In order to get a share of the Three Gorges and the Olympic Games, China's two largest projects at the end of this century, as soon as the news of BJ's successful bid for the Olympic Games was announced, Germany's Voith Company, Germany's Dongmen Company, the United States' CE Company, France's Alstom, Switzerland's NBB Company, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Japan's Hitachi ...... More than a dozen international giants in the electrical industry have shown their magic skills across the sea, and have frequently contacted relevant ministries and commissions and the BJ Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government through various channels.

When the time came for them to be rewarded for meritorious deeds, Wu Jinhua, president of NB Electric, Xu Sangcheng, Daniel, Chen Hao, Xie Chenghui, senior vice presidents, and the presidents or vice presidents of more than a dozen of its branches were invited to BJ.

According to the company's established strategy, its subsidiaries will carry out all-round cooperation with the entities under the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power, the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Health, the People's Bank of China, the Civil Aviation Administration and other relevant ministries and commissions, as well as the BJ Municipal People's Government in the next two years.

As an important part of "exchanging technology for market", the Xiangjiang Experimental Center of NB Laboratory also welcomed a delegation headed by Director Zheng of the Science and Technology Development Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and President Nie of the National Electric Power Research Institute as the deputy leader.

The specifications of the delegation are not high, but the lineup is extremely large.

In addition to the directors, directors and experts of the Electric Power System Research Institute, the High Voltage Research Institute, the Electric Power Automation Research Institute, the Relay Protection Research Institute, the Power Transmission and Transformation Engineering Research Institute, the Electric Power Information and Communication Research Institute, the Metrology Research Institute, the Electrical Engineering and New Materials Research Institute and the Industrial Electrical Equipment Quality Inspection and Testing Center, there are more than 30 experts from QH University, WH University, Huaz University of Science and Technology, Anxi Jiaotong University, ZJ University, Dongshan University and D'nan University.

Four academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and twelve academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. More than thirty professors and associate professors. More than 60 senior engineers. In the words of Yin Pengjun, director of the experimental center, almost all the most outstanding experts in the field of domestic electric power science research and application have come!

Pure academic exchange, and it is electric power science that has nothing to do with military and defense.

After taking two days off, he rushed to the experimental center with Chairman Jiang of the Hong Kong NB Laboratory Council, Chairman Gao of the Academic Committee, Professor Alferov and other members of the Academic Committee.

It involves microcomputer monitoring and protection decentralization; demonstration substation design; DC converter station; series compensation; path optimization design; large-section conductor transmission line; Large-span optimization; congested line path optimization; green line design; Compact transmission line ...... and so on, it is impossible for the charter to participate in every group meeting, after the meeting. I accompanied Director Zheng to walk around the tree-lined experimental center.

"It's a big change, it seems to be a parking lot when I came back up, but now it's a swimming pool."

After the relocation of NB Electric, the experimental center was nearly doubled in size, and the original industrial facilities were renovated on a large scale.

The charter glanced back and smiled lightly: "The parking lot you said is actually a loading and unloading area, and it can't be used now, so naturally it can't be left empty." According to the plan of the experimental center, a small golf driving range and a beach court will be built next to the swimming pool. ”

Director Zheng stopped, folded his arms and sighed, "Being rich is different." When you all have done a good job, let alone the conditions of the experimental center in China. I think it's second to none abroad as well. ”

"Conditions are one thing, the key is talent, if you can't attract the best talent, then the conditions are useless."

Thinking of the young scientists and engineers of the NB Laboratory who were holding a group meeting, Director Zheng couldn't help but smile and said, "Mr. Zhang, in my opinion, your laboratory is already full of talents. At least in terms of electric power science, it has reached the international advanced level. ”

The limelight of the NB laboratory has been stolen by one major discovery and pioneering research after another by the Faculty of Basic Studies. When it comes to NB Labs, many people know about the "giant magnetoresistive effect", "carbon nanotubes", "wide bandgap semiconductor materials gallium nitride and indium nitride", as well as technical application research in the field of medical imaging diagnosis and picture tubes, but few know that power technology is the real strength of NB Labs.

