Chapter 1,217 Can the lift fan be used in this way?
The power turbine output of a gas turbine can easily reach 10,000 to 20,000 revolutions per minute. When used on a warship, it requires acceleration and deceleration gears. When used on a lift fan, it is a perfect match!
If we use an electric transmission solution, it is actually not suitable because the electric transmission is too complex and requires a generator and an electric motor. Although there are mature solutions for power generation, on the other hand, there is no electric motor.
The right choice.
The motors used to drive warships in water only have a few hundred revolutions, and they are all slow-speed motors. Normal motors only have a few thousand revolutions at most, and motors with tens of thousands of revolutions are rare.
This is why many people brag about electric turbines, as if modifying the engine in this way can increase a lot of power. In fact, it is useless at all. The turbocharger often turns tens of thousands of times, and the speed of the electric motor cannot be reached at all. If it is used as a
The addition of an exhaust gas turbocharger can reduce turbo lag, but if it is used as the main turbine, it will also block the airflow at high speeds, making the engine consume more fuel.
If you follow Qin Tao's plan and use an electric motor to drive a fan to blow air backwards, it is definitely inappropriate. This is a random command. Take it for granted. However, the idea of using a naval gas turbine is still correct.
Because this kind of engine can ignore the erosion of sea salt and can be used for a long time. Although this ground effect aircraft has to fly up, many parts are better to use ships than aircraft.
Therefore, the technicians of the Fourth Design Office thought hard and finally found a suitable solution: directly using the gas turbine to drive the lift fan!
Gas turbines are readily available, as are lift fans!
The J-31A fighter uses a lift fan. When placed vertically, it becomes a lift fan, and when placed horizontally, it can be used as a thrust engine!
And it happens to be shaft drive!
"How much power of gas turbine do you use?" Qin Tao was very curious.
"Forty megawatts." Alexeyeva said: "Each of the modified lift fans can withstand a power input of about 2.5 megawatts. These forty megawatts are used to drive sixteen lift fans.
, just right.”
The Caspian Monster is already very powerful with eight engines installed in the front, but for a behemoth with a take-off weight of two thousand tons, eight engines are not enough, sixteen are needed!
When talking about the power of a jet engine, generally speaking of thrust, only the lift fan needs to input power through the transmission shaft, so it can be measured in terms of horsepower.
Each lift fan can have 30,000 horsepower. This 40-megawatt gas turbine can be used to drive a 10,000-ton warship, but now it is used to drive a 2,000-ton ground-effect aircraft. Listen
It seems a bit wasteful, but it is impossible for a warship to fly!
The An-225 transport aircraft created by humans that can fly only has a take-off weight of 640 tons, while the Peace Dove 4 of the Mingzhou Group is two thousand tons!
"This is for taking off, but what about cruising?"
Qin Tao has already thought of something. Since the engine used in the lift-increasing technology for take-off is a gas turbine, then the engine used for cruising is probably also a gas turbine, right?
"Cruising uses a five-megawatt gas turbine to drive two lift engines as cruise engines." Alexeyeva said: "This is more fuel-efficient. If the power of the 40-megawatt gas turbine is reduced, the fuel consumption will be reduced.
It won’t be low either.”
This is the disadvantage of gas turbines.
Gas turbines have high power, small size, and light weight, but fuel consumption has always been a flaw. In fact, the fuel consumption at full power does not matter. Even in the later stages, the fuel consumption of some excellent gas turbines has been almost the same as that of diesel engines. However, its power is reduced and its fuel consumption is
But it can't be reduced much, which is the most troublesome.
On this point, the Yankees and old tankers who use gas turbines have the best say.
Qin Tao nodded: "If you use two, just use two. Our Mingzhou Group is not short of money, but... in the future, you will develop tens of thousands of tons, or even hundreds of thousands of tons of ground-effect aircraft, and this power system is not suitable."
That’s it.”
A two-thousand-ton ground-effect aircraft requires a 40-megawatt gas turbine to drive the lift-increasing engine. How much does a ten-thousand-ton one cost? Four hundred megawatts? What about a one-hundred-thousand-ton one? Four thousand megawatts?
It is estimated that it will be difficult to find, so it will be very difficult for ground-effect aircraft to develop further. The engine for flying and cruising does not need to be too large, but the lift-increasing engine required for take-off is not small.
Alexeyeva nodded: "Yes, if we continue to develop, ordinary motivation will definitely not work, but we still have special motivation."
There are no more ordinary ones, are there any special ones?
Qin Tao reacted: "Nuclear power?"
Not to mention the 100,000-ton, estimated 10,000-ton giant, we have to consider the possibility of nuclear power. After all, nuclear power can provide high enough energy... Wait, nuclear power doesn't seem to be enough!
The nuclear reactor currently used on the 003 aircraft carrier only has a thermal power of 700 megawatts per seat, and the mechanical power to drive the turbine is only 200 megawatts. Even if it is used to directly drive the lift engine, it is not enough. Ten thousand tons
It only requires two nuclear reactors, and they are only used during takeoff. It is absolutely a waste. Moreover, how much do these two nuclear reactors weigh?
