Chapter 157: Assembly Completed

The Special Materials Laboratory expanded rapidly, developing from an initial warehouse into a comprehensive work area occupying the entire building.

More and more technical personnel and workers were transferred to support this project, and soon a professional team of nearly a hundred people was formed.

The news of the successful development of the high-temperature alloy swept through the entire research institute like a whirlwind, even alarming the higher-ups.

On the morning of the fourth day, a military jeep carrying several senior military officers and aviation experts drove into the base; they had come specifically to witness this technological miracle.

"Welcome, leaders and experts," Li Mingyuan greeted the guests warmly, "We are currently conducting mass production of the turbine blades while assembling other core components of the engine."

The laboratory was a scene of busy activity.

Dozens of workers were divided into different groups; some were responsible for metal smelting, some focused on precision casting, and others performed heat treatment and mechanical processing.

Under the process improved by Li Mingyuan, the production efficiency of the high-temperature alloy blades was greatly increased, with ten blades being manufactured simultaneously per batch.

"Every one of these blades must undergo strict inspection," Li Mingyuan said, pointing to the testing area, "Macro dimensions, microstructure, surface quality, weight balance—any item that fails will be eliminated."

This near-harsh standard made many veteran workers shake their heads, but they also understood that the turbine blades in a jet engine must achieve extremely high precision and quality, and not the slightest carelessness could be tolerated.

"Chief Engineer Li, how is the manufacturing progress of the turbine disk?" a military expert asked.

"It has already entered the final stage," Li Mingyuan led everyone to another work area, where several technical personnel were finely polishing a disk-shaped metal component, "The turbine disk is the core that connects all the blades and must have extremely high strength and precision."

This seemingly simple disk was actually one of the most complex components in the entire engine.

It not only had to withstand extremely high temperatures but also had to remain stable during high-speed rotation of tens of thousands of revolutions per minute.

Any tiny imbalance could lead to catastrophic consequences.

"We used a special forging process," Li Mingyuan explained, "First, we cast the blank with high-strength steel, then improved the density and strength of the material through multiple rounds of forging and heat treatment. Finally, we performed precision machining, controlling the error to within one-hundredth of a millimeter."

An expert who had studied abroad in the Polar Bear country could not help but exclaim: "This process and precision have already reached the advanced level of the Polar Bear country!"

Li Mingyuan smiled slightly, thinking to himself: Actually, it has already surpassed it.

The turbine disk he designed adopted several technologies not yet applied in this era, including local strengthening treatment and stress-dispersion design, which could significantly improve the service life and reliability of the component.

The visiting group continued forward and arrived at the compressor assembly area.

The work here was even more delicate and complex; dozens of technical personnel were assembling the front part of the engine—a multi-stage axial compressor.

"The function of the compressor is to compress air to a high-pressure state to provide oxygen for combustion," Li Mingyuan explained to the visiting group.

"This part seems simple, but it actually has a very high technical content. The shape of each stage of the compressor blade has been precisely calculated to achieve optimal aerodynamic efficiency."

He picked up a compressor blade and displayed its complex three-dimensional curved surface under the light:

"This blade design can achieve the maximum compression ratio with minimal energy loss and is the key to the high efficiency of our engine."

Li Mingyuan did not say much more, simply continuing to lead the visiting group to the next area—the combustion chamber manufacturing workshop.

The combustion chamber is the "heart" of a jet engine, where high-pressure air and fuel mix and burn to generate the power that pushes the aircraft forward.

A well-designed combustion chamber must not only ensure complete combustion but also control the combustion temperature and pressure to prevent overheating and unstable combustion.

"We adopted an annular combustion chamber design," Li Mingyuan explained, standing in front of a circular metal structure.

"Inside, there are specially designed flame stabilizers and cooling channels, which can control the wall temperature within a safe range while ensuring efficient combustion."

The members of the visiting group nodded one after another, their eyes filled with admiration.

Many of them were experts in the field of aviation and knew well the difficulty of manufacturing jet engines; it was precisely because of this that they were incomparably shocked by the progress Li Mingyuan and his team had made in just a few days.

"Next, please look at the final area—the Final Assembly Workshop," Li Mingyuan led everyone to a spacious and bright hall.

"This is the final gathering place for all components, where we will complete the assembly and ground testing of the engine."

In the center of the workshop, some engine components had already been installed on a huge metal frame.

The technical personnel were carefully assembling the various components together in a specific order, with every step being precisely measured and calibrated.

"The assembly process must be carried out strictly according to the procedures," Li Mingyuan said seriously.

"The torque of every bolt, the clearance of every bearing, and the compression of every sealing ring have strict standards. Any tiny deviation could lead to engine failure."

The visiting group silently observed the assembly process, stunned by the focus and precision of the technical personnel.

In this seemingly crude workshop, a "steel heart" was gradually taking shape.

"Chief Engineer Li, according to the current progress, can you really complete the assembly of the entire engine within a week?" the Military Representative could not help but ask.

Li Mingyuan nodded confidently: "Actually, we might finish ahead of schedule. Currently, the manufacturing of all key components has entered the final stage, and the final assembly progress is faster than expected."

The Military Representative and the experts exchanged a meaningful look.

If Li Mingyuan could really achieve this, it would mean a qualitative leap for the Long Country's aviation industry.

……

Over the next two days, the entire Special Materials Laboratory was like a precision-running machine, with everyone fully focused on their own work.

Li Mingyuan barely slept or rested, personally supervising every key link and inspecting every important component.

On the morning of the sixth day, when the first rays of sunlight spilled into the Final Assembly Workshop through the windows, Li Mingyuan stood beside the engine with a satisfied smile on his face.

"The last component has been installed," the Group Leader reported excitedly, "All parameters have passed inspection, the leak test has passed, and the shaft system is operating normally."

Li Mingyuan nodded and turned to the team members standing to the side: "Thank you all for your hard work; we have completed the task one day ahead of schedule."

A burst of warm applause and cheers erupted in the workshop.

The faces of these engineers and Technical Workers who had fought day and night were filled with the joy of Victory.

They had created a miracle—completing work that usually took years in just six short days.

The first jet engine prototype stood in the center of the workshop, its silver-gray metal casing shining in the sunlight as if it were a work of art.

"Tomorrow at ten o'clock in the morning, we will conduct the first ignition test," Li Mingyuan announced, his voice filled with irrepressible excitement, "Please everyone, be prepared."