Daming has built a plutonium-239 production reactor and continues to refine enriched uranium-235.

Even, the Ming Dynasty now accumulates enriched uranium 235, which is several times more than the accumulated plutonium 239.

Because Daming, like the United States at the beginning, is ready to "walk on two legs" in the selection and production of nuclear fuel.

The reason for walking on two legs is that the difficulty of refining and producing plutonium and uranium, two charges, is manifested in two completely different directions.

The refining and enrichment of uranium 235 can be regarded as a simple and crude type to some extent.

When the material properties are sufficient, and a strong enough centrifuge is built, it can barely be regarded as a model of vigorous miracles.

Anyway, no one can interfere with the electricity consumption of Daming New Tianfu now.

As long as there are enough centrifuges and enough power supply, we can continue to produce stably.

However, the production of plutonium 239 requires careful precision.

The production of plutonium-239 does not seem to require uranium enrichment like uranium-235, and can be produced by value-added production of special production reactors.

The reactor can even be used directly from natural uranium, without the need to specifically separate uranium-235 and uranium-238.

However, the difficulty in producing and refining plutonium-239 is much more complicated than enriching uranium.

First of all, there is the question of the design and construction of the production reactor itself, as well as its control.

The logic of the production reactor is essentially to let uranium-235 in natural uranium fission, and release neutrons to bombard uranium-238.

Uranium-238 becomes uranium-239, and after two gamma decays, it is converted into plutonium-239.

Finally, the resulting plutonium 239 is separated from the raw material pile.

The process itself is difficult.

This production process then produces plutonium-240 at the same time.

The rate of spontaneous fission of plutonium-240 is very high, which may cause the plutonium-239 bomb to get out of control.

The point is that after the plutonium is produced, it is more troublesome to separate the plutonium-240 in it than to do uranium enrichment.

If the concentration of plutonium 240 exceeds 20%, it can be directly regarded as waste.

Plutonium-240 must have a concentration of less than 7 percent before it can be used as a nuclear charge for an atomic bomb.

Products in between can be used in nuclear power plants to generate electricity.

Therefore, the proportion of plutonium 240 must be controlled in the process of production.

Heavy water moderated reactors must be used, and heavy water production is also cumbersome, with constant and regular refueling.

Before the plutonium-240 enrichment reaches the critical point, the produced plutonium-239 is extracted.

In this process of repeated extraction, a relatively large scale of waste will inevitably be formed.

Therefore, in fact, the production reactors of plutonium-239 in later generations usually use the spent fuel of uranium-235 as raw materials, that is, "slag" to refine.

Finally, the production of plutonium-239 is actually also consuming uranium-235.

The reactor that drives the reactor reaction is uranium-235.

At the current state of technology, the total amount of uranium-235 consumed is much more than the amount of plutonium-239 that is finally produced.

After this series of tosses, looking at this series of processes and difficulties, you can already imagine a situation:

"The early production method, the speed of producing plutonium 239, must not be fast."

In the history of Zhu Jingyuan's previous life, the United States produced all the plutonium 239 in the later period of the Manhattan Project, and the total was only about 10 kilograms.

And uranium 235 has more than 50 kilograms.

This is the effect of using the less efficient gas diffusion method to enrich uranium.

Under the circumstance that Daming has the ability and can vigorously perform miracles, if he wants to get more nuclear fuel quickly, he can only rely on uranium enrichment.

At the same time, the Ming Dynasty's demand for plutonium fuel is not urgent.

The biggest advantage of plutonium fuel is in the miniaturization of nuclear weapons.

Compared with plutonium-239, the critical mass of uranium-235 is several times greater.

Therefore, the mass of nuclear fuel consumed to make a uranium bomb will definitely be much greater than that of a plutonium bomb.

The end result must be that the weight of the entire uranium bomb exceeds the weight of the entire plutonium bullet.

It's just that the current level of technology is limited, and the current throwing weight of fission bombs is still maintained in the era of tons.

It doesn't matter whether the nuclear fuel is tens of kilograms or a few kilograms.

