Shen Xiufeng walked towards the building of the Iron and Steel Research Institute with heavy steps.

He had been busy with experiments for a long time today, and he had just finished work, and before he could change his clothes, someone from the courtyard informed him to come over, and he didn't know why.

Shen Xiufeng's project is the research on direct reduced iron in tunnel kilns, which is a relatively remote topic in China, and there are not many researchers.

Direct reduced iron, as an important additive in steelmaking, actually appeared very early.

Due to the stable chemical composition and low impurity content of DRI, it can be used as a slow-release agent in steel smelting to match with scrap steel, which can make high-quality steel with uniform quality, and is an indispensable and important part of high-quality special steel and alloy smelting.

With the further deepening of research, it is found that in the most advanced electric furnace steelmaking, adding about 30% to 50% direct reduced iron as the charge can increase the productivity by 10% to 25%. Electricity and oxygen consumption can be reduced by more than 20%!

As a result, DRI has become an excellent raw material for smelting high-quality special steel, and the international demand for it has also increased dramatically, and countries around the world have invested a lot of manpower and funds to expand the production and research of DRI.

Domestic research in this area is not too late, but the results are not great.

The internationally accepted method of gas-based production uses oil and gas as the heat source for calcination and refining. Due to the lack of natural gas reserves and high extraction costs in China, we cannot afford to use this method, so we can only study and explore it by ourselves.

In view of the abundant coal resources in China, the production technology of using coal as fuel has become the consensus of all metallurgists.

However, in the actual research, there are great differences.

Metallurgists have a dispute over whether to use an inverted flame kiln or a rotary furnace or tunnel kiln for direct reduced iron production.

Shen Xiufeng is a proponent of tunnel kiln technology.

After more than 10 years of research, the inverted flame kiln was the first to be eliminated: the energy consumption was too high, the quality could not be stable, and it could not be produced on a large scale.

The inverted flame kiln was excluded, and the tunnel kiln did not have a good time, but the rotary furnace became more and more sought after by everyone.

The rotary kiln technology is simple, the construction cost is low, and everyone believes that it is very suitable for China, a country with relatively backward technology with the world. Zhejiang, the capital, and Shougang have all made great efforts to conduct research in this area.

But Shen Xiufeng is resolutely opposed to rotary kiln technology.

He thinks that the rotary kiln seems to have low technical difficulty and low construction cost, but the actual production cost is not economical at all!

The particularity of the rotary furnace requires space for charge tumbling, and the space utilization rate is very low, usually less than 10%. Using this technology to produce DRI, the output cannot be increased to be too high, and it cannot meet the increasing domestic demand for DRI.

At the same time, the phenomenon of rotary kiln furnace is serious, and the furnace body will appear solidified charge compaction after not long after burning, and the furnace has to be stopped for overhaul, increasing production costs.

He believes that tunnel kiln technology is more suitable for national conditions.

The input of tunnel kiln is lower than that of rotary furnace, and the production cost is not as high as that of rotary furnace, and there is potential to achieve large-scale production.

But just as he was against rotary kilns, more people were against tunnel kiln technology. It is believed that tunnel kiln workers have high labor intensity, need to burn a large amount of lump coal, and the cost-efficiency ratio is too low. And the quality is as unstable as the inverted flame kiln, and the difference between good and bad is huge, which is also a technology that should be eliminated.

Shen Xiufeng was not convinced, he insisted on continuing this project, although the institute was not very supportive, but also allocated some funds to him, so that he could build a five-meter experimental tunnel kiln, which could continue to carry out research in this area.

However, the progress of research has been slow, especially the problem of quality stability that opponents say, and he has not been able to find a solution.

Today's experiment failed again, the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the furnace was more than 100 degrees, and the quality of DRI produced by the upper and lower layers was huge. If the product is not further separated and selected, it cannot be used directly as steelmaking at all.

"What is the reason?"

Shen Xiufeng slowly climbed the stairs, while still wondering what went wrong with the design of this tunnel kiln, and how the temperature difference between the upper and lower levels was so huge.

"Shen Gong, what are you?"

A voice interrupted his thoughts, and when he turned his head, it turned out to be Lu Gong from the same hospital. Unlike him, who climbed the stairs alone, there were several senior researchers with Lu Gong, all of whom were responsible for direct reduced iron-related research.

"Huh?" He was a little surprised, "Dean Shi told me to go, are you going?" ”

"We're too, it's all Dean Shi who informed us of the past!" Several senior engineers said in unison.