In fact, since the establishment of NB Electric, the charter has sent people abroad for further study one after another, and most of the majors studied are in the electrical field. and employ the best power scientists and electrical engineers in Hong Kong, Germany and Russia.

Send out, please come in, and at the same time conduct high-level training in the country.

The training is combined with practice, and the use of NB Electric's power equipment manufacturing, sales and engineering advantages in the Gulf and Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam, has quietly cultivated a large number of talents in just a few years.

In order to welcome the arrival of domestic experts, NB Lab and NB Electric organized the strongest lineup.

Yin Pengjun, Zhang Junshan, Wu Bin, Xiong Yongwang, Zhan Zhize, Xi Wenyao and Xiang Hongyi attended the first batch of doctors studying in Germany without exception, and the team of Dr. Li Shengqu of high-voltage insulating materials trained in Hong Kong and China, the team of chief engineers of Alberta who participated in the emergency repair of Kuwait's power grid, and the team of Sergei Belyawsky hired from Russia with high salaries all went into battle.

As Director Zheng said, this lineup is also the best in the world.

After all, in the field of high voltage, especially ultra-high voltage and ultra-high voltage, the developed countries in the West do not need to develop these technologies that they consider to be "costing people and money" because of their extremely complete power infrastructure and no pressure on electricity.

Thinking of the real intention of the procurement delegation's trip, the charter muttered: "Director Zheng, with our current technology and R&D capabilities, it is still very difficult to complete large-scale DC projects independently, although we are very confident in winning the design, manufacturing, testing and quality assurance of the main equipment of DC transmission projects such as electronically controlled thyristor devices, converter valves, commutators, and flat-wave reactors. ”

If nothing else, in the next month, a "power technology development plan" similar to "863" will be born here.

As the general coordinator, Zheng Ming was very concerned about the core technology to be overcome, and hurriedly asked: "What about the complete set of DC system design, system research technology and DC control and protection technology?" ”

The charter pondered for a moment and looked up, "It's not much of a problem, but it will take at least 3 to 5 years. After all, it involves the security of the power grid and the electricity consumption of thousands of industrial and mining enterprises and residents. We must put stability and reliability first. Immature technology cannot be applied on a large scale. ”

NB Lab is extremely rigorous in its academic attitude, and NB Electric is also strict in its approach to product quality.

Not to mention anything else, as far as their self-developed PLC and inverter are concerned, they have been tested for five years before they are introduced to the market. The independently developed grid automation system has never stopped testing and optimization, and the team of nearly 100 people is based in Kuwait, and even cooperated with Kuwait University and King Saud University to develop a set of Arabic human-machine interface on the original basis.

Now it is time to prepare for the Three Gorges Project and even the upgrading of the domestic power grid. Zheng Ming also thought it was prudent, and after thinking about it, he suddenly asked: "Mr. Zhang, if you are given 5 years, and the Electric Power Research Institute and colleges and universities also fully cooperate and fully participate, then how much can the localization rate of the entire engineering equipment reach in the future?" ”

"It should be able to reach more than 80%, and if the country can make a breakthrough in electronic technology and material technology, it is not impossible for the localization rate to be 100%."

Before I came here, I had a discussion with experts from the Electric Power Research Institute, saying that if we did not adopt the method of technology transfer and cooperative production, the equipment localization rate of the Three Gorges Power Transmission and Distribution Project would not even reach 20 percent with the current level of technology in China.

Not to mention 80%. Even if it can reach 50%, it is a very remarkable improvement, and Director Zheng is ecstatic. Holding his hand tightly, he said: "Mr. Zhang, I can rest assured with your words, in five years, we will work hard for five years!" ”

To his surprise, the charter actually looked at an office building not far away, and said worriedly: "Director Zheng, there are no outsiders here, let me tell you a word from the heart." The technologies that are being discussed in the breakout group meeting, even if there is no national support and no joint venture and cooperation intentions, we will still develop, because this is the foundation of NB Electric, and this is the real meaning of the existence of NB Laboratory.