Moreover, Daming has taken the implosion atomic bomb route from the very beginning, whether it is a uranium bomb or a plutonium bomb, it is an implosion design.

The mass of nuclear fuel required for an implosion-type uranium bomb is actually less than half that of the "little boy" of the gun-type bullet in the previous life.

The difference in the nuclear fuel required by the two is, in fact, a gap of a few kilograms and a dozen kilograms.

In the future, nuclear weapons will continue to be miniaturized, and eventually they will definitely be able to reach the level of hundreds or even tens of kilograms.

But by that time, the ability to control the critical state of nuclear charges will definitely be improved at the same time, that is, less nuclear fuel will be needed.

The difference between the two fuel consumption will become a difference of three or four kilograms and seven or eight kilograms.

This is the experience of Zhu Jingyuan's previous life.

In cases where the weight of the warhead is not particularly sensitive, the pure uranium projectile scheme is still feasible.

In the two nuclear tests on the Tiannan Continent, the two fission bombs detonated by the Ming Dynasty were a plutonium bomb and a uranium bomb.

The four bombs that Zhu Zhaoxie escorted to the mainland were three uranium bombs and one plutonium bomb.

There is basically no difference in the weight of these bombs, and they are all very close to the whole number of two tons.

In fact, whether it is the use of centrifuges to enrich uranium-235 or the production of heap plutonium-239 from heavy water, it is a large-scale heavy industry.

Although the two paths have their own merits, neither is something that small countries can easily achieve.

Even, in Zhu Jingyuan's previous life, the vast majority of countries had no choice at all, and it would be good to be able to implement a set of plans.

Those who can walk on two legs like Da Ming are big countries like the United States and Lucia.

Lucia was incapable of walking on two legs in the early days, and according to the information obtained, she first completed the test explosion of the plutonium bomb, and then completed the technology of the uranium bomb.

But Da Ming is bigger than the two of them combined.

The second part of the report is the status of follow-up research on fissile weapons.

Under the condition that the explosion experiment has been completely successful, and the existing research and production system is basically perfect.

The next key tasks of relevant research institutions have shifted to the upgrading and optimization of fission bombs, as well as the design of more types of bombs.

That is, the miniaturization and practical use of fission weapons.

Continue to reduce the drop weight of bombs, continue to increase the reaction ratio of nuclear charges, and continue to increase the actual yield of bombs.

It is expected that in two to three years, the total weight of the bomb will be reduced to less than one ton, and the explosive yield will be increased to more than 50,000.

The explosive yield of a pure fission atomic bomb can actually reach the level of 500,000 tons.

It's just that the efficiency and weight will be ugly.

However, on the basis of 20,000 tons, it is still very necessary to continue to upgrade to the level of 50,000 to 100,000 tons.

This research is certainly faster than the development of fusion bombs.

Even if they were developed quickly, the early fusion bombs would have been bigger and heavier.

Even if Zhu Jingyuan knows more tricks, the principle of using the atomic bomb as the primary determines that the fusion bomb will always be larger and heavier than the atomic bomb.

The continuation of the "refining" of the atomic bomb itself is the basis for the miniaturization of nuclear weapons.

It is necessary to continuously study and improve.

As for the so-called practical application, it is to develop more types of fission bombs that can be directly mounted.

Including bombs suitable for different bombers, bombs dropped using existing and soon-to-be-commissioned missiles, as well as bombs capable of being used as artillery shells.

As in the early days of nuclear weapons in previous lives, there are new weapons that are powerful enough that people tend to apply them to all aspects of warfare.

The third part of the report is the situation of ship-powered nuclear power reactors.

The nuclear fission reactor is the most powerful and controllable energy source that mankind can be sure of at present.

Even nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and nuclear power plants may be discussed in the industry and the private sector about whether or not to continue to use them because of cost-effectiveness and environmental safety issues, but nuclear-powered submarines are not discussed.

The nuclear fission reactor is the only energy source that can be obtained by human beings at present, allowing submarines to truly submerge for a long time.

And nuclear submarines are an indispensable part of strategic nuclear strikes.

So marine nuclear power reactors must be studied.

