The development of real estate in the capital can be put on hold for a while, but the energy industry can be handled first.

So, early the next morning, Zhu Youzhen went to Xishan.

After the visit, Zhu Youzhen began to study honeycomb briquettes.

A pack horse was set, and the coal was crushed with a heavy roller, and then carefully sieved with a dustpan, and the coal was ground into fine powder, and the loess was taken, which was also screened through the dustpan.

Zhu Youzhen remembered that there seemed to be sawdust or something, which could help burn and enhance firepower, but of course, it was okay not to use it.

Because of the proportion of coal ash and loess and water, Zhu Youzhen could not remember clearly, and according to the experimental comparison method, Bi Maosheng had to mix the water of these materials together in different proportions and record the proportions used.

After molding, the actual combustion effect is compared to determine the appropriate proportion.

Because there is a process of making a handmade briquette machine and a simple honeycomb coal stove, and the honeycomb coal has to be dried after it is made, it should not be able to see the experimental effect today.

However, for that kind of animal-powered mill, Zhu Youzhen felt that it needed to be improved.

Because of the problems of seals and pistons, the design drawings of the steam engine given by Zhu Youzhen have not been successfully developed, so Zhu Youzhen can only turn around in hydraulic power and animal power now.

"Your Majesty, can this briquette with soil really burn?"

Until now, Bi Maosheng was still a little suspicious, so he took advantage of Zhu Youzhen's efforts to go to the machinery factory to check the hydraulic drilling machine and hydraulic forging hammer, so he asked the question he had always wanted to ask.

"What are the three elements of combustion?"

Zhu Youzhen strode and asked.

"Combustibles, air, and ignition sources."

Under the influence of Zhu Youzhen, Bi Maosheng also knew some basic knowledge of chemistry and physics, which made Bi Maosheng, who originally knew only one thing about some natural phenomena and did not know the other.

And according to the principle of natural phenomena provided by Zhu Youzhen, Bi Maosheng found that he could artificially create some strange natural phenomena, such as Feihong.

"Your Majesty is saying that briquettes are combustible, and then the fine hole in the middle can let more air in and accelerate the combustion, so as long as it is ignited, this briquette burns better than the previous coal?"

Regarding Bi Maosheng's understanding, Zhu Youzhen did not comment, but said to himself.

"Coal can be burned, but it has been underground for many years, some of it has been hard as stone, and there are some impurities in it that cannot be burned, and some are even poisonous, all of which I have told you."

Bi Maosheng hurriedly said that there were other impurities in the coal and Zhu Youzhen did not need to say, he also knew that it could be seen by the naked eye alone, and the burned cinders and smoke produced also confirmed this.

"Therefore, if it were not for the kind of large furnace used to make steel, how could an ordinary brazier burn through, not only was it wasteful, but the impurities in it could also be toxic."

Speaking of this, Zhu Youzhen paused and said.

"So every winter, there are a lot of poisoning deaths in the capital because of heating."

When Bi Maosheng heard this, the mystery that had been bothering him for many years seemed to be opened all of a sudden.

He had also heard about the case of Jingshidong's family being killed by the whole family for no reason, and there were no wounds, the doors and windows were tight, and there was no sign of outsiders entering or leaving.

Such a horrific method of murder occurred several times in Beijing every winter, and in Zhu Youzhen's original era, until the late nineteenth century, no one found that it was caused by insufficient coal burning.

According to Pu Yizhong, he was poisoned by coal when he was a child.

Therefore, few people in this era know that coal burning can be toxic, let alone because of the principle of insufficient combustion.

Even Bi Maosheng, who has studied Gewu Zhizhi a lot, was reminded by Zhu Youzhen that it was the poisonous smoke produced by the combustion of toxic substances in coal that caused death.

"Your Majesty is saying that the poisonous smoke from burning coal can kill people?"

Bi Maosheng felt that he understood what Zhu Youzhen meant, so he preemptively said.

When Zhu Youzhen heard this, he immediately stopped, and then touched his chin with his hand, with a frown on his face.

Seeing this, Bi Maosheng knew that he had said too much or said something wrong, so he didn't dare to speak for a while, waiting for the Son of Heaven to clear his doubts.

Zhu Youzhen thought about it for a long time, but he was also quite embarrassed, he had never mentioned the knowledge of the periodic table of chemical elements to Bi Maosheng, even the three elements of combustion only mentioned air, and he did not mention anything about oxygen.

And now it would be even more incomprehensible to talk about carbon monoxide as a gas.

But if you don't explain it clearly, it will be bad if you let the remarks about the poison of coal spread by Bi Maokang, and if the people dare not use coal, then where did his industrial revolution come from?

After thinking about it for a long time, Zhu Youzhen decided to popularize the knowledge of carbon monoxide poisoning on the basis of the current theory.

If there is not enough air to promote combustion, coal will produce a toxic smoke, a small amount will make people dizzy, and a large number will make people lose consciousness and even die."

For this explanation, Bi Maokang felt that it was quite understandable, and thought about it and said.

"It's okay if it's burned sufficiently, like a steel-making furnace, where the temperature is extremely high, and there are blowers, or like the furnace and briquettes that His Majesty just designed, let more air in and accelerate the combustion."

When Zhu Youzhen heard this, he nodded with satisfaction, it is a pleasure to talk to smart people, and he can draw inferences from one another.

"That's it, that's why I'm in a hurry to promote this honeycomb briquette and the kind of stove that is transparent up and down."

"The coal is crushed into powder, and then passed through a sieve, one can remove impurities that cannot be burned, the other is to make the coal soft and easy to burn, add soil to set the shape, and make a honeycomb shape to facilitate air entry."

"Of course, the kind of furnace with upper and lower ventilation is also to let more air in, so as to accelerate combustion, there are fewer impurities, and the combustion is sufficient, and the toxic smoke will naturally be gone or less."

"And this stove can not only heat the house, but also boil water for cooking, which is much stronger than the brazier."

Zhu Youzhen explained the benefits of promoting honeycomb briquettes and coal stoves to Bi Maokang, of course, he said so much not to explain Bi Maokang's doubts, he hoped that his words could finally reach the ears of the people of the Ming Dynasty.

Saving people's lives is better than building a seventh-level floating slaughter, and with a show of his hands, Zhu Youzhen naturally hopes that the more people he saves, the better.

"Your Majesty is benevolent and benevolent, for the benefit of all beings, this briquette is really a big deal."

When Bi Maokang heard this, he bowed solemnly.