A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Chapter 1026 Without madness, there is no life!

Actually, Secretary Liu overestimated Jiang Xia.

Even if Jiang Xia stayed up ten more nights, he still wouldn't be able to finish explaining what he'd drawn on the blackboard.

why?

Automation, of course!

Jiang Xia was completely immersed in his own world. There wasn't a single blank space on the blackboard; layers upon layers of functional block diagrams, control flow symbols, and parameter annotations were interwoven, forming a complete control network covering "sensing-computation-driving-feedback".

Hey, anyone who's visited the factory will definitely notice that what this kid drew is the prototype of distributed control!

At the core of the network, emphasized by a thick circle of lines, is the Dahuang II single-board computer.

Three main links extend from this core, like the nerve center spreading to the limbs: the first is the signal acquisition link, which connects the boxes such as "furnace temperature sensing" and "cooling rate monitoring", clearly indicating that the analog signal needs to be initially filtered and amplified.

The second is the logic drive link, which is associated with the "mechanical linkage → potential signal conversion" and "timing relay triggering" modules, implicitly containing a closed-loop feedback design concept.

The third is a redundant protection link, which reserves an emergency interface.

Further outwards, a dense array of question marks and parentheses mark forward-looking challenges that far exceed the current practical boundaries: "Analog signal attenuation over long distances is >15%, requiring the addition of signal repeaters and differential amplifier modules?"

"Actuator response delay > 3 seconds, should a PID control algorithm be introduced for compensation?"

"Does the emergency manual node need to be embedded with hard-wired interlocks to prevent software failure?"

"Does multi-device collaboration require solving the timing synchronization problem?"

Emergency manual location node, etc., etc...

The logic is simple, but implementing it is incredibly difficult.

Jiang Xia went to great lengths to write this because he was using his knowledge from the future to try to inject a forward-looking soul into the current industrial body.

The logical endpoint may be clear, but every step toward that endpoint is fraught with the thorns of the technological divide of our time.

But if we can't achieve full automation, why don't we simplify things?

For example, regarding the data acquisition end, although he marked it as automatic acquisition on the diagram, he had already thought of a suitable modification method for the current situation.

That is to use a nickel-chromium-copper thermocouple, welded into a high-temperature resistant ceramic tube, to make a simple furnace temperature sensor, which is then inserted into the side wall of the steelmaking furnace to capture changes in the temperature of molten steel in real time.

Meanwhile, the cooling tank is equipped with a glass thermometer and a mechanically amplified scale plate, along with a potentiometer to convert the temperature signal into a weak electrical signal that the single-board computer can recognize.

The timing relies on the simple crystal clock module built into the Dahuang II, recording temperature data every 0.5 seconds and simultaneously marking the cooling stage. Considering the insufficient accuracy of the sensor, a manual verification node was also designed, where workers record the measured value every 5 minutes to calibrate the single-board computer's data deviation.

See, that's the idea. With industry, once you have a good foundation, adding more layers on top becomes much more stable.

"Factory managers, senior colleagues! I've just talked a lot about single-board machines and automatic control, which sounds quite mysterious. Do you think it's too far removed from our current open-hearth furnace and converter workshops?"

Upon hearing this, the factory managers below, who were frowning as they stared at the complex diagram, subconsciously nodded, then quickly shook their heads.

"Jiang, we are really excited about the direction you're talking about! Who wouldn't want the furnace to be more obedient, the molten steel to be more compliant, and the experienced workers to sweat less and take fewer risks?"

But in your diagram... the thermocouple needs to be connected to an 'A/D converter', and the control signal needs to drive a 'solid-state relay'...

But what you've drawn on this diagram... it's 'differential amplification,' 'PID control,' and 'hardwired interlocking,' we've never even heard of them. Let alone tinkering with them, even if we searched the whole country with these diagrams, we might not be able to find all these modules, let alone stabilize the operation in front of a furnace at a thousand degrees Celsius."

Zhao Weiguo's words expressed everyone's feelings, and the other factory directors nodded in agreement, their faces full of "I can't even compare" expressions.

Seeing their shocked and even somewhat frightened expressions, Jiang Xia smiled calmly. This was exactly the kind of shock he wanted.

He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet and said, word by word, "Director Zhao is right. These modules, algorithms, and even this distributed control approach are not yet ready for implementation, not only in our factory but also in the whole country... This is not for us now, but a reference direction for industry ten or twenty years from now."

"I'm drawing these 'castles in the air' today not to make things difficult for everyone, but to let our predecessors see clearly that our current transformation is not just a haphazard effort, but that every step we take is based on the path of the future."

For example, using thermocouples with ceramic tubes is building the foundation for the 'signal acquisition link'; manual verification and calibration are accumulating data for future 'closed-loop feedback'; even reserving emergency manual nodes is practicing the concept of 'redundancy protection'.

The moment these words were spoken, the meeting room fell silent, and the confusion on the factory managers' faces gradually turned into shock.

"No, Jiang Gong, people say you're good at making empty promises, and I, Zheng Guoxing, didn't believe it at first. But the way you've made your promise today, it's stretched to twenty years from now..."

Even Zheng Guoxing, the usually composed factory director of Hohhot Xinsheng Factory, was speechless upon hearing Jiang Xia's explanation.

"Hey, we have to take things one step at a time. I've invited everyone here today not so that you can modify the blast furnace according to this blueprint tomorrow, that's unrealistic. Today, I want to discuss with you all, working backward from the 'end point,' and see what we can do first, and how, with the equipment we have on hand!"

Upon hearing this, the factory managers immediately erupted in a commotion, their faces filled with surprise and curiosity.

"Pushing it backwards?"

“We always do things by going with the flow and moving forward step by step. There’s no reason to go back from the finish line. Engineer Jiang, your idea is really going against the grain!”

"That's right! In the past, when modifying equipment or adjusting processes, we would first look at what we had on hand and then figure out what we could change it into. We never dared to set a fixed goal first and then look for a way back."

No one realized that Jiang Xia's seemingly unconventional approach was the prototype of the "reverse engineering" and "goal-oriented method" commonly used in project management and process planning in later generations. First, clarify the ultimate goal to be achieved (full automation control), then break down the key links required to achieve the goal, and combine the current resources to deduce feasible steps. This can not only avoid detours, but also ensure that each step of the transformation is in line with the long-term direction, which is far more efficient than the forward attempt of "taking it one step at a time".

However, in this day and age, this way of thinking is too revolutionary for factory managers who are rooted in the front line and used to acting based on experience.

But that's exactly the kind of subversion we're looking for!

If we don't break these factory managers' mindset from being bound by rules and regulations, this new type of steel project is destined to fail!

……

Secretary Liu, who had re-entered the meeting room, rubbed his chin and said, "Huh, why does our brother's method of issuing projects seem to have changed completely?"

"What's changed! Aren't they all just gibberish?"

"It's different! When he was at the Academy of Sciences, it wasn't this complicated. He just handed in the drawings and his opinions, and that was it. Even his explanations were based on the project itself and were done in a few words..."

"Why have you talked about so many unrelated things this time?"

"Could it be... that he sensed something?"