Seeing that Wang Zheng was a little embarrassed, Xu Guangqi hurriedly opened his mouth to make a round.

"Your Highness, we still need to test this new transmission device.

As I recall, this new gearing, whether with gears or belts, seemed to be prone to failure.

This waterwheel is a labor-saving device, and if it breaks too often, it will be worth the loss. ”

Xu Guangqi has really studied "The Illustration of Strange Artifacts in the Far West", and he is no stranger to the Western equipment in the book.

Xu Guangqi's words are straight to the point.

Regarding Xu Guangqi's words, Zhu Youzhen thought for a moment before he understood.

It turns out that this is the fundamental difference between Chinese and Western waterwheels.

If the waterwheel wants to change the speed, whether it is a gear or a belt, it can meet the standard of changing speed.

It's just limited to the materials of this era, and no matter which way of shifting, there is a problem that cannot be solved.

That is, the failure rate is simply too high.

In this era without bearings, the faster the speed, the greater the damage to the shaft.

The wooden axle used in the waterwheel can be used for 1-2 years for the short one and 3-5 years for the long one in the slow state. However, if it is used at a faster speed, it is estimated that it will be difficult to last for 1 year.

Even if the main axle of the water vehicle remains the same, it still has this disadvantage after driving.

The equipment originally designed to save labor, if it needs to be repaired twice in three days, how can it work?

Therefore, the Chinese-style waterwheel finally chose a simple, inefficient, but less faulty, long-term durable structure.

Western-style waterwheels need to make up for the lack of labor, and they have embarked on a complex, efficient, and high-failure path.

It's just that with the continuous improvement of materials in the future, the advantages of Western-style waterwheels will appear.

For Zhu Youzhen, what is there to be afraid of the high failure caused by the insufficient strength of the material?

Zhu Youzhen, who has the memory of his previous life and knows the future direction, will still be afraid of this.

Faced with the advantages and disadvantages of Chinese and Western waterwheels, Zhu Youzhen made a choice very simply.

Upper Western-style transmission structure.

Zhu Youzhen would rather waste labor on troubleshooting, but also improve the efficiency of the instrument.

If the fault is high, then we will think about improvement.

If you choose an inefficient and stable structure because of the high failure, it should be regarded as a kind of choking waste.

Seeing that Zhu Youzhen had already made up his mind, Xu Guangqi and Wang Zheng no longer persuaded him.

"Your Highness, how many water workshops should we build at the same time?"

Li Zhizao's question stopped Zhu Youzhen at once.

How many hydro workshops to build?

That's a real problem.

To be honest, Zhu Youzhen really needs a water workshop now, and there really isn't one.

Rice and flour?

The existing manpower of Huangzhuang is sufficient.

Spinning, weaving?

There is also enough manpower for the work of the woolen mill.

Counting the industries under his command, Zhu Youzhen was surprised to find that when it comes to demand, he really doesn't need any efficient water wheels.

Zhu Youzhen is not short of manpower at all now, on the contrary, his manpower seems to be somewhat excessive.

Is this the real reason why generations have chosen inefficient and durable waterwheels?

In this way, is it China's excessive manpower that hinders the development of China's science and technology?

After thinking about it for a while, Zhu Youzhen felt that this reason seemed to be really possible.

The progress of science and technology is to make up for the lack of manpower.

But this manpower is more than enough, what, what else needs the impetus for scientific and technological progress.

Zhu Youzhen secretly smiled bitterly in his heart.

In terms of manpower, he really has no demand for it in the short term. This is to build a waterwheel, so let's develop in a direction that is beyond the reach of manpower.

It's like striking iron, and a person can wield a 100-pound sledgehammer at most, right?

Zhu Youzhen thought silently.

No, even if a person can wield a 200-pound sledgehammer, it will definitely reach the limit of manpower.

According to this standard, I would like to build a waterwheel that can lift a 300-pound hammer.

A 300-pound hammer, isn't that irreplaceable by manpower, and this waterwheel has the meaning of existence.

After thinking about these things clearly, and waving his hand, Zhu Youzhen shouted loudly: "Build." As long as there is enough labor, then all the places suitable for building hydraulic workshops will be built. ”

Ignoring the shocked eyes of Xu Guangqi and the others, Zhu Youzhen asked solemnly: "Mr. Wang, you know the most about hydraulic equipment, do you know how heavy the hammer can be lifted by hydraulic power?" ”

Zhu Youzhen's question stopped Wang Zheng at once.

Although Wang Zheng has studied various Chinese and Western devices for many years, he has really not studied this problem.

How heavy can this water power lift?

"A 300-pound hammer head should be fine, right?"

Zhu Youzhen asked worriedly.

Seeing that Wang Zheng was silent for a long time, Zhu Youzhen couldn't help but go up and down in his heart.

"Then 200 pounds should be fine, right?"

The hydraulic equipment of this era can't even lift a 200-pound hammer, right?

In that case, there really would be no need to build the waterwheel.

Zhu Youzhen's heart was really a little panicked.

After a rough calculation in his heart, seeing that His Royal Highness King Xin was a little anxious, Wang Zheng hurriedly replied: "As long as the water flow is enough, 300 catties will definitely be fine."

According to my estimates, 500 catties should be able to reach it.

However, the greater the lifting weight, the more damage will be done to the shaft.

I'm afraid that it won't be long before the transmission needs to be replaced. ”

After saying this, Wang Zheng's face couldn't help but show a worried color.

"What are you afraid of, if it's broken, change it, what's so tight."

Zhu Youzhen generously comforted Wang Zheng.

"The wooden shaft of the transmission is easy to break, so we can just replace it with an iron shaft.

This iron shaft is more durable than a wooden shaft, right?

If the iron shaft is not enough, then we will replace it with a steel shaft.

If steel shafts can't do that, we will continue to study alloys and other new materials.

As long as we settle down and study slowly, we can always find suitable and durable materials.

Isn't it because of this that the technology and materials will slowly improve year by year? ”

Seeing that Wang Zheng was still a little worried, Zhu Youzhen comforted him again.

Zhu Youzhen has already seen that scholars like Wang Zheng are really not very good at their hands-on ability.

Wang Zheng is good at theoretical research and mapping homework. They are not really good at innovation, they do more to summarize and organize known theories.

But what's the use of just doing theoretical research and mapping assignments?

It is better to make a real thing and do a real experiment than to deduce it a hundred times on the map.

Only by testing the theory with practice can we know the true right and wrong of the theory.

Isn't it?

Anyway, he, Zhu Youzhen, also has this strength now.

Even if the experiment will waste a little manpower and material resources, then it will be a waste of a little!

Zhu Youzhen's words of relief to Wang Zheng fell on the ears of Xu Guangqi, Li Zhizao, and Wang Zheng, but they shocked their minds like Hong Zhong Dalu.

Yes, His Royal Highness is right.

China has been able to get to where it is today, not because countless sages have studied and experimented step by step from generation to generation, so that China's various technologies have advanced to this level.

What the sages can do, we can't?