Zhu Jingyuan also knows this very well.

Therefore, Daming's new element project has two goals from the beginning: bomb and power.

Research on marine reactors began simultaneously with fission bombs.

When the plutonium-239 production and reprocessing reactors were being studied, pressurized water reactors for heat output were being studied simultaneously.

Experiments with fission bombs have now been completed.

In the field of marine power reactors, all theoretical research has now been completed, and the construction of onshore test reactors has begun.

Now it is time to start designing and building nuclear-powered ships.

If the onshore test reactor is operating normally, then the production of a real marine reactor can begin, which will be put directly on board in a few years.

If all goes well, it is expected that in about five years, the Daming nuclear-powered ship will be launched.

This is much faster than the Americans in the previous life.

The nuclear submarine project in the previous life was also a separate project that was launched after the completion of the Manhattan project.

The first nuclear submarine entered service, nine years later than the completion of the Manhattan project.

Daming's side is likely to cut this time in half.

In fact, like the entire New Element Project, it does not mean that the research speed of the Ming Dynasty will be faster than that of the Americans in the previous life.

But under the leadership of the Ming Emperor, all the relevant projects of the Ming Dynasty were implemented intensively, one after the other or even at the same time.

The American project is a semi-independent execution.

Every time a new project is launched, there are probably a whole bunch of questions waiting for the people involved.

Even if scientists have a mature idea, they need to be able to convince officials and the military to push for the project, and the officials and the military have to push Congress for funding.

Only then can you start organizing people to start specific research.

There will also be a lot of commercial problems in this process, and the selection and cooperation of the manufacturers responsible for the production.

They will waste a lot of time on areas that they can't save.

Just like now, the onshore test reactor has not yet been built, and Zhu Zhaoxie's report has already proposed:

"You can start designing and building nuclear submarine designs in advance."

The reactors have not been verified, how can we design a nuclear submarine using such a reactor?

The logic is simple, the reactor design team gives the space required by the reactor and gives the main parameters of the reactor.

When designing a nuclear submarine, the power and transmission system are designed according to the parameters of the reactor, and at the same time leave enough space for the reactor to be installed.

When the nuclear submarine has built its hull and frame, the place where the reactor is installed is temporarily empty.

After the reactor verification is completed, it is pulled over and loaded onto the ship.

Of course, the premise is that the onshore experiments of the reactor can really be completed on time and normally.

Otherwise, at the last moment, there will be a problem with the design of the reactor, and it will have to be greatly revised, and the submarine with a built shell will also have to be overhauled.

While existing products won't be completely scrapped, a lot of money and time will be wasted.

So the more critical issue is to have someone with sufficient authority to endorse and be responsible for this project management method.

This person can only be the emperor.

And Zhu Jingyuan's decision was: "Yes".

If it succeeds, the nuclear submarine will be launched in three years, and if it fails, tens of millions of silver bills will be wasted, and the nuclear submarine may not be launched until five years later.

Zhu Jingyuan still bears this price.

The key is that the current research direction, also given by Zhu Jingyuan, is generally correct.

The odds of success are inherently high.

More than ten years ago, the design of Daming's high-speed battleships and aircraft carriers was actually a very common project management method.

In the end, it was largely successful.

Although the managers and workers involved worked hard, there were many repeated revisions and adjustments in between.

But it also made the Ming Dynasty's warship design change rapidly.

The fourth part of the report is the research progress related to fusion bombs.

The research related to the fusion bomb of the Ming Dynasty was launched in the late stage of the theoretical research of the fission bomb.

This is actually a typical parallel project scenario.

It is also based on Zhu Jingyuan's foresight and reasonable arrangement.

Use fission weapons as the detonation stage of fusion weapons.

You don't have to wait until a fission weapon is made and then design a fusion weapon from scratch.

After the basic principles of fission weapons are clarified, research on fusion weapons can be started on the premise that "there are already fission weapons".

Zhu Jingyuan's country in his previous life did the same.

Therefore, after the fission weapon was completed, it was only less than three years later that the fusion weapon was made.

