Wuwei, Minqin County.

The blue waves are thousands of miles, the swimming fish are shallow, and the birds are frolicking on the water.

The desert is surrounded by green water, which is refreshing.

"Maybe it's a good place to farm aquaculture."

Zhang Xingyang stood under the poplar tree by the reservoir and said with great interest.

"There are very few pollutants in the deep desert, and the crabs raised must be very good."

Zhang Xingyang's few hobbies are various types of food.

The local personnel who accompanied him were amazed when they heard this.

None of them had thought of that before.

It's mainly the local environment that influences everyone's thinking.

Sandwiched between two deserts, no one would have thought that farming would be possible.

Who would have thought of farming in the desert?

However, in the future, many high-quality aquatic products in China will come from major freshwater and saltwater lakes between the northwest desert.

Many of these products are even famous.

For example, salmon raised in the snow water of the Tianshan Mountains, Australian dragon, South American shrimp and so on.

"Does Professor Zhang still know about aquaculture?" Local officials said.

"Can we really raise crabs?"

Zhang Xingyang looked at the clear reservoir: "You can give it a try." ”

"Professor Zhang, let's talk about that matter, can we let go of the crab first?" The nuclear power experts who came with Zhang Xingyang were a little anxious.

Spacecraft reactor research has no experience to draw from.

If Zhang Xingyang wants to complete the relevant research and development work, he can only start from scratch.

The first thing to do here is to choose a site for the construction of an experimental reactor.

After a period of discussion, everyone chose the location in the Tengger Desert next to Minqin County.

There are many considerations for choosing here.

The first is security, the Tengger Desert is almost everywhere in the no-man's land.

Even if a nuclear accident occurs, it will not immediately cause large casualties.

Secondly, there is a large reservoir not far away, which is convenient for water use.

The molten salt reactor is still undergoing technical research, and it is unlikely that the research and development work will be completed for a while.

So for a period of time, it is still necessary to use three generations of piles to study.

The water demand of the third-generation reactor is huge, and it is difficult to operate without sufficient water.

Zhang Xingyang turned around and said, "We intend to build an experimental reactor in your local area, I don't know if you have any opinions?" ”

The construction of nuclear reactors must take into account local opinions.

Otherwise, you will face endless troubles in the future.

"We plan to invest 16.8 billion to build a nuclear power plant with a power generation capacity of more than 100 megawatts."

Zhang Xingyang did not hide it, "Of course, it depends on the opinions of your locals." ”

The accompanying officers were dumbfounded.

They didn't expect it to be such a big deal.

Although before Zhang Xingyang and them came, there were also people who greeted them, explaining their importance.

But no one would have thought that such a large investment would fall on them.

You know, last year's GDP was less than 2 billion!

This is already equivalent to their GDP for the past ten years!

Even if there is a little leakage of dregs in the project, it is enough for the local people to eat.

The county towns in the northwest are generally vast and sparsely populated, and there are less than 150,000 people in the county.

It is less populous than one of the larger towns in the east.

"Will there be a problem with emissions from nuclear power plants?" However, the three words of the nuclear power plant immediately after Zhang Xingyang's investment still make people suspicious.

If it is really because of the nuclear power plant, there is large-scale pollution in the local area.

They can't afford to take such a responsibility even if they lose their heads.

"Rest assured that the nuclear power plant will be built in the Tengger Desert, some distance from the county seat, and even if an accident occurs, it will give people enough time to evacuate." Zhang Xingyang understands their concerns.

"Since that's the case, we don't seem to have a reason to refuse." The local official said with a smile.

In this day and age, for the poor locals.

It's incredible to be able to make a huge investment.

They are willing to take a certain amount of risk for this.

There is no such thing in this world as a thing that is not given for nothing.

Zhang Xingyang smiled and stretched out his hand, "Then I wish us a happy cooperation in the future." ”

The formal cooperation has been finalized in less than a month.

Batches of raw materials began to be pulled into the desert from all over the place.

The Nuclear Industry Group began to build the corresponding infrastructure for the nuclear reactor.

For this purpose, he even took the lead in building an 80-kilometer-long road deep into the desert.