"Ordinary nuclear power is not enough. However, our relevant domestic units are currently developing nuclear fusion technology. We hope that this technology will achieve a breakthrough. By then, we will have a nuclear power system with enough energy. In the future, our Mingzhou Group will build aircraft carriers."
At that time, I’m afraid it will really be an aerospace aircraft carrier!”
The energy produced by nuclear fusion is several times that of fission. If a fission reactor is 700 megawatts, then a fusion reactor may have 10,000 to 20,000 megawatts, which will naturally be enough.
Qin Tao breathed a sigh of relief. Well, since you are placing your trust in the fusion reactor, I am relieved. At least this kind of nuclear reactor will not come out now, and you don't have to play with tens of thousands of tons immediately.
If it's really too big, I'm afraid it will cost a lot of money, and I'll be embarrassed to say no.
"Mr. Qin, thank you for helping me realize my father's ideal. In fact, my father planned to build a two-thousand-ton ground-effect aircraft." Alexeyeva continued.
Alexeyeva thought about her father again.
In fact, neither five hundred tons nor two hundred tons was her father's real pursuit. Alexeyev wanted to build a two-thousand-ton one, but no one supported him in building a five-hundred-ton one.
None of them were supported, and in the end, only the two-hundred-ton class was expected to be put into practical use.
Now, Alexeyeva can finally build a two-thousand-ton machine. At this time, she thought of her father again. How great it would be if her father could see the current achievements!
"Well, it's a pity that Mr. Alexeev left early, otherwise he would definitely be leading this project now, and he could also see the feasibility of this project."
"Yes, the British Sir Stanley Hook also proposed a ground-effect aircraft with a weight of over 2,000 tons, and planned to carry thousands of passengers as an air train, but in the end he felt it was unrealistic and had to give up.
We are confident that we can mature it."
"By the way, we only talked about the engine. This wing should also be big, right?"
When the size increases to a certain limit, it is not just a simple expansion, but may also face many technical problems. For example, the strength of the material cannot be reached.
Qin Tao didn't understand the specifics, but he still understood common sense, so he asked.
"Yes, it is difficult to manufacture wings, but fortunately our domestic material technology is making rapid progress. Our wings and many parts of the fuselage are made of composite materials, which are strong and durable.
, high strength, good moisture-proof and salt-proof properties, and the most important thing is that it can allow some deformation, which is something that previous aluminum alloy materials could never achieve."
The aviation industry has been developing various advanced materials. Those that are resistant to high temperatures are used in engines, those that are light in weight and have good performance are used in skins. The slender wings of the American Global Hawk drone are made of composite materials.
Made, quite advanced.
When Dongfang was manufacturing UAVs, they did not have such advanced technology and could only use ordinary materials. Therefore, they could not make one particularly long wing, so they made two in the form of poles. If now, it is completely possible
make.
However, it is no longer necessary. Practice has proven that this design is not bad. On an aircraft carrier, it is also convenient to flip the outer half of the wing over in a small hangar. If it is a big thing like the Global Hawk, the outer half of the wing
The flipping of one section can only be done on the deck, the hangar is not high enough!
No matter where they are, materials are the most important. It is precisely because of advanced materials that ground effect aircraft can achieve a two-thousand-ton level.
"Moreover, as the weight of our ground-effect aircraft increases, it has become difficult to land on land. It mainly flies at sea. In order to facilitate docking at the port, our wings are also designed with a folding mechanism. When arriving at the port,
It can be folded upward, which can greatly reduce the risk of scratching.
A 500-ton ground-effect aircraft can barely design landing gear. After all, the An-225's take-off weight is 640 tons, and it can still land on the airport runway with its landing gear.
However, a two-thousand-ton aircraft will definitely not work. How many tires must be installed on it? How many runways are needed? Moreover, when switching between sea and land, the landing gear door must be absolutely sealed and must not leak.
These are too difficult, so we have to give up the ability to take off and land on land. This also means that even if it can fly over land, it cannot land. Fortunately, most places on the earth are covered with sea water.
"It seems that you have thought everything through. If that's the case, then I'm relieved."
Qin Tao felt that he had nothing to ask. The design for folding the wings of the aircraft and docking at the port was already available. What else did he have to worry about?
But Alexeyeva began to ask questions.
"Mr. Qin, where do you think our two-thousand-ton ground-effect aircraft would be better used?"
In the era of the Red Empire, Lao Maozi's designers only focused on building, and they didn't need to worry about what to do with it. All kinds of advanced equipment appeared under smart brains, and Alexeyev was like this.
But now, it is necessary to find a market for the product. If you don’t know what to do with it, it will definitely fail. Even if Max spends a lot of money on aerospace, he still has the dream of sending humans to Mars, and he can still make money.
Lots and lots of money.
What does a two-thousand-ton ground-effect aircraft do?
"The Navy is very interested in this project." Qin Tao said: "The Navy hopes that this kind of ground effect aircraft can play a role in future operations. It hopes that this kind of ground effect aircraft can quickly fly back and forth on both sides and move a large number of main battle vehicles.
