bookrandom Chapter 675 is missing only the basics.
Chapter 675 is missing only the basics.
"Master, do you still remember the finite element method? I think this method can also be applied to the installation and inspection of machinery!"
“Go on!” Li Changfu smiled at everyone on the other end of the phone: “Remember the manuscript this kid sent over? It contained this ‘finite element’ analysis…”
"The design of a multi-stage impulse steam turbine follows the impulse working principle. What is this principle? It means that the steam mainly expands and accelerates in the nozzle, and the impeller only does work due to the impact of the steam's kinetic energy..."
Jiang Xia deliberately slowed his speech, striving to make every word clear and easy to understand. The other end of the phone was quiet; everyone was clearly listening intently.
"Now that we understand the basic principles..." Jiang Xia paused for a moment, then put forward the core idea, "Could we disassemble this behemoth from an installation perspective? Divide it into two main parts: the rotating parts and the stationary parts? Master, and all you experienced craftsmen, would you like to tell me which parts should be classified into which category?"
Li Changfu was taken aback at first, then realized that this kid was using questions to guide everyone to a deeper understanding of the equipment's essence! He couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Good lad, testing your master!" But there was no blame in his tone; instead, it was full of praise and cooperation. "Alright, let's do it your way! Everyone, use your brains!"
"Haha, I'll go first. The main shaft drives the impeller to rotate, and the blades fly along with it, so it definitely counts as rotation."
"And the coupling! It connects the two shafts, how can it transmit force if it doesn't rotate?"
Someone spoke up, which drew another round of light laughter from the crowd. After the laughter subsided, the topic was brought up.
"The cylinder should be considered fixed! It's like a big iron shell that encloses all the parts. What would happen if it moved?"
The person in charge of the system added, "The nozzles and baffles also need to be fixed, otherwise the steam will fly away as soon as it hits. And the steam seal is attached to the side of the rotor but cannot rotate with it, otherwise it will be worn bare long ago."
Asking these questions wasn't Jiang Xia being disrespectful to his teachers. He was well aware that everyone's foundation was relatively weak, and their knowledge was limited by the era and the types of equipment they were exposed to. To put it bluntly, they were "a bit short-sighted." After all, the design philosophies of the French and the Russians in industrial equipment were fundamentally different.
Although Shanghai produced its first 6000-kilowatt steam turbine unit in 55, the multi-stage impulse turbine is still considered a cutting-edge product, and even the Russians only have a superficial understanding of it. Moreover, this thing was originally invented by engineers from France.
In Jiang Xia's view, the current French arena resembles the path his own country took in later generations—a model of balanced development between light and heavy industries, emphasizing efficiency, cost, and market adaptability. The Alliance, however, prioritizes heavy industry, characterized by its robust, durable, and resilient nature. Light industry? What's that? Nobody knows! (This is precisely why the various problems created earlier have become so prevalent there. And this is also why the Alliance is forced to bleed its member states dry… the later rivalry between the two nations wasn't without reason.)
This difference directly leads to French industrial design being significantly more "market-oriented." What does market orientation imply? It means making money! Controlling costs! Making it easy to maintain (but this requires higher and more specialized maintenance)! Of course, this is also their only way to make money.
As a result, their equipment is often not as "resistant to rough treatment and abuse" as the Russian products.
The experienced technicians on the other end of the microphone, used to handling the bulky, heavy Russian equipment that could be hammered away with a sledgehammer, were inevitably a little unaccustomed to the meticulous and demanding French equipment, and might even have felt somewhat at a loss. Assembling this "delicate" equipment, they couldn't afford to just grab a sledgehammer and start working again as before when encountering a problem.
They are all experienced seniors, and it's definitely not good to tell them directly that they are "empiricist" or that "their methods are wrong," as it could easily hurt their self-esteem. However, if I can break down and explain the most basic operating logic in detail, guiding them to discover the intricacies and differences themselves, the effect will be a hundred times better than dry preaching!
There are ways and methods to get things done! This is where Jiangxia's grassroots experience comes in handy. If you're like some "elites," getting all worked up and acting tough with the experienced workers, see if they even acknowledge you! If they don't slap you across the face, you're lucky they're so polite.
As for the source of this knowledge… Jiang Xia silently gave a thumbs up to the book "Principles and Operation of Steam Turbines" in his mind. This is a classic and essential textbook for the Thermal Energy and Power Engineering major! The question he just posed was almost the essence of his university professor's first lecture.
Yes, this act of conveying knowledge was worthwhile!
The results were immediate! Through this question-and-answer session and collaborative review, Li Changfu and the experienced technicians on the other end of the phone clearly gained a deeper and more thorough understanding of the function of each component and its place in the overall design. This understanding is far more profound than simply sketching randomly based on blueprints without a deeper understanding.
Sure enough, not long after these basic principles were explained, chaos erupted over there! The master chefs seemed to have been awakened, and they all began to recall and reflect on the potential problems that might have existed in the parts they had handled:
"Oh dear!" An experienced worker slapped his thigh suddenly, his voice filled with frustration and sudden realization. "So this structural difference was the culprit! I've been treating this steam turbine like the simple steam turbines we used to work on! No wonder it always seemed odd that this machine had an extra condenser! A tiny difference can lead to a huge error! I need to go and check the steam circulation system again right away, make sure something doesn't match up!"
