"Lao Yuan, thank you for connecting us this time."

Lao Huang of the Railway Research Institute thanked Vice President Yuan with enthusiasm on his face.

Vice President Yuan didn't smile on his face, "Lao Huang, this time I picked up a big bargain for you." ”

"That's, that's."

Lao Huang said heartily, "I owe you a favor this time." ”

"Why don't I treat you to a meal?" Lao Huang rolled his eyes and said.

Vice President Yuan waved his hand and said angrily, "Excuse me, your kid's food is really not delicious, it's not as good as the canteen of our factory!" ”

Lao Huang's favorite thing is to invite people to dinner, but not to go to the restaurant.

Not even eating in their unit cafeteria.

Instead, he ate at his house, and the meals were all made by Lao Huang himself.

However, Lao Huang's craftsmanship.

It's hard to put into words.

There was once someone who didn't know how good he was cooking.

I thought I would be able to eat a big meal.

As a result, on that day, he walked out with his hands on the wall of the family home.

I'm almost going to hit 120 directly.

Since then, Lao Huang has become famous for inviting people to dinner.

No one dared to eat his cooking anymore.

"But their requirements are not low, if you can't do it, don't blame people for turning their faces."

Vice President Yuan gave Lao Huang a wave of preventive injections in advance.

"Don't come to me when the time comes."

Lao Huang was not angry, "Don't worry, I know it." ”

Lao Huang turned around and returned to the conference room, and Vice President Yuan was preparing to go back to the Jiangnan factory.

As the vice president, he also has a lot of work every day, and it is impossible to waste time here all the time.

"Director Huang, our requirements are not very complicated."

Geng Bo didn't say too much greetings and went straight to the point.

He also knew that the two of them must have communicated with each other when they went out just now.

"I don't know if you can do the processing of ultra-long components with a diameter of 15 centimeters and a length of 450 meters."

Director Huang didn't expect Geng Bo to be so direct.

But looking at the large order in Geng Bo's hand, he didn't care too much.

"We've done a lot of this type of extra-long member."

"The experience is still there."

"But whether you can do it or not depends on your processing requirements for components."

The Railway Research Institute has the most advanced ultra-long seamless rail processing technology in China.

He has a lot of experience in the machining of ultra-long structural parts.

The high-speed railway, which is just beginning to be built today, uses seamless steel rails that are processed by their technology.

It is capable of manufacturing a single ultra-long seamless rail with a length of more than 500 meters.

Geng Bo didn't get the answer he wanted in the Jiangnan factory, and he was already a little disheartened.

I even began to think about how to develop space welding technology and automatic welding robots.

Director Huang's words undoubtedly gave him hope again.

"We're using a titanium-nickel alloy, if you want to look into it."

Geng Bo spoke very quickly, for fear that the other party would regret it.

"We'll be able to send you a batch in a few days for you to study."

Materials are not an important factor restricting the research of space platform keels.

Titanium-nickel alloys are not special materials.

It's not a big deal to give some to the Railway Research Institute.

Even if someone wants to reverse it, let's not talk about whether it can be technically realized.

This titanium-nickel alloy has been patented for several years.

Others can't sell it if they do it in reverse.

In fact, the uses of titanium-nickel alloys are not too broad.

In particular, the titanium-nickel alloy developed by the Rocket Research Institute was developed for aerospace applications.

It's hard to use in other ways.

"As for the processing requirements, I have listed them all, you can take a look."

Geng Bo pushed out an A4 piece of paper with several items of data written on it from his desk.

The processing requirements of the keel are recorded on it.

"It's not too difficult, but it may take us some time to get it done."

Director Huang lowered his head and looked at it for a few minutes before saying.

The requirements on paper are actually similar to the requirements for seamless rails they make.

It mainly focuses on several key aspects such as straightness and internal damage.

In some respects, the requirements are even lower than the seamless steel rails they use on high-speed rail.

"Then let's make one out and see it first, and if the effect is good, we will place a large-scale order."

Geng Bo made a decision very quickly, and it only took a few minutes.