If you pay attention to the propaganda caliber, you can see that what the newspapers say is that it did not take less than three years to complete the hydrogen bomb.

Rather, it was repeatedly emphasized that it took just over two years to detonate the hydrogen bomb "after the atomic bomb exploded."

This propaganda rhetoric actually evades the exact figure of the actual length of research on the hydrogen bomb in the country.

There was an interval of more than seven years between the atomic bombing of the United States and the explosion of the fusion bomb.

Because the United States was a pioneer at that time, he had to explore all the paths and methods himself.

When the Manhattan Project began, there was already a direction to use the energy of a fission bomb to trigger a fusion reaction.

However, this direction has not become a formal research direction and goal.

Even before the atomic bomb was created by Red Lucia, the enthusiasm of American officials for this research was not high.

After all, they are the only country that has an atomic bomb.

At that time, the atomic bomb was already a thunderous sword above conventional weapons.

At the same time, there are errors in their understanding of the route of the hydrogen bomb, and the power of the early mille-feuille design scheme is not significantly improved compared with the atomic bomb at that time.

They don't feel the need to put a lot of effort into research.

It was after confirming the news that Lucia had completed the atomic bomb that the United States increased its investment in fusion bomb research.

So it's completely normal that it takes longer between two bombs in the United States.

To put it bluntly, they are unfocused.

But on the flip side, don't they want a quick finish? They don't have that condition at all.

The American court was essentially an association of merchants.

The point is that there is no person with absolute authority, and the president cannot directly order everyone to cooperate with him and persuade Congress to let them see the benefits.

Without feeling the pressure of competition, they will not spend enough money to invest in projects that do not see benefits.

Although the current Ming Dynasty is also a pioneer, it is a focused model.

Zhu Jingyuan gave the right direction, allowing the relevant research to directly skip the mille-feuille cake design and directly explore the use of X-ray irradiation and lithium deuteride6.

The Emperor and the Emperor Zhuang provided absolute financial and environmental support as well as talent support, making them more efficient than normal explorers.

So their speed, while they may not be as fast as their home countries that were chasers in their previous lives, will certainly be faster than the Americans in their previous lives.

So far, the progress of related research has been quite smooth, and the theoretical research and the preparation of supporting production processes are now in the key research stage.

The researchers gave an estimated completion time of three years.

Zhu Jingyuan knew that the past three years must be a conservative estimate, and the officials of the Ming Dynasty did not dare to say big things.

At the same time, the finished product that can be made after three years should also be a fusion bomb with certain combat significance.

Just like Zhu Jingyuan's first hydrogen bomb in his previous life, the weight was not much greater than that of the first atomic bomb, and the experiment was directly completed by airdropping by airplane.

Obviously, in the next three to five years, the entire new element project will usher in a big harvest period.

The fission bomb is actually only the first harvest, but it also opens the door to a new era.

Zhu Jingyuan is basically satisfied with the situation of the new element project.

After reading the report, in addition to making the approval, I also gave a high evaluation:

"Greatly, the project has significantly exceeded the original expectations, and it took 13 years to complete the original 15-year plan.

"What's even more gratifying is that, if nothing else, the original 30-year goal should be achieved within 20 years.

"This is all the great credit of you and all the craftsmen, and it is your unremitting efforts over the past 13 years that we have achieved the current harvest.

"So, from now on, all the people involved in the project will be paid two levels of wages.

"All those who have actually made outstanding contributions to the project, as well as all those who have participated in the project since thirteen years ago, will be given an honorary title of the first class."

When Zhu Zhaoxie heard this, he hurriedly took all the officers to bow down and thank him:

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After Zhu Jingyuan bowed slightly, Zhu Zhaoxie immediately spoke:

"It's all Your Majesty who pointed out the right direction, and all the research can be so smooth, and the last general really doesn't dare to take credit......

When Zhu Jingyuan heard these compliments, he didn't say anything polite.

What Zhu Zhaoxie said can't be wrong.

Besides, as an emperor, you can't be too modest and detract from your majesty.

So Zhu Jingyuan directly accepted it, and then took them to discuss the arrangements for the forbidden army.