Everyone looked at each other and found that all the researchers in the institute who were engaged in the direct reduced iron project had arrived, and they guessed that they were looking for them, and it was related to their research projects.

What is it?

Shen Gong didn't have the heart to think about the problem of the tunnel kiln, and his mind kept turning to Dean Shi's purpose for looking for them. The other researchers didn't care, they were just reporting on the recent progress of their research, but he felt a sense of crisis.

Everyone didn't support this project, and he was doing it alone.

If the higher authorities forced him to abandon the subject and study other directions, he could not afford to refuse. But he has been working on this subject for many years, and he is really unwilling to give up.

…… Perhaps, it's better to give up......

To tell the truth, he was quite exhausted by this subject. Coal tunnel kiln technology is only carried out in China, even if the foreign research tunnel kiln is based on natural gas, he can not find anyone to communicate with the related technology, can only be a person silently in the library to check the information, day and night to carry out technical demonstration, repeatedly back and forth to modify the design, do experiments.

But even if he tried his best, he never saw any hope of success, and he didn't even know where to go next!

He was tired.

The loneliness that no one understands and supports always echoes in his heart, and he can't get rid of it. His wife often persuaded him, saying that he was still stubborn, since the whole country was engaged in rotary kilns, then he also did research in this area, even if it was unsuccessful, it was everyone's unsuccess, what did a person insist on?

yes, what else do I insist on?

Theoretically, the tunnel kiln should be better than the rotary kiln, but what is the use of you alone, everyone does not agree, and your insistence is just a waste of time.

Shen Xiufeng felt his body soften, and his hands held on to the stairs to support his body.

He already had a premonition that it might not be a good thing for the dean to gather everyone today and wait for him, he tried to calm himself down, but the pathos in his heart became stronger and stronger.

It's so uncomfortable to with everyone!

But he didn't want to fight anymore, he had said what he had to say countless times, and if he really wanted to cancel the project, he could only accept it.

Who kept him from achieving results.

So be it......

Shen Xiufeng climbed the stairs step by step, walking very slowly, as if as long as he walked slowly, the result would be different. Lu Gong and the others had already overtaken him, turning the corner in front, and he was still slowly moving forward on the next floor.

No matter how long the stairs are, there is a time to finish, and this building is not very high.

Standing in the conference room on the top floor, he was a little timid facing the door and did not dare to reach out and push it open. Just stood at the door in a daze, looking at the handle in a daze.

The door opened, and Xiao Yanzheng, the dean's secretary, was about to come out, but was startled by him standing at the door: "Shen Gong, why don't you come in, I almost hit you." ”

"Tired of walking, take a break?" He struggled to squeeze out a smile and said.

"You've been busy for another day today, come, I'll help you in and sit down for a while." Xiao Yan grabbed his arm and wanted to help him in.

"No, you can get busy. I'll go in myself. Shen Xiufeng politely declined his kindness.

"I'm fine, I'm just going to go down to you. Lu Gong said that you came up, but after waiting for a while, you haven't arrived yet, and I'm afraid that you don't know the place, so I'm going to go down to pick you up. Xiao Yan smiled and carried him into the conference room.

In the conference room, Lu Gong and the others were already sitting around a large conference table, and when they saw him come in, they all smiled at him in a friendly smile. Li Gong also pulled out a chair beside him and motioned for him to sit down.

Shen Xiufeng thought for a while, went around to the other side, and met Lu Gong and them face to face.

Lu Gong and the others looked at each other and shook their heads helplessly, feeling very helpless about his stubbornness.

Everyone arrived, and Xiao Yan went out to inform Dean Shi. After a while, Dean Shi and two strangers walked in.

"Lu Gong, Li Gong, Qian Gong, Yu Gong, Shen Gong, you have all arrived. Let me introduce to you that these two are Comrade Zhu Qiang and Comrade Yu Min. Dean Shi introduced the two strangers behind him, but only said their names, not their positions and units.

It shouldn't be from this hospital, but not the unit, that is, their work is special, and I don't want everyone to know about it.

Shen Xiufeng's face looked much better, and he owed a debt along with the others.

"These are all comrades in charge of the research of direct reduced iron in our institute, and in China, they are experts in this field. If you have any questions about this, ask them to be the most authoritative! Dean Shi said with a smile.

"Don't dare to be, don't dare to be!"

Although Lu Gong and others are engaged in scientific research, they are not ignorant of human feelings, so they smiled and said a few words modestly.

