egg drop soup. He was old and his teeth weren't good, so he could only eat soft things. Hearing what the old Taoist said, he smiled and nodded, "I'll listen to you, I'll listen to you."
The old Taoist laughed heartily, "When Wuliang grows up, let the Heavenly Venerable take care of it, and the two of us can just follow behind and take it for a stroll."
Yang Xiaotao looked up and asked, "Wuliang? You gave it that name?"
He then looked at Elder Ye, who nodded helplessly, which was considered an admission.
The old Taoist immediately said, "Yes, they both sound good. 'Boundless' and 'Heavenly Venerable'—they must be brothers."
Yang Xiaotao rolled his eyes. "You idiot, you stared at it for ages and still couldn't tell it was female."
The old Taoist priest slammed down his chopsticks, quickly took the puppy from Yang Xiaotao's lap, examined it carefully, and then said with a wry smile, "Old Ye, how about we get another one?"
But Old Ye picked up the puppy and said, "No need, this one is just fine."
"But we can't call him Wuliang anymore, let's call him Guoguo instead."
Upon hearing this, the old Taoist was very disappointed, as he would not be able to gather all the Boundless Heavenly Venerables.
"Leaves fall and flowers bloom; when flowers bloom, fruit is born."
"Very good, very good."
The three talked for a while before continuing their meal.
After finishing his meal, Yang Xiaotao tidied up the table and prepared to leave for work.
Everyone else in the courtyard was also getting ready to go out.
After Yang Xiaotao came out, Zhou Kui, Wang Jun, and the others followed and walked out one after another.
More people followed behind, and the group left the courtyard house chatting and laughing.
As the group of people left, the smiles on the faces of the women and children behind them gradually faded, and they began their day.
Walking down the street, Yang Xiaotao casually asked, "Old Taoist, how's your magnesium alloy research going?"
"It's been over a year, and there's been no progress at all."
The old Taoist priest in the back row listened without hesitation, "We've already figured it out, made three samples, and are getting closer and closer to the specifications."
"I reckon it should be ready before the new year."
However, Yang Xiaotao did not agree. He wanted to talk to Wu Zhe about the turbofan engine. Although the institute had the design drawings provided by Yang Xiaotao, it had encountered many problems recently.
The biggest difference between turbofan engines and turbine engines is the design of the bypass duct.
Turbojet engines are designed with only a single flow path, where all intake air enters the compressor and combustion chamber before being discharged.
Turbofan engines, on the other hand, have a dual-flow structure, which consists of an inner duct and an outer bypass duct, and the air drawn in by the fan is divided into two parts.
The underlying principle is the same as that of a turbojet engine, where air enters the compressor, combustion chamber, and other core components.
The difference is that it has an additional bypass duct, and part of it is discharged directly from the outer shell without participating in combustion. The advantage of this is that by increasing the low-speed airflow in the bypass duct, the average exhaust velocity can be reduced, thereby increasing the propulsion efficiency.
This not only reduces fuel consumption, allowing the aircraft to achieve a longer range, but also effectively reduces noise because the cool air from the outer bypass duct envelops the high-temperature jet.
Overall, turbofan engines are more complex and technically more difficult.
"We still need to speed things up."
Yang Xiaotao said seriously, "The current engine development work is stuck on the connection between the inner and outer bypass ducts. The titanium alloy used now is not suitable, and we need magnesium alloy to neutralize it. In addition, this thing is also needed to improve fuel efficiency and thrust-to-weight ratio."
"And some parts of the CNC machine tools also need to be made of magnesium alloy, and now is a critical time." "It's a bit late at the end of the year, so you should adjust your work focus and speed things up."
"Just let me know if you need any help!"
The old Taoist priest listened in silence, but was secretly thinking about how to speed things up and complete the research and development of the magnesium alloy as soon as possible.
The car arrived at the Ninth Department Store, entered the gate, and stopped downstairs. The three then separated.
The old Taoist priest and Elder Ye headed straight for the research institute, while Yang Xiaotao returned to the office building to approve documents.
It was almost noon when I finished processing the documents, and then I left the office and went to the research institute.
After walking around the research institute, Yang Xiaotao gained a basic understanding of the progress of various research projects.
First, I ran into Chang Mingjie and asked about the research progress of the CNC machine tool Galaxy-1.
Currently, under Lu Tao's leadership, CNC technology has entered the experimental stage, and the components of related machine tools are being manufactured under Chang Mingjie's guidance.
As everyone strictly followed the design drawings provided by Yang Xiaotao to manufacture the products, various problems inevitably arose.
Those familiar with Yang Xiaotao's personality know that not a single piece of data on the design drawings can be changed, not even the last digit.
Therefore, the most common problem encountered in production is the issue of materials.
Other materials are relatively easy to handle. We have thoroughly researched titanium alloys, and we have also mastered copper and tungsten alloys. It is not difficult to produce alloy materials that meet the required standards.
However, some parts require magnesium alloy materials, which requires the assistance of the Alloy Research Institute.
