Chapter 491 Taking Shape
[Wow… Damn it, this will shock my mother for a hundred years]
[My mother asked me why I was kneeling to watch the live broadcast]
[Is this GOD? ]
[So glucose is firewood, and carbon is charcoal, scratching your head? ]
[Dude, you didn’t understand? I’m shy too]
[Yes, glucose is the firewood needed to boil water, and charcoal is the single element carbon]
After a simple analysis, the audience in the live broadcast room was shocked and the number of comments increased sharply.
Even more often, they give huge rewards.
emperor?
Is it a rare creature?
After thanking everyone for their support and rewards, Bifang continued to work. He piled up the clay, forming a closed kiln bit by bit.
“There are two common methods for making charcoal: pit burning and dry distillation.”
"The former uses mud to build a kiln, fills it with wood, and then ignites it, allowing the wood to carbonize in the kiln, volatiles to escape, and charcoal remains."
"The dry distillation method is to place wood in a dry distillation kiln and heat it in an air-tight condition to decompose charcoal. This is wood dry distillation."
"Depending on the method of burning out of the kiln, the dry distillation method generally produces two types of charcoal: black charcoal and white charcoal. However, we use the kiln burning method here, and the charcoal we produce is all black charcoal."
The pile of clay looked like a well, and Bifang poured a lot of wood into it, explaining:
"Don't stack the wood too tightly, because we need it to undergo combustion reaction. If it is too tightly stacked, it is likely that charcoal will not form inside."
Then he inserted wooden strips around the "well" and moved them closer to the center like a tent, forming a semicircular structure. With the support, he could spread clay on the semicircle to make a sealed lid, leaving only a small opening at the top.
Bifang raised the torch and lit the wood through the small hole reserved. When everything inside started to burn and emit thick smoke, he quickly pasted the last bit of clay on the top to create an isolated environment from the outside world.
Under high temperature, the moist clay quickly dries and changes color, sealing the cellar tightly.
"By isolating the oxygen, a high-temperature, oxygen-poor environment is formed inside. When the temperature drops, we can harvest charcoal. If you are barbecuing outdoors, you can also make charcoal by putting wood in a tin can. However, we need a larger amount, so even if we use the pit burning method, we may have to do it twice."
While the wood was turning into charcoal, Bifang once again came to the stove that was now being made.
After a whole afternoon of drying and baking, the stove has been completely formed. The square cover on the side falls on the stove, and it even makes a sound like cement collision.
"Next we will make the chimney. The chimney will be built at the center of the circle here. The higher the better, but make sure not to build it too fast. Wait until the next section of the chimney is dry before building the previous section, otherwise it will easily collapse."
Bifang carried the large frame of cement to his side and pushed the clay around the opening.
The whole process is very simple, and is no different from playing with clay in kindergarten craft class, just like building a castle on the beach.
"Everyone must have seen chimneys. There are square ones and round ones, but there are differences between them. Square ones are easier to build. Round ones are more efficient, exhaust smoke evenly and smoothly, and have less wind resistance. So nowadays, chimneys in large factories are generally round, but for the convenience of construction at home, they are usually square."
For a square building, a ruler will do, but a circular building is far from that simple. A lot of things are needed, and if it is not symmetrical at all, it may cause it to collapse easily.
"So I chose to build a square chimney. The iron smelted here is far from being efficient."
Bifang piled the clay into neat squares at the smoke exhaust vent, accumulating it upwards little by little, not at a very fast speed, and the overall structure was very uniform.
After building a dozen centimeters, Bifang would use a relatively straight branch to measure it, and only continue stacking after confirming it.
Soon, a chimney half a person's height appeared in front of everyone. Of course, this height was still not enough.
"Now let's go see if the charcoal is ready."
Bifang wiped the clay on his hands, came to the previously sealed cellar, and reached out to feel the wall temperature.
Not hot.
"It's warm. It should be ready. Let's open it and take a look."
The clay that has been dried at high temperatures feels like cement, rough and hard, and not easy to open.
Bifang picked up the stone hammer beside him and smashed it hard on the dry and hard cellar. The symmetrical cellar cover suddenly cracked and collapsed, several pieces of broken soil fell, and a faint white smoke floated up from the gap.
All the lumps of mud that felt like cement were broken apart, and black charcoal appeared in front of everyone.
Bifang was not afraid of the heat, he just reached out and turned it over, it felt warm to the touch, and the wood underneath all turned into black charcoal, and when he turned it over, the charcoals collided with each other, making a sound of metal hitting metal.
[Fuck, did I hear that right? Why does it feel like black iron? ]
[Has Fang Shen already made iron? Has he secretly performed magic? ]
[Awesome! I told you a long time ago that Fang Shen is an alien, but you still don’t believe me]
Bifang picked up two long pieces of charcoal and blew on the white ash on them: "This is black charcoal, commonly known as earth kiln charcoal. The surface is pure black or has white powder that can be blown off. It is formed when the burning charcoal is cut off from the air in the kiln at the end of carbonization."
"Black charcoal is soft and can be easily broken. It makes a dull sound when tapped and has a soft texture."