This task was entrusted to the Railway Research Institute.

"We will finish the first component as soon as possible."

Lao Huang rarely assured solemnly.

At the same time, I silently thought in my heart that this was a huge order.

There is absolutely no chance of any surprises.

The life of the Railway Research Institute has not been easy in recent years.

They also have limited funds.

If you want to live a better life, mention everyone's welfare.

In addition to state grants, it is still necessary to take on some other projects to make a little money.

Geng Bo held a large order in his hand.

Let the old yellow eyes be greedy.

If you can process these hundreds of ultra-long components, you can get them all.

To say the least, it can make tens of millions of profits.

It's a big windfall.

Geng Bo stood up and said, "In three days, our technicians will come to you with the materials. ”

"You put the relevant people and structures in place as soon as possible."

Lao Huang naturally agreed, the sooner they started the project, the sooner they could get the money.

The drum space platform project is also a top priority within the research institute.

In three days, Geng Bo completed various arrangements in terms of materials and personnel.

Took them to the Railway Research Institute.

Trucks painted in army green were loaded with several ingots of titanium-nickel alloy.

The mass of each piece of alloy is in the hundredth kilogram.

On a truck, there were 100 alloy ingots neatly stacked.

In this way, a 10-ton Titanium-Nickel alloy can make a 450-meter-long keel!

This is also why, the keel of the drum space platform alone has a total mass of 1,000 tons.

"This is our titanium-nickel alloy, you can study it tentatively first."

Geng Bo pointed to the truck in the open space of the research institute and said to Lao Huang.

"A summary of our research was sent to you before then."

"I wonder what you guys think?"

At this time, Lao Huang also reversed his previous unobtrusive image, revealing a bit of scholarly atmosphere.

This man, who can be called an evil god in cooking, also has outstanding contributions to scientific research.

"Yes, but they all say that your alloy properties are very peculiar."

"It's strange that memorability alone."

Memory metal is nothing new.

Decades ago, countries around the world began to develop memory metals.

Especially in the aerospace field, memory metals are even more widely used.

Many of the folding antennas in satellites are memory metals.

"Memory metal isn't a special technology, what's weird." Geng Bo wiped the sweat from his forehead and said casually.

Lao Huang touched his chin and said, "If you want to talk about memory metal, it's not like we haven't studied it." ”

"But in ordinary memory metals, the deformation temperature is 40 degrees."

"Your titanium-nickel alloy has a calibrated deformation temperature of 80 degrees!"

"Twice as tall!"

The main reason for the deformation of memory metals is the change of crystal structure at different temperatures.

For example, the titanium-nickel alloy that Geng Bo and they transported, below 80 degrees, the crystal structure martensite, above 80 degrees is austenite.

Martensite and austenite are both microstructure names of metal materials, and the crystal structure of the two is different, the crystal structure of martensite is a body-centered tetragonal structure, while the crystal structure of austenite is a face-centered cubic structure.

Therefore, when the temperature changes, the alloy will shrink or expand, which will change the shape of the metal.

"Our application scenario is special and requires a relatively high deformation temperature."

Geng Bo did not elaborate on the internal reasons.

This involves the issue of the launch situation of the keel.

The 450-meter-long keel naturally cannot be launched like ordinary satellites and space stations.

Stuffed directly into the cargo compartment of the rocket, and then launched into space.

Because of its length, it even exceeds the height of the rocket itself!

Therefore, it is necessary to think of some special ways to stuff the keel into the cargo hold.

Geng Bo came up with the idea of using memory metal.

Let the keel form a ball at high temperatures.

At low temperatures, it's a straight alloy stick.

In this way, the keel hundreds of meters long can be curled up into an iron lump with a diameter of ten meters.

This allows it to be stuffed into the cargo compartment of the rocket.

"You only need to study the processing of components at low temperatures, and you don't need to think about their high temperature memory."

Geng Bo didn't give Lao Huang a chance to continue pestering, and directly asked them not to think about this aspect.

"Okay, but there's one more thing that we find strange."