Tanks transport it."
Alexeyeva shook her head: "Our ground effect aircraft flies very fast, but the speed of entering and exiting the port is very slow. Our ground effect aircraft cannot land on beaches, so if the navy uses it, it will soon
It feels useless. Unless you transport an amphibious tank, land it near the target, and then the amphibious tank drives over by itself. However, many equipment in the navy can do this. What the navy lacks is the tools to transport heavy equipment."
Even though the navy has been pushing for ground-effect aircraft, no matter what, if you use them, you will feel that they are inappropriate.
After all, the distance of one to two hundred kilometers is too short. After taking off, the ground effect aircraft will soon land again, and the operation at the port is very complicated. Therefore, the ground effect aircraft is not suitable for this scenario.
"If you want to fly to Hawaii or even the West Coast of the United States, this kind of ground-effect aircraft is very suitable." Alexeyeva added.
Only long-distance flights can demonstrate the advantages of ground-effect aircraft!
A 2,000-ton ground-effect aircraft weighs 500 tons, plus 500 tons of fuel and fresh water supply and other resources, and has a load capacity of 1,000 tons. A 50-ton main battle tank can hold twenty vehicles!
It is equivalent to taking two tank companies to attack. It is meaningless only in the short distance. It has to be driven at least several thousand kilometers to reflect the value of this kind of aircraft.
Take Hawaii for example. The distance is 7,000 kilometers and the speed is 500 kilometers per hour. It only takes 14 hours. If you leave in the afternoon, you can arrive in the early morning of the next day. In the whole day of the next day, you can put all the flags on it.
If replaced, this speed is much faster than that of warships. If those warships were to sail over, the speed of 30 knots would only be 1,000 kilometers a day, and it would take seven or eight days to get there.
Airplanes are fast but have a small load capacity. Warships have a large load capacity but are slow. Ground effect aircraft combine the advantages of both: the speed of an aircraft and the load capacity of a warship.
"What if the strength of the bottom is increased so that this kind of ground-effect aircraft can be used for beaching?"
Many landing ships have this design and drive directly to the beach. In this way, even tanks without amphibious capabilities can drive directly to the beach and then rush towards the target.
"You can give this a try." Alexeyeva nodded: "If the bottom is strengthened, it will increase the weight. Unless high-strength materials are used, how about we use titanium alloy?"
Qin Tao frowned, titanium alloy? Unlike the old Maozi era, we can use titanium alloy to build the shell of nuclear submarines luxuriously. If we use titanium alloy to build the bottom of the ship, how expensive will it be?
"Let's list this as a planned project first." Qin Tao changed the subject: "We still have to take advantage of the long distance. Let's build a batch first and join our Mingzhou Group Transportation Company. With this kind of ground effect aircraft,
We can promise that all kinds of valuable materials from all over the world will arrive within 48 hours!"
The east is on the other side of the earth. It is not the United States, nor Europe, nor the big dogs, but Argentina. When it comes to Argentina, it is probably difficult to arrive on the same day, but when it comes to other places, there is no problem, such as the big dogs.
Over there, the direct sea route is about 10,000 kilometers, and a ground-effect aircraft can fly there within 20 hours. If you want to fly a shorter route, you can take the land route, then pass over Laoba, and go directly to
We're at the big dog shop.
Although we are talking about flying over the sea, ground-effect aircraft can also fly close to the ground. When necessary, they can even fly thousands of meters into the sky. As for the fact that it cannot land on land, it is really a problem. You need to find a nearby one.
Landing in a lake, or simply using unmanned driving, it doesn't matter if the cargo is destroyed, the insurance company will pay for it anyway, as long as the people are okay.
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"Can our ground effect aircraft be unmanned?" Qin Tao asked.
"We have currently adopted digital fly-by-wire flight control. As long as the automatic flight control program is transplanted, we can fly autonomously." Alexeyeva said: "However, these have not been tested, so we cannot tell you the specific effects.
report."
Qin Tao nodded: "Our Mingzhou Group has powerful unmanned driving technology. As long as the flight control here passes the test, it will not be troublesome to transplant the unmanned driving technology over. You can still do your thing. For this professional thing, we will find professionals."
personnel to do it.”
Alexeyeva nodded: "Mr. Qin, let's build a batch of crosses first. The cost of each cross is about 100 million."
"Well, this money will be paid by our transportation company. This amount of money is nothing. A passenger plane costs two to three hundred million."
Whether compared with ships or airplanes, this kind of ground-effect aircraft is not expensive. What can 100 million do?
"After we build it, we can sell it to the world. If a customer is interested in a two-thousand-ton ground-effect aircraft like ours, we will have to pay him more than $500 million for one!"
Making your own is one price, taking out is another price. Ground-effect aircraft have the speed of airplanes and the carrying capacity of ships. There will definitely be many customers interested in it. If you send something to a big dog, they will probably like it.
Ground effect aircraft will become another important source of profit for the Mingzhou Group! As for some people, the French, British, Americans, etc., just take a look and want to buy? Wait until ten years from now.