RPAGF Chapter 855 What is imitation? This is reverse engineering!
Chapter 855 What is imitation? This is reverse engineering!
We've gone off on a tangent, let's get back on track.
Why is Jiang Xia, that silly boy, so surprised?
That's because Professor Zhonghua, lacking specialized tools and detailed blueprints, came up with an extremely bold yet ingenious "makeshift method" to disassemble and study this gas turbine!
Inside the enormous workshop, the core casing of the gas turbine was carefully suspended in mid-air. Below it, instead of any expensive imported specialized pullers or hydraulic separation equipment, was a simple, ingeniously constructed frame temporarily welded together from thick steel plates and I-beams.
Inside the frame, there are more than a dozen powerful spiral jacks evenly distributed. Their tops are machined into special arc-shaped supports, which are precisely placed against the key parts of the casing that need to bear force.
“We can’t use specialized tooling to apply even tension from the inside and ‘pull’ it open like the original manufacturer did,” Professor Zhonghua said, pointing to the device, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"But we can do the opposite!"
“Look here,” he directed Jiang Xia to the bottom of the frame where it connects to the core rotor, “We’ll secure the rotor firmly. Then, simultaneously and synchronously rotate these dozen or so jacks!”
Professor Zhonghua gestured with his hands: "Let these jacks generate a huge and uniform lifting force, which acts on the outer casing. It's like... like using countless invisible but powerful hands to very smoothly 'take off' this 'outerwear' from the fixed 'body' little by little!"
He proudly pointed to several large wooden crates next to him, labeled with the parts that had been dismantled: "With just this tin can, we have successfully and safely removed those outermost 'big guys,' the combustion chamber shell and the intake casing... proving that this approach is feasible!"
But then, the excitement on his face quickly faded.
"But the key, and the biggest challenge right now, is right here!" He pointed to the compressor and turbine combined core casing, which was currently suspended in the center of the frame and had the most complex and precise structure.
Professor Zhonghua's voice was slightly hoarse: "I checked it with the equipment borrowed from the Shanghai Watch Factory. Bald Eagle's processing technology is truly remarkable..."
"The rotors, stator discs, and countless tenons and grooves and mating surfaces inside are all stacked in layers, with gaps measured in 'threads,' finer than a hair!"
The required synchronization accuracy is more than ten times higher than when the casing was disassembled!
"My original plan was the same as when I was disassembling the outer casing: find a group of the most nimble young men, listen to unified commands, and turn the handles of these jacks at the same time!"
He sighed heavily, his face filled with helplessness and worry. "But after repeated calculations, simulations, and even small-scale model tests, I found that the requirements were too high, almost demanding!"
“Throughout the entire lifting process, the force on these dozen or so points must be uniform, and the synchronization error must be strictly controlled to the millimeter level, or even smaller! If any point is out of sync, causing a slight tilt in the casing at the moment of separation, the internal tenons and locating pins, which are more precise than embroidery, will instantly ‘lock’ the connection…”
Professor Zhonghua looked at the machine that represented the pinnacle of industry, his eyes filled with longing, yet he had to remain restrained: "This is why I have never dared to actually order the operation of this 'heart of the heart'!"
The risk is too great! We can't afford to lose! The success of dismantling the outer shell has actually made me even more cautious about dismantling the core components.
Jiang Xia nodded, understanding instantly.
The difference lies in the fundamental difference between the Alliance and the Bald Eagle in their concepts and processes for precision mechanical assembly. Disassembling machinery is often much more difficult than the initial assembly, especially when original factory tools are unavailable.
The value of these specialized tools may far exceed that of the finished products they produce!
For example, some seemingly ordinary positioning holes and threaded holes may actually use a custom hydraulic tensioner during assembly to precisely control the bolt preload and ensure perfect pressure distribution on the flange face, rather than relying on a wrench and feel.
Especially in the installation between the tenon and the mating surface, without using a hydraulic servo synchronous tensioning system to ensure that multiple connection points are subjected to uniform force, and without applying anaerobic locking adhesive with a specific torque to the mating surface, the Bald Eagle could not possibly make such a gas turbine!
This also reflects that the Bald Eagle has made a breakthrough in the field of automatic control!
Damn, luckily I had a backup plan, otherwise Big Yellow might have really messed up!
Each has its own unique strengths and should not be underestimated!
……
Just then, a calm voice interjected: "Professor, you don't need to worry too much about the selection of personnel."
The group turned around and saw that the naval commander's personal advisor had appeared behind them at some point. After smiling at Jiang Xia and the others, he said:
"As per your previous request, the fleet has secretly selected a large number of excellent sailors with great skill and composure, especially those engineers and helmsmen who have experienced long periods of rough seas and can maintain stable operation even in harsh environments."
They have been intensively trained for over a week on this 'synchronized rotation' movement.
Upon hearing this, a hint of relief flashed in Professor Zhonghua's eyes.
This is the spirit that is characteristic of our times. It seems that the naval leaders have really been misled by the promises made by the "idiots" and are determined to succeed in the gas turbine field.
but……
While we have no doubt about the soldiers' determination and discipline, the current problem has exceeded the scope of what can be fully controlled by human will and skill alone.
It requires near-absolute, mechanical precision.
Professor Zhonghua pulled Jiang Xia forward a few steps: "You always come up with some ingenious ideas. See if there is a more reliable way, or if you can come up with a simple device to help them improve this critical synchronization accuracy."
Even just giving us a more reliable reference signal would be helpful!
Jiang Xia nodded. Actually, what he wanted to say was to get him some more sea cucumbers to chew on, so he could get the basic data pretty close without having to disassemble them.
However, there's more to this story...
Even if he wasn't afraid of being dissected, a blueprint alone wasn't really that useful.
Because Jiangxia wanted to lay a foundation through this project.
The scientific name for this "foundation" is reverse engineering!
Of course, you could also call it a counterfeit.
However, anything involving engineering is never simple. Do you think it's just a matter of copying a model?
shallow!
To put it simply, the disassembly process of a complex device like a gas turbine is equivalent to an "interdisciplinary collaborative exercise": metallurgical experts clarify the research and development direction of high-temperature alloys through component samples; machining masters improve their cutting processes by observing the tenon and slot fit; and electrical engineers study the control system wiring and explore more efficient linkage logic.
Just as we grasped the basic industrial logic by dismantling Alliance machine tools back then, the reverse research on this gas turbine will drive the technological awakening of the upstream and downstream industrial chains!
From special steel smelting to precision instrument manufacturing, from power system design to fault diagnosis, every link can find a path to improvement by "benchmarking against advanced practices".
Ultimately, this technological accumulation will translate into "strong confidence in national defense."
Yes, it's just accumulation.
Even the ahoge of the ahoge knows that we're lucky if we can disassemble it, let alone imitate it.
If this reverse engineering can lead to targeted improvements to existing steam turbines, or accelerate the development of domestically produced gas turbines, or even establish a complete set of reverse engineering standards for precision equipment…
That would mean the mission has been successfully completed.
After all, there will be many more opportunities to take things apart and put them back together in the future!
……
Should we demolish it?
Demolish it!
One person can dismantle the gas turbine, so with so many comrades helping, are we afraid we can't dismantle this gas turbine?
“Command…metronome…optics…mechanical linkage…” The kid wandered around the machine several times, muttering terms that Old Wang couldn’t understand.
at last……
"Alright, our soldiers have been training for so long, so let's continue using this method!"
"How about simply making the chanting a bit more sophisticated?"
"what?"
"A light ruler plus voice control?"
……
"Isn't this a bit too advanced..."