The black smoke has become the symbol of the Weihe Workshop. Everyone in Chang'an knows that you can reach the Weihe Workshop by following the black smoke. However, few people dare to walk over and take a look at the excitement, because the Weihe Workshop is surrounded by the North and South Camps all year round. There are heavy troops deployed, and anyone who dares to sneak past quietly will be arrested immediately and imprisoned forever.
Dang Dang!
Wearing a "wet cloth mask", Li Chengzhao stood in front of the machine, watching the hydraulic forging hammer pounding the iron in a uniform rhythm, his eyes gradually becoming serious.
"How much labor can this thing save?"
Next to him stood the person in charge. When he heard the prince's question, the man immediately leaned forward and replied: "It used to be a forging hammer with ten people forging day and night. After improvement, it is now comparable to thirty people forging day and night. Sometimes water power It’s enough, and there’s more.”
Li Chengzhao nodded and asked again: "Is this how plate armor is made?"
"Yes." The person in charge said proudly: "More than 70,000 pairs of plate armor were produced here, and that was within three years."
Li Chengzhao was secretly frightened. No wonder his father asked him to spend some time at the Weihe Workshop to have a look around and learn more about it. With such sharp weapons, there was no need for the army to be unhappy and the soldiers to be incompetent. The reason why the Tang army was invincible was that I'm afraid this workshop must have three successes.
Next, he went to other workshops to check. Finally, he went to the "Steam" workshop to meet his father.
Here, an extremely complex large-scale machinery appeared in front of him. Thick iron pipes, strange large boxes, strange gears, and iron rods gradually appeared in his eyes as he slowly approached.
He couldn't describe this strange mechanism, but he thought it was very complicated. Could it be that his father was here to teach him how to make this kind of mechanism today?
"My sons, please see your father."
"No gift."
Li Zhiyun was dressed in regular clothes, his face was indifferent, and he was slightly depressed.
"Father, what is this?" Li Chengzhao asked cautiously.
Li Zhiyun did not answer his question, but asked: "Prince, do you know what people use to pull the stone mill?"
This question sounded very strange. Li Chengzhao naturally did not think that his father was asking casually when he had nothing to do. After thinking about it carefully, he replied: "Of course it's the strength of the hands, feet, and waist."
"Prince, think about it again, if hands and feet are compared to tools, then what force makes the stone mill move?" Li Zhiyun asked again.
Comparing hands and feet to tools?
Li Chengzhao pondered: "Human strength, making the hands and feet move and pulling the stone mill, should be human power, just like oxen and horses, it is strength."
"Yes." Li Zhiyun said: "The strength of oxen and horses can be called animal power, and the strength of humans can be called human power. Although the two are large and small, they are actually the same kind of power, that is, living creatures. The strength of human beings, ranging from tigers and leopards to birds, actually all have this kind of strength in their bodies. I call it human power."
"Manpower." Li Chengzhao said thoughtfully.
Immediately afterwards, Li Zhiyun said again: "Have you seen the hydraulic forging hammer?"
"yes."
"Then do you know how the hydraulic forging hammer moves?"
Li Chengzhao replied: "The impact of the water flow from the river is used to make the water wheel rotate and drive the hydraulic forging hammer to move."
"Yes." Li Zhiyun asked: "Then do you think water is a living thing?"
"No." Li Chengzhao shook his head. When he said this, he thought: "Father, do you mean that in addition to using the power of living things, you can also use the power of dead things?"
"Yes, the key lies in the word tool." Li Zhiyun explained: "There is nothing surprising about the rapid flow of water, but with the waterwheel, it can be used. This kind of power is different from human power, because it is basically
Inexhaustible, tireless, and can be used as long as it is used properly. I call it mechanical power."
To be honest, he almost couldn't remember the difference between biological force and mechanical force, and without certain knowledge of physics and mathematics, he couldn't explain clearly to his son about "force".
"Mechanical power?" Li Chengzhao paused, but he still said this word
It's the first time I've heard of it.
"Machines are mechanisms, and machines are utensils. Mechanical force is the power of mechanisms and utensils." Li Zhiyun said: "This kind of power is different from human power. It requires two conditions to achieve it. One is machinery, which is you.
The waterwheel you see is the resource, the river."
After thinking for a while, Li Chengzhao said: "My son probably understands that what my father means is that mechanical power is greater, more durable, and easier to use than human power."
"Don't you think that's it?" Li Zhiyun asked.
Li Chengzhao nodded, "That's true."
The forging power of a hydraulic forging hammer cannot be matched by human power.
Li Zhiyun changed the topic back, pointing to the huge machine in front of him and said: "This is also a kind of machinery, but it is different from a waterwheel. A waterwheel must be built on the bank of a river to borrow water power to be useful. And this kind of machine, no matter how it is built,
It can be useful there."
Li Chengzhao said: "Just now, my father said that two conditions are needed to exert mechanical power. Now we only have machinery, so what are the resources?"
This kid's mind is indeed spinning very fast.
Li Zhiyun put his hands behind his hands and said: "Coal."
"Coal?" Li Chengzhao was confused. How could coal make such a huge machine exert its "power"?
Is it possible to hit the machinery with coal to make it move?
But this is not right, because this is still human power.
He was confused.
It felt like he had come into contact with a completely new knowledge system today.
"Bring up the stove." Seeing his confusion, Li Zhiyun ordered the craftsman.
"yes."
Several craftsmen carried the burning stove over and placed it in front of everyone.
"Put the kettle on the fire."
"yes."
The craftsmen followed the instructions and placed a pot of boiling hot water on the fire.
Li Zhiyun said to his son: "Pay attention to the lid of the kettle."
Hearing this, Li Chengzhao held his breath and stared at the lid of the kettle.
After a while, as the coals in the stove burned more and more vigorously, the boiling steam made the lid rattle.
Li Chengzhao was a little confused. What was there to see? When the water boiled, the heat would push open the lid.
Li Zhiyun asked: "Prince, tell me, if we can control this heat and harness all its power, what will happen?"
Hearing this, Li Chengzhao was stunned at first, and then his scalp exploded.
"Father, do you mean to use a lot of coal to boil water, and then get the hot gas, and then use the hot gas to force the machinery to move, just like the water flowing against the waterwheel?"
What a good boy, he is really smart. Li Zhiyun smiled, neither denying nor confirming.
Prince's foundation in physics is less than or equal to zero, and his foundation in mathematics is only limited to some basic operations. It is not easy to be able to understand his own words quickly now.
"No?" Li Zhiyun asked.
Li Chengzhao was silent, staring at the rising heat from the kettle, pursed his lips and said, "Father, how is it possible to do this? The heat will dissipate in a while, and you can't touch it. How can you handle it?"
He felt that what his father said was as if people could fly, which was simply unbelievable.
Handle the heat?
This is something only God can do.
Li Zhiyun did not immediately explain to him, but instead said: "Before the water wheel of the Weihe Workshop appeared, do you think people could control the power of water?"
"No." Li Chengzhao said without hesitation. Although similar machines have appeared in history, they were not used in this way at all. Most of them were used to divert water to irrigate fertile fields.
"I can use water, and naturally I can also use water steam!" Li Zhiyun said sonorously.
water vapor?
This is another new word that Li Chengzhao has never heard of.