Bifang took out two pieces of black charcoal and knocked them gently. Suddenly, a dull metallic knocking sound was heard, and everything would shatter if force was applied. For many people in big cities who had never seen it before, it was indeed very magical.
The product of burning wood actually makes a metallic sound!
All the charcoal in the cellar was taken out and placed in a wooden frame, and Bifang put a lot of firewood in it.
Continue making the cap with the same operation.
"One cellar of charcoal is theoretically enough, but to be on the safe side, I'm going to make another one."
After completing it, Bifang returned to the stove and continued to build the chimney higher.
By five o'clock in the afternoon, the charcoal was burned and the chimney was completed.
Bifang looked at the chimney, which was more than two meters high and taller than his own, and felt very satisfied.
The chimney is square and very straight , and the top section is even made of clay steps.
"I am 1.85 meters tall. You can see that the chimney is half a meter taller than me, about two meters, which is enough." After shaking off the dust on his body , Bifang walked down the clay steps, came to the stove and started adding firewood.
Not long after, white smoke began to emerge from the tall chimney.
[Oh my god! Oh my god! This is polluting the environment! ]
[This little bit of smoke is nothing. It will naturally degrade directly...]
[There's not even as many people waiting for a car]
[That’s right]
[This chimney is too high. It seems that there is hope for iron smelting.]
[Progress is so fast]
The audience joked about it but didn't take it too seriously. Compared with the emissions produced by modern industry, the amount of Bifang's emissions could be degraded by just a few trees.
In the setting sun, Bifang, covered with red mud, was glowing with golden light all over. He was wearing only a grass skirt and a necklace of animal teeth around his neck, looking extremely wild.
Bifang wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked a little tired.
The workload today was quite heavy. Not only did we complete the construction of the blast furnace, but we also piled up a small mountain of charcoal. Now I'm starving.
"We can start processing iron bacteria tomorrow, and maybe start smelting iron in the afternoon. When I went to pick clay earlier, I also cut two good branches. I plan to make a bow and arrow tonight and see if I can hunt some pheasants or rabbits tomorrow to improve my food."
I eat fish every day, and many of them have bones. Bifang is tired of eating them. Especially today at noon, I got a fish bone stuck in my throat. It was really uncomfortable. Fortunately, there was no big problem later. It’s just that my throat still hurts a little now, and there’s a foreign body sensation.
In the evening, Bifang cooked a pot of vegetable soup with stinky vegetables and fish and enjoyed it for dinner.
The water monitor lizard that had been basking in the sun on the slope for a day also began to become active. It quickly walked to the puddle, dragged two fish and left, showing its speed, accuracy and ruthlessness.
Bifang noticed it, but was too lazy to care.
I'm tired, so let it be.
It’s strange to say, as a cold-blooded animal, the water monitor lizard’s eating frequency should not be that high. Maybe it feels hungry because it sees itself eating?
Or do they need food more during breeding?
Animals eat much more simply and roughly than humans. They simply tore the two fish into pieces and swallowed them. After eating and drinking its fill, the monitor lizard spotted a big tree, climbed up slowly using its sharp claws, and lay on the branch without moving.
[By the way, can we see the birth of a baby water monitor lizard before the live broadcast ends? ]
[That's unlikely. Didn't Old Fang say that eggs are laid in June or July? It will take at least one or two months, right? By then, Fang Shen will have passed away.]
[I just checked, wow, this thing can live to 150 years old]
[What the hell? One hundred and fifty? Are you fucking kidding me?]
Seeing the audience discussing this, Bifang thought about it and found that it was not impossible.
"Oviposition in June and July is a general situation, but in fact, water monitors have the ability to lay eggs at any time, which is relatively rare in the animal kingdom, especially in areas lacking obvious dry and wet season climate characteristics. Water monitors can lay eggs at any time of the year."
"If this water monitor lizard is special and did not give birth in June or July, then we may actually encounter the birth of a baby monitor lizard."
Bifang's words gave the audience a great surprise.
[Fuck, can I really see it? ]
[Isn’t this awesome? ]
[How does Lao Fang know everything? ]
Because I have seen the breeding records of water monitors.
Bifang complained inwardly.
The Forestry Bureau releases water monitors almost every year, and has released more than 300 to date.
Although I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I still know a little about it.
While the audience was fantasizing, Bifang, who was cutting wood to make a bow and arrow, poured a basin of cold water on them.
"Don't think too much. The Xishuangbanna rainforest has distinct dry and wet seasons. The possibility of giving birth in June or July is not high. Besides, the hatching time of this guy's eggs is uncertain."
"It could be anywhere from two and a half months to 10 months or even longer. Usually it takes six months. Even if it's possible, it's negligible."
【Ah this】
[How can anyone like this guy who is so ugly? Scratching my head]
[Plus one, I feel so ugly, this guy has a nest not far away, I can’t count the number of sleeps every day]
[I feel ugly and cute]
[The taste is too strong! ]
Bifang smiled, but did not stop the stone knife in his hand and continued to cut bow materials and arrows.
After all, the stone dagger is not very convenient. It would be better if I had an iron knife.
Looking at the wood chips under his feet, Bifang began to imagine the results in a few days.