During this period, Chang Mingjie and his team frequently visited the Alloy Research Institute, which put pressure on An Zhongsheng and his team.
In particular, the aviation research institute also needs magnesium alloys to manufacture turbofan engines, which put pressure on them.
In addition, there is the issue of machine tool precision. Although Yang Xiaotao deliberately lowered the precision requirements for the machine tool, it is still higher in some aspects than the previous Morningstar machine tool.
These areas can only be created by hand.
For this task, all the senior fitters in the entire department practiced repeatedly in order to produce parts with the required precision.
Chang Mingjie had considered asking Yang Xiaotao for help, and everyone knew that Yang Xiaotao could definitely solve the problem.
But what about behind?
We can't have Yang Xiaotao handle every single one of them.
So everyone tacitly agreed and buried themselves in their training.
Even Liu Daming, who rarely took action, became more diligent under the circumstances of the Nine Departments.
The precision of the manufactured parts gradually approaches the standard value.
Yang Xiaotao was extremely pleased with this.
After understanding the situation, Yang Xiaotao remembered that when the white paper was initially drafted, the timeframe for CNC machine tools was three years.
It now appears that it may be completed within two years.
Having a clear understanding of CNC machine tool research, Yang Xiaotao walked past the entrance of the Computer Research Institute without going inside.
In fact, I had long had a plan for computer research, and now that I had created the 'Nine Machines No. 1', I had already accomplished my mission. However, now that I had a new goal, I naturally had to revise my plan.
Moreover, this new goal is also related to the research progress of pagers. Only by developing a new type of computer can pagers be effective.
The original timeframe was three years, so it's still manageable.
The research on the pager is expected to be completed by the end of this year, but it's estimated that it won't be finished.
Yang Xiaotao didn't think much of it; plans are never as fast as changes.
What he needs to do is to revise the plan based on the changes.
Of course, doing so would bring about significant changes, such as the previously agreed cooperation between the Fourth Ministry of Machinery Industry and other organizations.
But these are all small things.
Passing by the computer research institute, Yang Xiaotao saw Zhu Ziqing wearing a white coat and working personally in the laboratory.
Last time, Yang Xiaotao used the 'element symbol pen' to help derive two chemical reaction equations, which greatly advanced the research on azithromycin.
Currently, the other party is applying this two-reaction theory to practice in order to initiate the next stage of research.
According to Zhu Ziqing, what they are doing now is the theoretical foundation, which is much more difficult than the previous cephalosporin research, so it will take a long time.
Fortunately, with the experience gained from cephalosporin research, the people at the institute were able to calm down and focus.
As for when it would be completed, Yang Xiaotao's plan at the time was ten years.
Of course, this includes clinical trials.
It seems the timeframe has been set.
After glancing at the busy scene inside, Yang Xiaotao decided not to go in and cause trouble for them, and walked straight ahead.
Next to the pharmaceutical research institute is the lithium battery research institute.
Yang Xiaotao lingered at the door for a moment, but finally decided to go in and take a look.
Yang Xiaotao didn't know much about lithium batteries. When he made the plan, it was purely out of a desire to make a breakthrough in this area and lay the foundation for the development of batteries in China.
When this research project was initially conceived, Zhu Ziqing was the first choice. However, he needed to conduct research on azithromycin, and his research on insulin had come to a temporary halt, so the Institute of Biology took over the project.
Upon entering the research institute, Yang Xiaotao did not see Director Wang, but instead met several researchers who were conducting experiments. He went in to inquire about the research progress.
The person in charge of the experiment was Director Wang's deputy, a female student who had just graduated from university.
It was only then that Yang Xiaotao learned that Director Wang had caught a cold and had taken leave to see a doctor.
Yang Xiaotao inquired about the research progress, but the others were not quite sure either. However, it was clear from their words that the research was not progressing much.
In retrospect, three years is far from enough.
I regret this decision a little; I was too presumptuous and hasty back then.
He walked around the room, offered some words of encouragement, and then left.
Just a few steps away is the engine research institute.
I mentioned this to the old Taoist priest on the way here; the difficulty in manufacturing turbofan engines lies in the limitations of materials.
As for the time, Yang Xiaotao wasn't in a hurry, but unfortunately, he had to deal with Boss Peng above him, and he was very anxious about it.
Although we have the Baiju and J-8C fighter jets, it is difficult to maintain an advantage in the face of the international situation by relying on only two types of aircraft.
Therefore, he needs more planes to compensate for the lack of aircraft behind him.
This is why President Peng urgently needs a new type of aircraft.
However, no matter how urgent the other party is, it cannot be completed in a short time.
There's a problem with the Ninth Department, and things aren't going smoothly with the Third Ministry of Machine Building and the Logistics Department either.
They are still setting up the project and encountering various problems. It is estimated that most of the funds they received from Mr. Chen were used to purchase equipment.
Logically speaking, most of this "large half" should have ended up in the pockets of the Ninth Department.
In reality, the most common thing the Ninth Department has received so far is IOUs.
Speaking of IOUs, there's a whole lot to say about them.