My concern is that five years is a long time, but it is not a short time, and that there may be a series of things that will disappoint the experts in the various rooms. Because as a researcher, as an electrical engineer, I am convinced that after they walk into the experimental center and communicate with our researchers, they will be full of confidence in the future of China's power technology development.

Think about it, if the technology they have worked so hard to develop and is not at all behind the companies in Western countries, but in the end it has not been applied, or has not been applied in China, what kind of mood will it be? ”

It is better to introduce it from abroad than to develop it yourself, and this concept is very marketable in China.

Zheng Ming sighed secretly and said coldly: "Mr. Zhang, I can't guarantee anything else, but after this big topic is determined, the central government will unswervingly implement it, otherwise it will not require so many enterprises to join forces with NB Electric." ”

"I'm relieved."

The charter nodded slightly, and then said: "In the units and equipment of the Three Gorges Project, we are indeed inferior in technology, and we do not even have the accumulation of technology in this area. But it is also an opportunity for me to learn, and if I can, I want our experts to participate in the technical negotiations between the Ministry of Water and Electric Power and the German Voith, the American CE, the German Orient, the French Alstom and the Swiss NBB, and supervise the entire process as members of the expert group. ”

If we want to contract the supply of equipment for the Three Gorges Project in exchange for the market, we must transfer the relevant technology to domestic motor manufacturing enterprises free of charge.

This is really nothing, Zheng Ming agreed without thinking about it: "I think there should be no problem, but it is best for laboratory experts to enter the Electric Power Research Institute and universities as consultants, visiting professors or exchange scholars as soon as possible, so as to save people from giving people a handle in the future." ”

"It's okay, I'll go back and mention it at the academic committee to see who is most appropriate."

Zheng Ming would not miss this opportunity to hire masters for the Chinese Academy of Sciences and domestic universities, and suddenly asked with a smile: "This year's Nobel Prize winners will be announced in a few days, and it is rumored that scientists from the Department of Basic Research of your laboratory are expected to be elected, Mr. Zhang, what do you think about this?" ”

The prospect of Professor Mullis and Dr. Smith being elected is not a "prediction" of one person in the Bylaws. Several institutions in Europe and the United States have drawn up several lists of expected winners, and the two of them are not only on the list, but also have a high voice.

Looking at Zheng Ming's smiling appearance, he said quietly: "Several seniors of our Faculty of Basic Studies have achieved Nobel Prize prizes. On contributions to science. Prof. Kwok Junru, Prof. Shen Xinru, Dr. Cai Yangzhi, Dr. Chen Wushou and Dr. Li Shengqu are also eligible for the award. It's just that their achievements take a while to verify. If you count the application of technology. Chairman Gao Kun also has this qualification, so I am not surprised at all. I wouldn't be surprised at all if I won the award. ”

"Mr. Zhang, do you think they will accept an invitation to be a visiting professor at a university such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences or QH?"

"I don't know, but you can try."

"Can't you help with the work?"

This requirement was really a little difficult, so he simply pointed to the old laboratory building on the left side of the main road and said with a smile: "Director Zheng." It's hot outside, let's go inside. ”

Zheng Ming couldn't miss this opportunity, and urged as he walked: "Mr. Zhang, give me a happy word, I have made military orders for several principals before I came, if I don't invite one or two, I really have no shame to go to see Jiangdong's father." ”

Walking into the pantry in Area B of the old laboratory building, the charter opened the door of the fresh-keeping cabinet in the corner, took out two bottles of drinks and said with a smile: "Professor Guo, Professor Shen, Dr. Cai and Dr. Li will expire next year, if nothing else." They all go back to the lab to continue their research. As college students trained in China, I think they are very willing to work for their alma mater.

As for the old-timers. I really don't dare to give you a packing ticket, after all, some of them are old and not in good health. Some of them have already accepted several invitations at the same time to serve as visiting professors at HKU, CUHK, HKUST and PolyU. As for Chairman Gao, that's not to mention, he can't do without the laboratory at all. ”

"What about you?" Zheng Ming took the cola and asked with a smile.