Although it is only an easy road, it is enough to see the importance of the project.

A huge amount of money has been invested in this project in the desert.

In an old office building that serves as a temporary office location.

"All the information that can still be found in Project 728 is here."

Li Fei, a nuclear power expert, threw a large stack of yellowed, musty-smelling papers on his desk.

"This project has been too long, and many of the units involved at that time were merged, reorganized, and cancelled, and now there is only a little left behind."

Zhang Xingyang waved his hand and drove some of the stirred dust away from his face, "It's not bad to find something with reference value." ”

In the early seventies, when China was preparing to develop its own civilian nuclear energy, it also considered the development of thorium-based molten salt reactors.

It was even completed at one time, a zero-power cold molten salt pile.

And bring it to a supercritical state.

It's just that due to the economic, technological and other factors at the time, he didn't stick to this path in the end.

Instead, they chose a light-water reactor that is less difficult and more economical.

Li Fei said: "The Oak Ridge Laboratory once built a molten salt reactor in the world, and it didn't take long for it to be abandoned. ”

"These are probably all the references for molten salt reactors."

Stacked on top of each other, it seems to be a lot.

But for nuclear power plants, this little bit of information is simply pitiful.

"Our current technology has also made great progress, don't be presumptuous!"

Zhang Xingyang was very optimistic, reached out and picked up a top document and read it.

Hydrodynamic Analysis of Thorium-based Molten Salt in Supercritical State

"Over the past few decades, materials and technology have developed enough to solve some of our once most difficult problems."

Li Fei still frowned: "But the core problem of the thorium-based molten salt reactor is still not solved now. ”

Thorium-based molten salt reactors face two biggest problems.

The first is the refining and processing of thorium-based molten salt itself.

Unlike traditional water reactors, thorium-based molten salt reactors use molten salt mixed with nuclear fuel as a heat transfer medium.

At present, the ideal medium is fluoride salts, which are very difficult to refine.

The second problem is related to fluoride salts.

Fluoride salts are highly corrosive.

Especially at high temperatures, the corrosiveness increases.

This puts forward extremely high requirements for the material of molten salt flow pipes.

It needs to be extremely resistant to corrosion.

"In terms of molten salt, we have accumulated a lot of experience in solar molten salt tower power generation."

Zhang Xingyang said a little bit about some of their technical reserves:

"In terms of corrosion-resistant materials, we also have certain technology, so you don't have to worry too much."

In fact, there is one thing that Zhang Xingyang did not say, that is, the application of the fourth-generation reactor is not in the ground space, but in space.

Therefore, their fourth-generation reactor will inevitably face problems that other experimental reactors have not faced.

That's the problem of weightlessness in space.

This may seem like a trivial problem, but in fact it will have a great impact on the operation of the entire reactor.

However, Li Fei is still under review, and Zhang Xingyang can't say too much to him.

Up to now, Li Fei still thinks that the fourth-generation reactor they developed is to be applied to submarines or aircraft carriers.

"So, we really have hope of getting the experimental reactor up and running within five years!?" Li Fei said with some surprise.

As a nuclear energy practitioner, he certainly wants to see Longguo take the lead in the world in nuclear power development.

"According to our timetable, the experimental reactor will be commissioned within three years."

Zhang Xingyang quickly browsed the various documents in front of him while answering Li Fei's questions.

"Within five years, we will be able to obtain the official operation certificate."

The first experimental reactor to be built locally will be used to supply electricity to the local area.

It is expected to be able to meet the electricity demand of 10,000 households.

The official operation of a nuclear power plant requires the approval of the Nuclear Safety Administration.

After ensuring that nothing goes wrong, it will officially run at full power and be connected to the grid for power generation.

"It's too tight." Li Fei said with a little smack.

It will take three years to build a new generation of nuclear reactors.

Even though Zhang Xingyang has just introduced him to a series of technical reserves, it still feels difficult to complete in a short period of time.

"It's not too much to spend 10 years on this technology."

Zhang Xingyang glanced up at him slightly, "Ten years from now, you may be able to see miniaturized nuclear reactors." ”

After speaking, Zhang Xingyang took out a document with only a few pages from his desk drawer, "You read this document first." ”

The document is only three pages long, and normally it can be read in a few minutes.