"Hello teachers, this is the case today. We happened to get some information about DRI in tunnel kilns from Japan, which is said to be the latest technology. But we don't understand this aspect, so I would like to ask a few people to help us determine whether this thing is real and valuable. The comrade named Zhu Qiang politely briefed them on the situation.

Yu Min placed a thick leather bag on the table.

It turned out to be this!

"Haven't you heard that the Japanese side is doing research on this? Lu Gong, Li Gong, have you heard of it? Yu Gong didn't remember that there was a record of this, and asked Lu Gong and the others.

They do not do research on their own behind closed doors, but also collect a large amount of relevant international research materials. Sometimes they can't get the information, but a piece of information can also touch them and help them get out of the maze, so everyone still has a good understanding of the latest research progress in the world.

Even if it's tunnel kiln technology that they're not familiar with.

"Is it really Japanese?" Lu Gong touched his already closed head, and after thinking about it, he was not impressed, and said suspiciously, "The Japanese side has a tunnel kiln research, but they use natural gas as fuel, and this aspect is of little significance to us!" ”

"Yes, yes!"

Several senior engineers nodded. The most painful thing about direct reduced iron in China is that there is no reference, and we can't afford to use what others have. If you start your own stove, you have to start everything from scratch, and the difficulty can be imagined.

"I'll see!"

Shen Xiufeng stretched out his hand and took the bag of materials.

He also doesn't believe that Japan is engaged in any coal-fired tunnel kilns, there are no conditions at all, and there is no need to either! Japan can directly import crude oil and natural gas from the world, and instead of engaging in more efficient construction, it will study coal-fired tunnel kilns in turn, isn't it nonsense!

It's just that he has the most say in the tunnel kiln here, and it would be too clueless if he didn't take a look.

Lu Gong and the others didn't rob him, just sat and drank tea quietly.

Zhu Qiang and Yu Min looked at each other in disappointment, they had guessed this result in advance, but they still wanted to try their luck with the idea of what to do.

"As I said, the coal-fired tunnel kiln is the only one in China. We don't have the technology, how can Japan go to great lengths to study this? Yu Min complained that they shouldn't have made a trip in vain, and let the experts of the General Iron and Steel Research Institute see the joke.

"You can't say that!" Zhu Qiang was also disappointed, but he remained calm, "The last time Guan Fei brought the customized cement production line to the Shanghai manufacturer, the manufacturer attached great importance to it. The drawings were sent to the Architectural Research Institute, and those experts also said that the drawings had extremely high practical value, which was of great help to us to break through the 2,000-ton cement production line per day. If it weren't for the precedent, how would we be here? ”

"I can't say that the cement production line last time was very good. The Institute of Architecture said that after their research, they felt that this production line might be tailor-made for third world countries, and the automation control equipment had been minimized, and the original drawings must be more complicated than this. But even so, there are some places that are beyond the domestic capacity, and small quantities of production are OK, but mass production still needs to be combined with our own technical strength and quite modified. Yu Min was a little unconvinced.

"So, doesn't this prove that the developer of that production line is likely to be a developed country with developed technology and a high level of automation? The information revealed by Guan Fei this time is likely to be also developed in Japan. Since the source is the same, it is normal to take this set of information for consultation! Zhu Qiang disagreed with his colleague's idea and retorted.

"As the experts just said, there is no research on this in Japan! When they are full, they leave the gas tunnel kiln and do not do it, and go to do more backward coal-fired tunnel kilns! Yu Min also disagreed with Zhu Qiang's point of view and argued.

"Maybe this is also going to be exported to third world countries?" Zhu Qiang can only start from this perspective to defend Guan Fei.

"How can you ......?"

Yu Min was about to deny it, when he heard a loud noise, Shen Xiufeng suddenly slapped it the conference table, his face turned red, he kept shaking the information in his left hand, and asked excitedly: "Where did this information come from?" ”

"Japanese?"

Zhu Qiang snorted at Yu Min, signaling that you guessed wrong, and replied proudly.

"Fart!"

Shen Xiufeng was furious, and his fingers were bruised: "Although I am sixty-two years old, I am not old and dizzy!" I have seen a lot of familiar technology applications on this, which are only available in China, and I have never seen them in foreign products! And the whole production line seems to be completely in line with our research ideas, and it can be said that it is simply developed for us - this is definitely a domestic design! The Japanese can do this, I write it backwards! ”