Chapter 195: Operation

"Why?" Chen Mu couldn't understand for a moment.

"Many things, just having a principle isn't enough; the Stirling engine was invented before the internal combustion engine, but its real development came much later, and one reason for that is right here."

"Due to the special nature of its structure, the vaporization phenomenon produced by using liquid lubricating oil condenses on the regenerator, causing blockage; this problem troubled manufacturers for countless ages until advances in materials science later solved it."

"Now it's mainly done by using polymers like polytetrafluoroethylene and fillers like graphite to make the piston, which can form self-lubrication at 250°C high temperature, perfectly solving this problem."

Having said that, even Dong Junwei and the others actually could hardly understand anymore.

Chen Mu asked, "So you mean this thing can't use lubricant; it must rely on the material itself to solve the friction problem?"

"Exactly."

"No wonder you need Xiao An's help." Chen Mu nodded.

"Yes, just as I said before, we could make many mechanical devices long ago, but without solving those key technical problems, what we produced was just a pile of scrap iron."

Tang Jing said, "Lubrication and heat dissipation have always been the most troublesome problems; now that we have An Ruosuo, we've actually solved many technical difficulties, and future machines will only become more advanced."

"There's still another problem." Chen Mu said, "Since it's an external combustion engine, it must have an external heat source; are you planning to use the monitor's metal‑heating ability?"

"Yes."

"But how exactly would that be implemented?"

"Wrap metal around the outside of the cylinder's hot chamber, then heat it; the biggest problem now is the monitor's ability."

"Although the temperature can last 24 hours, it gradually cools over time, so the truly usable time isn't long."

Tang Jing said this and looked toward Dong Junwei.

Dong Junwei felt a bit embarrassed, hesitated for a moment, and softly objected, "Now it can reach 26 hours."

"Still not enough, Monitor!"

"You need to work hard!"

"Everyone else is improving; how are you just standing still!"

"……"

"It's always Dong Junwei who educates others; it's rare to have a chance to scold the chief decision‑making official, and everyone was thrilled."

The room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

An Ruosuo and Yang Li watched Dong Junwei being told off until her face turned red, thinking, 'Is this really the highest‑ranking person of Qiming?'

"If that's the case, when do we start work?"

Technical problems will be handled by Tang Jing; Chen Mu has prepared himself to continue being a tool.

"Tomorrow then."

"……"

The engine is the heart of industrial civilization; its importance goes without saying. The hallmark of the first Industrial Revolution was the steam engine replacing human labor.

The next morning.

Chen Mu had just finished sparring with He Ying when Tang Jing, waiting nearby, hurriedly pulled him away.

The needed materials had already been prepared by Wei Dalei; Tang Jing pulled out a few sheets of paper marked with the detailed dimensions and handed them to Chen Mu.

Their cooperation basically follows this pattern.

First, Tang Jing either draws or verbally describes all the required large and small parts, makes them, then the two assemble them together, continuously adjusting during the process until a device or machine is produced.

The loom that was just completed a few days ago is the peak product of their collaboration.

But after An Ruosuo appeared, Tang Jing felt the original loom wasn't satisfactory anymore and planned to build a new one later.

That earlier one was a relatively primitive manual shuttle loom, very bulky and labor‑intensive to operate; its initial running test was carried out by Wei Dalei, but Old Wei, being so big, was rather mismatched for the task.

Now the engine project has begun implementation; if it goes smoothly, weaving can shift from manual to mechanical, of course the entire loom basically needs to be remade.

In terms of structure, the loom is actually more complex, only its precision requirements are not as strict as the engine's.

On the first morning, Chen Mu made the cylinder over a dozen times, each rejected by Tang Jing—either not flat enough or the dimensions were wrong.

Actually there isn't a better way for this; it's just trial and error. When making a new product, this stage can't be avoided, but once you succeed once, subsequent attempts become much easier.

Over the next few days, Chen Mu focused on manufacturing the parts Tang Jing designed, while Tang Jing, in her spare time, would take An Ruosuo to repair several of the earlier elevators, specifically reducing friction between contacting components.

So‑called reducing friction is just a general description; in practice the situation is very complex.

First, An Ruosuo must directly touch an object's surface with her hand to polish it, so many already‑built places need Chen Mu to disassemble and rebuild them.

Second, the polished surface does gain smoothness and feel, but it's hard to discern with the naked eye; therefore, if An Ruosuo creates a low‑friction patch on the ground, it's almost like a trap—whoever steps on it will be unlucky.

Finally, reducing friction doesn't mean eliminating it; the degree of smoothness depends on the object's material itself and An Ruosuo's strength of ability.

As of now, her ability limit is still okay, but her mental strength is relatively weaker—meaning her stamina and work intensity aren't sufficient.

The third day.

Chen Mu finally produced a cylinder that satisfied Tang Jing; although it's only part of the hot chamber, this good start will make the rest go much more smoothly.

Day five, the cylinder was completed.

Day seven, the piston was completed.

After these two parts are finished, we next need to interface them with An Ruosuo; the mating section between piston and cylinder must be tightly matched in size and dimension, satisfying sealing requirements while achieving minimal friction.

Of course, the latter is no longer a problem nowadays.

On day ten, the basic form of a Stirling engine was essentially completed.

Everyone gathered around this machine, all showing expressions of disbelief.

Compared with the earlier clockwork devices and elevators, this engine is noticeably more refined and full of technological feel, its stainless‑steel casing gleaming silver, its nearly perfect wheel, its sturdy connecting rod and piston… all of this seems to foretell a radiant future for Qiming.

Next comes the test run.

Tang Jing took the metal block heated by Dong Junwei and, via the shaft, joined it to the outside of the cylinder's hot chamber.

However, after waiting a while, the machine showed no movement.

"What's going on? Did something go wrong?"

Don't rush, slow response is indeed a major drawback of this kind of engine.

Indeed, after waiting for more than ten or twenty seconds.

The piston inside the cylinder finally began to move.