Li Fei watched it for nearly twenty minutes.

The pile of documents in front of Zhang Xingyang, which was originally half a person high, has disappeared by a small half.

"Is what you said above true?"

Li Fei raised his head in shock.

"A super-large container ship capable of holding 24,000 standard containers and a displacement of 240,000 tons? Or nuclear-powered? ”

For a moment, Li Fei felt that he might be dreaming, but he was actually still sleeping in bed.

If it weren't for the fear of pain, he would have wanted to give himself a mouth and try to see if it was in a dream.

"Do we have the strength?"

Faced with doubts, Zhang Xingyang said angrily, "I took the word go." ”

"The reactor is just on the ship, do you need such a big reaction?!"

Just on the ship?!

Li Fei couldn't wait to rush forward at this time, grabbed the other party's neck and asked, do you understand what this means!

It has the capacity to build a 240,000-ton nuclear-powered container ship, and it is also capable of building a 100,000-ton nuclear-powered supercarrier!

"In other words, do we really want to develop marine nuclear reactors?"

Li Fei asked with a trembling voice.

"There is a plan for this, but it will not start until the development of the thorium-based molten salt reactor is completed."

"If the current third-generation reactor is on the ship, it is still not very suitable, and there are many problems."

Li Fei: "In other words, we can have a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the future?" ”

When Zhang Xingyang heard this, he raised his head and looked at the other party with mentally retarded eyes, "It's a pity that your associative ability doesn't go to write." ”

"Now the marine nuclear reactor has not been able to connect with a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier without a single stroke."

Not to mention nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, now there is not even a single aircraft carrier in the country.

The Varyag, which is being renovated at the Northern Shipyard, has already been launched, but it will take at least one to two years to outfit.

The follow-up sea trial process will take at least a year, and there is still a long way to go before the formation of combat effectiveness.

Of course, if the development speed is fast enough, it is possible to apply nuclear reactors to the second aircraft carrier, that is, the first domestic aircraft carrier.

"At least there's hope." Li Fei said with a smile.

"I don't know when we will be able to see our domestic nuclear-powered aircraft carrier."

"Then again, we don't have much experience with marine nuclear reactors."

Although Li Fei is an expert in nuclear power, he is not proficient in other fields.

It can only be said that there is a slight understanding, and the same is true when it comes to ships.

Zhang Xingyang sighed, "So we will start the development of marine reactors after the success of our thorium-based molten salt reactors." ”

"It's because the thorium-based molten salt reactor has all its advantages."

"The temperature of the molten salt itself can directly drive the supercritical CO2 turbine to operate, rather than using a steam turbine."

The only molten salt reactor built by the Oak Ridge Laboratory that has ever been operated is a steam turbine.

Compared with steam turbines, the most important thing about gas turbines is the start-up time.

Steam turbines wait for water to boil to form steam before they can propel turbines.

This is nothing on a civilian ship, but on a warship.

Undoubtedly, it greatly increased the wartime launch time.

This is one of the factors why most modern large warships use steam turbines.

"In addition, the molten salt reactor does not have solid fuel rods, but dissolves the nuclear fuel in the molten salt, which continues to enter the reaction zone as the molten salt circulates, which also means that ships with molten salt reactors do not need to be overhauled in the shipyard for half a year every few years, as is the case with water reactors."

Therefore, a warship using molten salt reactors can really achieve continuous navigation on the sea surface without stopping for refueling or overhaul.

This is something that all nuclear-powered warships, aircraft carriers, etc., cannot do at present.

After speaking, Zhang Xingyang buried his head in the pile of documents and said:

"So let's do it, let's make a thorium-based molten salt reactor sooner now, and see a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier sooner."

After Li Fei heard this, he was immediately full of enthusiasm, "Then let's speed up and do it!" ”

In fact, Li Fei also understood that Zhang Xingyang drew a big cake for him.

However, sometimes people need such lofty ideals to be able to burst out with all their strength.

He is also willing to work hard for this big pie. (End of chapter)