Chapter 1179 3-Cylinder Rubik’s Cube Power

Anna walked around the prototype twice and accurately expressed her first feelings.

"So... small."

"But there is an indescribable sense of beauty," Celine mused, "especially the densely packed pipes around it, which are like tentacles."

Roland couldn't help but laugh. Their observation angles were completely different, but the conclusions they reached were particularly appropriate. They both concisely expressed the characteristics of the new machine.

Compared with the first cast iron steam engine made by Anna, the size of the principle prototype is more than ten times smaller. This is due to a huge leap in processing technology, but the most important reason is that the boiler is omitted.

At present, Neverwinter's steam engines have developed to the fourth generation, but the boiler part has never changed much - whether it is burning coke, firewood, or heavy oil, a huge combustion chamber and steam generator are inevitable. But now, what replaces it is just a rectangular steel box one meter long, half a meter wide, and less than 20 centimeters thick.

This box is also the core of the entire system.

Although to put it simply, it is to put the Rubik's Cube and water into a container to achieve the fusion of combustion and evaporation, but neither the almost stringent sealing requirements nor the high-pressure-resistant pipeline shell were what Border Town was able to do at the beginning. Achievable. In other words, even if the radioactive clan's relics can be obtained at that time, the effect it will probably have is no different from others.

One end of the steel box is inlaid with three ritual Rubik's cubes side by side, which serve as the source of power for the machine. There is a layer of lead at the bottom to block excess rays. There are more than ten heat pipes neatly arranged on the top of the smooth shell. They pass through the secondary water tank and the cooling condenser and return from the bottom. The cycle process of "heating-energy supply-cooling" is completely closed and does not exchange with the outside world. If the equipment Reliable enough, in theory there is no need to add new heat transfer media until it is scrapped.

Of course, this size is not the limit for new steam engines.

Water is just the most readily available and cheapest heat-conducting medium. If it is replaced by other more efficient media, such as liquid alkali metal, the volume can be made smaller under the same power.

However, the main purpose of the principle prototype was to verify the feasibility of the solution, so Roland finally resisted the urge to get it right in one step. After all, in the event of an overheating leakage, if alkali metals in a vapor state are mixed with water vapor, the entire laboratory may be blown up to the sky.

The pipes extending from the heating box can continuously transfer the heat generated by the Rubik's Cube until the secondary water tank boils. The next process is the same as an ordinary steam engine, using the mature technology of Neverwinter City.

The part that Celine admires the most is the condenser tubes evenly distributed on both sides of the machine body - in order to obtain a large enough heat dissipation area, each tube twists and turns thousands of times, which can be said to be tentacles. Not against peace.

If the current steam engines are all big, dark and thick, this prototype can be said to be small and exquisite, especially the silver-white core box and the brown-red heat-conducting copper tubes that can reflect a human face. From the color and brightness, It is much more dazzling than its predecessor. Even a layman who knows nothing about industry can tell its level at a glance.

In terms of craftsmanship alone, it is worthy of the title of work of art.

"Then... shall we start?" Roland looked at the two of them.

Ana nodded, stretched out her hand and put it on the operating lever, "Let's do it together."

Celine hesitated for a moment, and finally lowered her beard and gently placed it on the hands of the king and queen.

"Principle prototype test of Rubik's cube steam engine, three, two, one, start -"

As Roland counted down, the operating lever clicked and was pulled to its maximum limit. The linkage mechanism pressed down the switches of three Rubik's cubes at the same time, and the landmark new generation power source began its first operation.

However, the scene was silent, as if nothing happened.

"Uh...did it fail?" Celine hesitated, looking at the unresponsive machine.

"No, let it burn for a while." Roland replied calmly.

After almost two minutes, the core box trembled slightly, and an "indicator light" on the pipe also emitted a soft yellow light - it was a pressure gauge made from stick figure relics, which indicated that the pressure inside the pipe was increasing. Variety.

The heat transfer process was obviously much slower. After waiting for nearly five minutes, steam finally came out of the secondary water tank and pushed the piston to run slowly.

As the temperature inside the tube gradually increases, the rotation speed of the steam engine flywheel becomes faster and faster, which also drives the water pump of the condensation system - the main function of the latter is to increase the speed of fluid circulation in the tube and re-pump the heat-conducting medium with reduced temperature. Return to the core box. At this point, the new machine has completed a complete cycle and officially entered operation.

"It seems the effect is pretty good," Anna let out a long breath, with a slight smile on her face, "It's just that the startup speed is a bit slow."

"This is also a common problem with steam engines," Roland nodded. Heat transfer takes time. Even if it is replaced with a more efficient heat medium, it will not be as good as an internal combustion engine that can start as soon as it is on fire. In addition, since in theory at least three water tanks are needed to maintain circulation, its size is still much larger than that of an internal combustion engine no matter how small it is. In addition, the Festival Rubik's Cube consumes uranium flakes too quickly, resulting in this prototype having almost no practical value.

But any industrial product comes step by step like this.

As long as Celine can solve the persistence problem, its distinct advantages cannot be ignored - mature technology allows it to be put into production quickly, it is lightweight enough to be placed on most vehicles, and it will not increase fuel burden when it is popularized, etc. wait. Even if the durability problem cannot be improved for the time being, ships built based on new power sources can save a lot of space for storing fuel, allowing them to carry more cargo or weapons.

Half an hour later, the steam engine's operating speed reached its limit, the entire body was trembling, and the hissing sound from the exhaust port turned into a sharp whistling sound. Obviously, the core box composed of three Rubik's cubes had too much power for this steam engine. Roland pulled the operating lever back to the first gear, which was equivalent to closing two Rubik's cubes, before allowing the prototype to stabilize again.

Then came the long reliability test.

This step will last about a week, and is also the link that is most likely to expose problems. After all, the principle of the new machine is very simple to say. It is not difficult to make it move. What is difficult is to run it stably for a long time.

It was originally an extremely boring thing to stand in front of a clanking steam engine, but for Roland, it became a means of reducing stress. Sitting with Anna in the yard, chatting and paying attention to the dynamics of the prototype, it was just like the time when the two first met, relaxed and peaceful.

At some point, Celine quietly left the laboratory, leaving him and Anna alone in the yard.

The latter rested his head on his shoulder, and the noise of the machine seemed very distant.

"If it succeeds, we can be one step closer to the world you once had, right?"

"Well, it will be shortened a lot at once - you must know that the world has not yet implemented similar technology."

"Is it possible to realize the four-wheeled vehicle that one person can control as you mentioned?"

"Okay, if you like, I can design a simple one for you to try."

"Okay!" Anna's voice suddenly jumped for joy, "By the way, what are you going to name this machine?"

"Does it have to be a name?" Roland smiled.

"Of course." She looked extremely serious.

"Okay then, Black Technology No. 1 or Rubik's Cube Power, which one do you choose?"

"Where is it dark... Really, I choose the one at the back. But how can I distinguish the different models with this name?"

"Simple, a festival Rubik's Cube represents a cylinder, and the principle prototype is called a three-cylinder Rubik's Cube Power. How about it?"

"I always feel something is strange."

"Don't worry about those details..."

The laughter of the two people mixed with the sound of the machine, forming a long-lasting melody in the yard. ()

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