"Why do you count me in, isn't it ridiculous and generous to let a person who has not graduated from junior high school stand on the university podium?"

"Mr. Zhang, your academic achievements are obvious to all, and you can't be presumptuous. Not only did you win the Humboldt Prize, but you were also elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers this year. ”

Zheng Ming's thoughtful appearance made the charter ridiculous, and he immediately shook his head again and again: "Director Zheng, what kind of academician, don't shiver at me." ”

Zheng Ming's face was straight: "The highest honor in the field of international electrical and electronic engineering, which was just announced a few days ago, why am I trembling at you?" ”

This question must be clarified, otherwise after being hyped by them, I really don't have the face to go out to meet people in the future, so I sat down and said step by step: "Director Zheng, I am indeed the highest-level member of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Association, but you may not know how this highest-level member came about.

This is entirely due to the fact that I joined the association early on and mobilized more than 80% of the researchers, graduate students and experimenters in the laboratory, as well as all electrical engineers and electronic engineers of NB Electric, to apply for joining, so that the number of members of NB Electrical and NB Laboratory reached nearly half of the Hong Kong branch of the International Association of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

To make the Hong Kong chapter the club with the most membership, academic exchange activities and conferences among all clubs. It can be said to be a performance reward, not an academic affirmation. ”

The charter took a sip of his drink and then explained: "More importantly, there are countless industry associations in the world, and they all have the word "fellow". To be more precise, it should be called 'council', and the translation as 'academician' is completely grandstanding.

In addition, if you want to become this 'academician', you must first join this association, and it will take some years to start from a low-level member and rise step by step. Whether or not you can become a director needs to be elected. If he hadn't joined the association, even Newton Edison's level would not have been able to become this 'academician'. ”

Although Director Zheng is engaged in scientific administration, he is really not very clear about these.

Looking at his stunned look, the charter continued: "And to join the association, you have to pay a membership fee, which varies greatly from person to person, with student members paying dozens of dollars a year and full members more than a hundred. If you choose to join the branch organization, you will have to pay some club dues, which are undoubtedly an obstacle for researchers in underdeveloped countries.

It is precisely because NB Lab and NB Electric have this condition that there are so many members and I am the director. The reason why he became a director and mobilized so many people to join this association is also to be in line with international standards, in order to keep up with the development trend of the international electrical and electronic industry, which is no different from accessing the Internet, and there is no need to take it seriously. ”

Director Zheng asked suspiciously: "This academician really has no weight at all?" ”

"As far as I know, anyone who has something to do with electrical, electronic and computer science can join the association, and even some economists have joined and have been elected as senior members. And the number of 'academicians' like me seems to be no less than 4,500, and the number of members is growing at a rate of 200 to 250 per year, and the total number of directors of the American Chemical Society and the Physical Society, which are the largest, probably will not exceed this number.

As for how high is the academic level? Is it enough for the level of 'academician'? Let's take the American Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Engineering as an analogy, there are about 300 'academicians' of the International Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering among these two real academicians, and it is not uncommon for some universities with strong electrical and electronic strength to have more than a dozen or twenty directors of the association.

It can be said that as long as you are a professor in an American university, as long as you do a good job and have been staying in this association, it will not be difficult to become an 'academician' in the future, and it will not represent the highest level in the field of electrical and electronic engineering at all. ”

Messing around, it turned out to be like this, almost laughing and generous. Just when Director Zheng was embarrassed and didn't know how to speak, there was a sudden "boom" outside, which was deafening!

The laboratory building shook violently, the window glass slammed off, and the crisper in the corner of the wall almost toppled over.

Thinking that there had been a major earthquake, the two hurried to the square in front of the building, and when they looked around, they suddenly saw a thick cloud of smoke over the city center rolling straight into the sky.

Blocked by too many buildings to see anything but smoke, the charter climbed up to the rooftop of the fourth floor with the researchers who poured out of the experimental area, only to see the smoke blazing with fire...... (To be continued......)