Chapter 101: New Year's Eve, Engine Test

10,000 characters every day, five chapters presented; it is very tiring, everyone please give some encouragement.

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On the evening of New Year's Eve, the entrance to the Rolling Mill was quiet; most workers had already returned home for the New Year, and only a few duty personnel remained at their posts.

In sharp contrast to the Silence of the gate, the test workshop was brightly lit and bustling with noise.

The Expert Group led by Deputy Minister Lin arrived as scheduled, and the group walked into the workshop with solemn expressions.

Most of them did not believe that Li Mingyuan could complete the prototype manufacturing within three days; this trip was more about holding the mindset of "let's see how you end this."

"Chief Engineer Li, we have arrived." Deputy Minister Lin walked at the very front, followed by over a dozen experts.

"Welcome, everyone." Li Mingyuan wore a smile, his demeanor composed.

Although he had not slept much for three days, his mental state was exceptionally good, and a light of confidence flickered in his eyes.

The experts looked around and soon saw that brand-new Engine on the test bench.

The exterior of the Engine was plain and unadorned, without any superfluous decoration, but every detail revealed traces of meticulous craftsmanship.

"This is the Engine manufactured according to your design blueprints?" Chief Engineer Zhang was the first to step forward, his tone carrying obvious skepticism.

Li Mingyuan nodded: "Yes, this is the prototype manufactured by the comrades in the factory working overtime according to my design blueprints."

"Three days?" Chief Engineer Zhang still found it hard to believe, "Starting from scratch?"

"Not entirely from scratch," Li Mingyuan said truthfully, "We had already trial-produced some basic parts before, but the final assembly and debugging were indeed completed in these three days."

Chief Engineer Zhang observed the Engine carefully and had to admit that, at least from the exterior, the workmanship was indeed excellent.

But this was not enough to make him change his view: "The appearance is good, but the key is performance."

"Of course," Li Mingyuan said with a smile, "Testing is the only standard for verifying truth."

He turned to the engineer beside him: "Prepare to start the test program."

On the test bench, various instruments and equipment had already been connected to the Engine, and a calculator on the side was ready to record the various data.

The experts consciously retreated to a safe distance, watching the test bench nervously.

The entire workshop quieted down, leaving only the ticking sound of the instruments.

"All systems check—oil pressure normal, coolant normal, electrical circuit normal." A technician reported.

Li Mingyuan looked around, confirmed that everything was ready, and then took a deep breath:

"Start!"

Following his order, the tester pressed the start button.

The Engine's starter motor emitted a buzzing sound, and subsequently, with a few crisp explosions, the Engine started with a roar, emitting a low and powerful rumbling sound.

Compared to ordinary engines, the sound of this Engine was more uniform and stable, without any noise or vibration.

"How is it possible... to start so smoothly?" The bespectacled expert muttered to himself.

According to his experience, the first start of a new type of engine usually has various problems and requires multiple adjustments to run normally.

But the Engine before his eyes started perfectly on the first try; this had already exceeded his scope of cognition.

"Rotation speed stable at 800 revolutions per minute," the tester reported, "Oil temperature, water temperature normal, oil pressure stable."

Li Mingyuan nodded: "Enter the first stage of testing, slowly increase the rotation speed to 2000 revolutions per minute, and maintain for five minutes."

The rumbling of the Engine gradually increased, but the operation remained smooth, without any abnormal phenomena.

The experts stared closely at the various gauges, not missing any details.

Chief Engineer Zhang looked at the tachometer and power meter, his brows gradually relaxing: "The rotation speed curve is very smooth, no fluctuations... the power output is also very stable..."

"Now enter the second stage of testing," Li Mingyuan announced, "Increase the rotation speed to 3500 revolutions per minute, conduct medium-load testing."

The tester adjusted the load device, and the burden on the Engine increased immediately, but it still maintained smooth operation, only the sound became lower and more powerful.

"Truly incredible," one expert said in a low voice, "At this rotation speed, an ordinary engine would have already started vibrating, but it is actually this stable..."

Li Mingyuan smiled without a word and continued to direct the test.

"Final stage, full-load testing, increase rotation speed to 4500 revolutions per minute, continue for ten minutes."

This was the most rigorous test; many new engines would experience problems like overheating, vibration, or even stalling at this stage.

As the load increased, the rumbling of the Engine reached a climax, but the operating state remained stable, without any abnormalities.

"Power output—82 horsepower!" The tester reported excitedly, "This is 2 horsepower higher than the design target!"

"Fuel consumption data—26.7% lower than the standard CA10 model!" Another tester looked at the gauge in disbelief, checked it again, and confirmed it was correct.

The experts looked at each other, shocked and unable to speak.

The Engine was still running stably on the test bench, and every roar was like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of the experts.

The entire workshop was strangely quiet, with only the sound of the machine running and the data occasionally reported by the testers.

"Thermal efficiency stable at 42.2%……"

"Fuel consumption 214.8 grams per horsepower-hour……"

"Power curve perfectly smooth, without any fluctuations……"

These numbers were like a magic spell, pinning every expert present to the spot.

Chief Engineer Zhang stood blankly in front of the test bench; the notebook in his hand fell to the ground at some point, but he was completely unaware.

As a leading authority in the domestic engine field, he knew better than anyone what these data meant.

"This... this is impossible..." He muttered to himself, his voice almost inaudible, "We have researched for years... spent so much effort..."

Deputy Minister Lin walked to his side and asked softly: "Lao Zhang, what do you think?"

Chief Engineer Zhang came back to his senses, his lips trembling: "This is at least... at least ten years ahead of our research level! No, perhaps more!"

He suddenly turned to Li Mingyuan, tears of excitement flickering in his eyes:

"Chief Engineer Li, how did you do it? The combustion chamber structure, fuel injection angle, piston crown shape... these are all difficult problems we have been exploring for decades!"

Li Mingyuan explained calmly: "It is mainly a brand-new understanding and design of the combustion process. Traditional diesel engine combustion chamber design relies too much on experience, while I attempted to use fluid mechanics and thermodynamic principles to conduct systematic optimization, especially the design of the Vortex Mixed Combustion Chamber, which can significantly improve fuel atomization efficiency and combustion completeness."

The experts listened in stunned silence; they were not unfamiliar with these theories, but to apply them so perfectly to practical design was simply an impossibility.

Just then, a crisp bell chime echoed from afar—one, two, three... Only then did everyone realize with a start that it was New Year's Eve, and the bells of the New Year were ringing.

That bespectacled expert—Professor Li from the Beijing Institute of Technology—was shaking so hard he could not hold his notebook steady; he tried several times to record the data, but could not manage to write a single word.

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