Lao Huang's doubts are not just in terms of special memory.

"Its stiffness in a low temperature environment is too high, are you going to use it in Antarctica?"

Lao Huang still doesn't know the specific origin of Geng Bo and them.

I only know that the source is very big, and it is very rich.

Although before this has been repeatedly emphasized, don't ask too many questions.

But the curiosity of the scientific researchers still made him want to know such a special thing.

What are they going to do with it?

"That's a good guess, we're going to use it in Antarctica."

If he can use this excuse to dispel the other party's doubts, Geng Bo doesn't mind telling a small lie.

"We're going to start working on an icebreaker?" Lao Huang muttered.

It is also natural for him to have such associations.

The first was Vice President Yuan of Jiangnan Shipyard who found him and said that he had brought in a big customer.

That means it should have something to do with the ship.

And then it has to do with the low temperature environment.

Then there is nothing else but icebreakers.

Probably.

At the end of the day, a starship is a ship!

The Railway Research Institute has a full range of processing equipment.

And Geng Bo gave them three days to prepare.

During these three days, they did not just carefully study the description of the material characteristics that Geng Bo had sent them.

And it involves a complete set of processing processes.

The electric furnace was the first to start heating, and each piece of metal ingots weighing 100 kilograms was thrown into it.

It began to melt slowly, turning into a furnace of reddish-yellow molten steel.

It's even more dazzling than volcanic lava.

If you do not wear the appropriate eye protection.

It can even directly burn a person's eyes.

Thousands of degrees of heat, making it difficult to get close.

Only a coarse hinge device can withstand such high temperatures and lift a large crucible filled with molten steel.

"It will take about three or four hours for this to melt fully."

Lao Huang looked at the workshop full of heat waves and dazzling red and yellow, and said slightly dryly.

People are in such a harsh environment.

I feel like an apple deep in the desert, experiencing the sun, and the next second it will completely dry up.

"Then let's go out and wait."

Geng Bo spoke up the thoughts of the others present.

No one wants to stay in this bad situation for longer.

Get out of the melt shop.

Even in the height of summer, it is close to 38 degrees Celsius outside.

But compared to the high temperature in the workshop, which is almost impossible to breathe.

It even gives you a feeling of coolness.

Even after only staying in the workshop for less than five minutes, everyone was sweating a lot.

Those who sweat a lot and even their backs are completely soaked.

"Let's go to the lounge and wait."

Lao Huang proposed.

In the rest room of the workshop, there is not only air conditioning that is open around the clock.

In the freezer in the corner, there are many popsicles.

So that everyone can quench their thirst and replenish some water while resting.

"Come on, let's have some popsicles."

Lao Huang took the initiative to take out a large handful of old popsicles from the freezer.

One was given to everyone present.

"How long will it take to cool down after the melting is complete?"

Geng Bo asked as he licked the popsicle in his hand.

The alloy that has been smelted is naturally not forged directly.

Instead, it needs to be cooled first.

Only after the cooling is completed, can it be forged in the die forging machine.

"It takes at least a day and a night for such a large alloy ingot to cool down the outer layer."

Lao Huang said as he nibbled off a piece of the popsicle.

"If you want to cool down completely, it's going to take a long time, it can take three days."

The 10-ton titanium-nickel alloy is almost a rectangular lump with a length and width of one meter and a height of one meter and four meters.

Even if the metal conducts heat well, it will take a long time for it to cool down completely.

Blowing the cold air, several people rested and recovered their strength.

Three hours later, the titanium-nickel ingot was completely smelted.

A whole truckload of a hundred ingots of metal was smelted into a single piece of metal.

"Quenching it in a special coolant will make it a little stronger."

Lao Huang looked at the titanium-nickel alloy ingot in the liquid that seemed to be kerosene and said.

Quenching is a very important part of industrial manufacturing.

Almost all important parts have to go through this link.

Some even have to go through more than one quenching.

"In our experience, it can be taken out after 24 hours for the next step."

Geng Bo didn't know much about this, and basically it was played by the people of the Railway Research Institute. (End of chapter)