Before he could finish speaking, another loud voice immediately followed:
"Hey! Well said! A tall building starts from the ground up! I think this foundation base needs a thorough check! Is there anyone who knows about structural mechanics? Come help me! When I was placing the shims, I had a vague feeling that something wasn't right, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Now, after Xiao Jiang's explanation, I understand! The spacing between my shims might have been too large! There are a few key load-bearing points that seem to have been missed! But the French blueprints didn't clearly indicate this area at all!" The foreman became more and more agitated as he spoke, clearly having discovered a major problem.
"I'll come with you! At first, I thought it was about right, but after thinking about it carefully, the spacing of the shims was indeed wrong. The spacing of the shims was placed according to the rules of Russian equipment."
Now I understand, the French machine's center of gravity is too forward; the load-bearing point needs to be moved forward three inches, otherwise it will definitely wobble when turned on!
An engineer waved the data he had just calculated and shouted at the man.
"Now that you mention it, the rotor tilt (inclination) data... it feels a bit... awkward to adjust it exactly according to the values given on the drawings, right? Shouldn't the tilt values at both ends of the low-pressure rotor not be completely rigidly based on the drawings? Shouldn't we adjust them according to the actual site conditions during installation? Drawings are static, but machines are dynamic!"
Look! This is the power of a team of top-notch masters and engineers! Just by having the basic principles explained, they were able to keenly spot so many potential inconsistencies, some of which Jiang Xia hadn't even had time to notice!
Jiang Xia on the other end of the phone looked pleased: They're all elites! Saves a ton of trouble!
"Alright! That's settled then! Inspect! Inspect again! Investigate from the root! Even the foundation of the equipment, inch by inch! Just follow the path pointed out by that brat, no, Comrade Xiao Jiang, split up and start with the rotating and stationary parts!" Listening to everyone's lively but insightful discussion, Li Changfu felt reassured and a surge of pride welled up within him.
He suddenly raised his voice, his booming voice drowning out the murmurs around him:
"The rotating parts! The main shaft, impeller, blades, couplings... who's in charge of all these rotating parts?!"
“Me!” A stocky, muscular old fitter was the first to step forward, his voice booming.
"Count me in!" Several engineers skilled in dynamic balancing and shaft alignment followed suit.
"Me too!" The experienced technician in charge of blade installation also rolled up his sleeves.
"Alright!" Li Changfu nodded, then turned his gaze to the other side. "The stationary parts! Cylinders, nozzles, baffles, bearing housings, steam seals... who will take the lead on these large, stationary components and critical structures?!"
"I'll be the team leader!" A senior engineer with gray hair but sharp eyes stepped forward without hesitation. "Who will be in my team? Someone knowledgeable and hardworking is needed!"
"I!"
"Team leader, include me!"
"Count me in!"
The responses came one after another, and several skilled fighters quickly gathered together.
"Alright! Time is of the essence, there's no time to lose! Group leaders, nominate your members! Those who are capable, step up!" Li Changfu's expression was serious as he surveyed the crowd, his tone suddenly becoming more forceful, "Let me make this clear from the start! If things go wrong..."
"We might end up dried up in the desert!" the sturdy old fitter roared. "Comrade Jiang has explained the situation so clearly. If we still can't fix this machine, then we've been wasting all these years of working for the country! It's a disgrace!"
"Yes! It's shameful!"
"Just do it!"
"Do it!"
When a group of people possesses unwavering faith, fearless courage, and a sense of mission to defend their homeland, they are invincible.
This statement is very apt when applied to soldiers; it is also very fitting when applied to us workers who wield hammers.
They share a common title on different occasions—warriors who dare to burn everything for the strength of their country!
The huge workspace, which had seemed somewhat dull and cluttered due to a bottleneck, was suddenly invigorated. Under the decisive leadership of the group leaders, the group quickly and efficiently split into several core teams. The blueprints were laid out again, densely marked with new questions and checklists; all the most precise measuring tools available were carefully taken out and polished to a gleaming shine.
Experienced craftsmen huddled together, discussing a crucial part in hushed tones, their fingers rapidly tracing patterns between the blueprints and the actual object.
The young technicians, with notebooks in hand, quickly jotted down every judgment and requirement from the veteran technicians. The air was thick with a tense atmosphere of intense focus, racing against time, and clear objectives.
Fortunately, Jiang Xia wasn't there, otherwise he would have been kneeling and grabbing people to take photos with. After all, he knew several of the young technicians here.
How did we become acquainted? Haha, when you were doing your graduation project, you got yelled at three times a day, and your legs went weak too. It's just a natural suppression...
However, the lucky little ahoge just smiled contentedly at the noise from the other side:
"Master, I've also compiled some key points, I'll send them to you later. Pay close attention during installation! But let's wait until the master craftsmen have finished their work before using these for reference! After all, I haven't seen the actual product..."
"Hey, you little rascal! Trying to test us again? Fine! Enough said! Let's see if your master can earn you a medal!"
"Alright! Oh, and please tell the guy who's putting up the base that the shims absolutely must be sanded down to remove rust and coated with rust-preventive oil! This is extremely important! Don't forget!"
"Okay! Send me your key points quickly. We need to use this printer as soon as possible..."