Taixue has been prepared, a hall that can accommodate hundreds of people. All the students and craftsmen are sitting on the floor, waiting expectantly for His Highness King Yong's lecture.
At this time, Chen Qing walked up to the podium. This was not his first time giving a lecture. Two years ago, he taught the craftsmen of the Firearms Bureau about the application of iron fire thunder. Before that, he often explained practical tactics to the martial arts students. However,
This is my first time giving lectures at Taixue.
"I came to give you a lecture today because I saw a hydraulic millstone. The use of water power is not new now, it has always been there. For example, our waterwheels used mountain streams to mill mills in the Tang Dynasty.
But you are using shafts to transmit hydraulic power, which is a huge breakthrough. It is for this reason that I will talk to you about the use of power today. First, where does power come from? Let’s talk about it! What we usually see
What are the sources of power?”
"Human and animal power!" some students shouted.
Chen Qing nodded, "Yes! The most basic strength, human and animal power, what else?"
“And the water power from the river!”
"That's right!"
Chen Qing smiled and said: "Your hydraulic millstone makes full use of water power, what else?"
"The power of the wind, the power of the wind!"
"Yes! Wind power, what else?"
"During an earthquake, the earth shakes, the power of the earth."
"That's fair. Is there anything else to add?"
"Fire!" whispered a thin student sitting in the front row.
Chen Qing happened to hear it. He pointed at the thin student and said, "Stand up and speak louder!"
The student stood up and said timidly: "Fire!"
"Why do you think of fire?" Chen Qingxiao asked.
"The Lantern Festival's marquee starts spinning after lighting a candle, so I thought of the power of fire."
"That's good. What's your name?"
"Student Song Zhu, bamboo of bamboo, native of Xiangyang."
"Sit down!"
The student sat down, and the other students looked at him with envy. His Highness King Yong actually knew his name.
Chen Qing said to everyone: "Actually, there are other forces, such as huge rocks rolling down the mountain. The force is unmatched. Where does this force come from? I won't say this.
Today I will mainly talk to you about the power of fire. We all know that in the past, we used wood to cook, which has a small calorific value. It takes a lot of firewood to cook a ton of rice and a pot of water. However, firewood is so expensive that everyone
They can afford rice but not firewood. Ordinary families cannot drink hot water at any time, cook three meals a day, or boil water for bathing.
Nowadays, Beijing and Zhaozhou are using briquettes. Its biggest advantage is that it has high calorific value and is cheap. A piece of briquettes can cook a meal and boil a pot of hot water for a few cents. We have gradually moved from the age of firewood to the coal-fired era.
era.
You may be confused. Is this firewood and charcoal related to power? Of course it is. Just like what Song Zhu said just now, the marquee will turn when you light the candle. In fact, have you ever thought about the Kongming Lantern? How can it fly into the sky?
If you light a candle and it flies, why does it spin and fly when you light the candle?"
Chen Qing looked at the pairs of thinking eyes and continued to smile: "The reason is very simple. When the air is heated, it will move upward. When the air in the Kongming Lantern is heated, the hot air will lift up the Kongming Lantern and fly away. The same is true for the marquee. The top
If it is blocked and the hot air cannot escape, it will flow to the side, causing the marquee to rotate. If you understand what I just said, please raise your hands!"
The people below all raised their hands. They all understood that when the air is heated, it will move upward, block the top, and then move to both sides.
Chen Qing continued: "Professor Yan told me that day that you invented a connecting rod device. I would like to ask who came up with the idea?"
The thin Song Zhu raised his hand timidly again. It was this classmate Song again. Chen Qing smiled and asked: "I saw the connecting rod you invented yesterday. Although it is not perfect yet, as long as you continue to improve it, it will become better."
It must be very perfect and excellent, how did you come up with the connecting rod?”
"Reporting to Your Highness, the students just imitated human joints. I came up with it bit by bit. Unfortunately, there is no force to expand and contract forward and backward, otherwise the connecting rod could directly drive the millstone to rotate."
Chen Qing smiled slightly, "Isn't the Kongming Lantern the power to move upward?"
"Your Highness, are you talking about heat?"
Chen Qing nodded and waved for him to sit down. Song Zhu fell into deep thought.
Chen Qing said to everyone again: "I have prepared a prop today to let everyone see the power of upward movement, and then how to use it is your business."
Chen Qing waved his hand, and the soldiers brought up a stove. The fire was burning brightly, and the water in the iron kettle was about to boil.
Chen Qing asked his soldiers to place the stove on a high place. Chen Qing pointed to the stove and the iron kettle and said, "Look, everyone, I'm going to boil a pot of water with coal cakes. It's a very simple thing that you all do almost every day, but I do this
The iron kettle is different. I sealed the spout, and the whole iron kettle has only one upward outlet. Look, it started to steam!"
Of course, Chen Qing had tried it repeatedly at home, and after it was absolutely sure, he took it to Taixue to give lectures. The water boiled, a large amount of water vapor rushed upward, and the lid began to move.
All the students and craftsmen stood up and stared at the kettle without blinking. At this time, the water vapor kept pushing up the lid, and the lid made a sound of "Puff! Puff! Puff!"
Chen Qingxiao asked: "Did you see what force is pushing the pot lid upward?"
"It's water vapor!" some students shouted.
"It's water vapor!" The students and craftsmen suddenly realized and shouted. He remembered what His Highness just said, the air will move upward when heated. Isn't water vapor the same as heated air?
"Everyone is right, it's water vapor!"
Chen Qing loudly said to everyone: "It is a powerful force. If we use a large stove and boil a huge kettle, the water vapor generated will be enough to push dozens of kilograms or even hundreds of kilograms of weight. The key is that we
We need to control this water vapor so that it can produce a force that stretches back and forth to push the connecting rod, which then drives the millstone and the spinning machine. Is it possible to obtain power without relying on rivers?"
Everyone was lost in thought, and the hall was very quiet. At this time, Song Zhu asked: "Excuse me, Your Highness, steam is the force of up and down. How can I turn it into the force of left and right?"
"Think about how the revolving lantern works?"
"Make a cabinet and seal the top, and it will go left and right!" Song Zhu suddenly realized.
Professor Yan on the side couldn't help but ask: "Your Highness said this, it seems that the power to push is there, but what about the power to retract?"
"That's a good question!"
Chen Qing smiled and said: "The biggest advantage of steam is that it is not a metal or stone, it is just a stream of hot air. You can let it go in any direction you want it to. You can let it push the connecting rod forward.
You can also change the direction and let it push the connecting rod back. How to design an ingenious device, or you can change the direction of water vapor by opening and closing doors. Think about what you should do?"
Song Zhu blinked. He firmly remembered what Chen Qing said, "It's just a stream of hot air. You can let it go in any direction you want it to. You can let it push the connecting rod forward, or you can change it."
direction, let it push the connecting rod back, and you can use the method of opening and closing the door to change the direction of the water vapor.'
It was as if a window had been opened in front of him. With water vapor as power, many things no longer require human or animal power.
Chen Qing finally said: "I suggest you set up several groups to compete. Only with competition can you be motivated. I can provide all the resources and money you need. I will also set up a lottery. I will reward the first successful group.
Three thousand taels of silver."
All the students and craftsmen were excited and wanted to go back and start experimenting immediately.
Chen Qing smiled and said: "I leave this stove and kettle to you. I suggest you start with the kettle to study what kind of kettle can produce the most powerful water vapor. But I also want to remind you not to let the water boil dry.
Yeah, you have to pay attention to hydration, it’s not that simple.”
In one of Chen Qing's classes, the seeds of the steam age quietly sprouted in Taixue.
