Volume 2: Soaring! The Overlord of the Region Chapter 339 The Beginning of the Industrial Revolution (Part 2)
"Woo~kongzi~kongzi~~"
On two parallel railroad tracks that are very familiar to any time traveler, a very primitive-looking locomotive, spewing light black smoke, gradually slows down, and finally slowly stops.
It was not going very fast, and the driver had started to slow down early. So when it stopped, the front of the car just arrived in front of an obvious escort of nobles.
An old man with gray hair, shaggy beard, and coal-dust all over his clothes jumped down from the locomotive. After seeing the group of nobles, he ran a few steps quickly, then opened his mouth and yelled: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, I, I, I am very honored... cough cough cough..."
"Hahaha, Professor Galileo, please don't get too excited. Come, please drink some water and calm down."
"Gululu~Hu~ah, thank you, Your Majesty. I am really sorry that you personally brought me water."
"Of course, Professor. Your invention will completely change the human world!"
"Your Majesty, you flatter me. Although it's my invention, in fact, since you found me when you were four or five years old, the guidance and tips I received from you over the past ten years are more than what I taught you! More valuable!"
"Hahaha, professor, let's stop flattering each other. Can you tell us about the parameters you got after completing so many experiments?"
"Oh? Oh! Yes, Your Majesty."
After drinking the water in the cup, Galileo turned around and looked at the crude locomotive. His eyes softened and his voice became gentle. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, this is the 23rd steam engine in our Asturias Steam Engine Laboratory. On standard rails, with three carriages and a load of ten tons, it can move forward at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour. Since we only built 100 kilometers of rails for experiments, the longest continuous operation time is only seven hours. However, we once let it run repeatedly for 21 hours in one day, and no malfunctions occurred during this period.
Next is energy consumption. After repeated calculations, we found that the energy consumption of the steam engine of Train No. 23 is 0.06 kg of standard coal per ton of cargo per kilometer.
After listening to Galileo's introduction, Philip still felt a little annoyed: this energy consumption is still a bit high.
As a historian, Philip only knew the principle of the steam engine, but not how to make it. But at the same time, as a historian, he was very clear about the development of human science and technology.
He clearly remembers that from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, the energy consumption of steam locomotives was generally 270.1kg of standard coal per 10,000 tons of cargo per kilometer. The fuel burned by diesel locomotives, converted into coal, was 36.5kg of standard coal per 10,000 tons per kilometer. As for electric locomotives, it was 13.7kg.
The reason why I remember it so clearly is, of course, that the contrast between these three sets of data is so vivid that I can never forget it once I see it.
According to Galileo's data, wouldn't it take 600 kilograms of standard coal to transport 10,000 tons of cargo for one kilometer? No, it certainly wouldn't take that much - the experimental track was only laid for a total of 100 kilometers, and the train had to slow down soon after it picked up speed, so there was a lot of energy loss . But no matter how you calculate it, it is still far worse than the mature steam locomotives in the historical plane.
But then again, 600 kg of standard coal can move 10,000 tons of cargo one kilometer, which is many times more powerful than the current human and power transportation! Besides, this steam locomotive can also be further improved.
After figuring this out, Philip was relieved: "Professor , thank you for your hard work. I am very satisfied with your work. You will be praised forever by people all over the world for changing the current situation of human society, promoting human development, and opening a new era! Now," he pointed behind him, "over there are reporters from the three major newspapers in our country. You can go and accept their interview. I allow you to release this news!"
"Your Majesty, do you mean that from now on, the kingdom can lay railroad tracks? And can apply steam engines to various aspects?"
"Yes."
"Praise your kindness! You are the greatest king who has made progress for mankind!"
Haha, that's not necessarily true. The advent of the steam age means the end of the pastoral life of the whole of Europe and even the world. A large number of farmers will be driven into the city and become flesh and blood to feed the machines. The burning of huge amounts of coal will cause huge environmental pollution. In addition, the resulting greatly improved production efficiency will make the killing even more bloody...
Why do I have such thoughts? After all, I am just a scholar.
Galileo went to be interviewed, and Philip and Rudolf slowly moved away from the crowd and found a remote room to sit down.
This time, both of them were silent for a long time.
"Philip, why don't you speak?"
"Why don't you speak?"
"I... Well, I only learned about the First Industrial Revolution in textbooks. But when I personally lived there and felt the changes of the times, I felt..."
"Yes, I understand. We have been in this era for seventeen years. Only today can we say that we have truly changed the times and changed history."
"What do you do next? Crush Central and Eastern Europe, then tear the Ottoman Empire apart?"
“Hahaha, my Rudolph, even though this is a six-way competition involving seven time travelers, we can’t move too hastily at this point.”
After saying this, Philip stood up and looked out the window at the sky that was still covered with a hint of coal smoke. "Once this era enters the steam age, the competition between time travelers will be an all-round one, especially a competition based on national strength. Pure military power cannot solve the problem. Well, I mean, at least it cannot solve the problem of the two time travelers from Ottoman and China who were born in big countries."
"You mean, the three from Japan, Thailand, and India?"
"Huh~" He smiled contemptuously: "Those three were destined to be runners-up from the beginning, right?"
"Then you still strongly support those two from Japan and Thailand?"
"I didn't give my full support. If I did, I would have sent out the entire Invincible Fleet and 100,000 new troops. All I hope is to use those two to temporarily delay the Chinese time traveler. But now it seems that those two idiots can't even do this!"
"Well, I've read the war reports from the East. They used sailing warships and fortress cannons to bombard each other, and used flintlock soldiers to land on the beach. Oh, the Orientals have a really strong imagination."
"Hahaha, Rudolf, I always thought you had no sense of humor like the Germans of later generations. Now it seems that I need to revise my understanding." After saying this with a smile, Philip took out a letter from his pocket: "This is a handwritten letter from the Chinese time traveler that our Manila Governor sent me yesterday. It's all in English. I have to say, the handwriting is terrible! It seems that the Chinese time traveler is not a pharmacist or pharmaceutical expert as we imagined before, but a doctor. Otherwise, the handwriting cannot be so ugly."
"Tsk, no one can recognize the handwriting of our European doctors. Is it the same for Chinese doctors? Eh? A letter written in July, and it's already December."
"It's already fast. After all, it has traveled halfway around the world."
"Hmm..." After reading the letter with great difficulty, Rudolf complained about the ugly handwriting and said, "Philip, what do you think of the war situation in the East? Should we agree to the request of the Chinese?"
"He didn't ask us, he was threatening us." After pacing for a few times, Philip sat next to Rudolph and said, "Those two in Japan and Thailand are useless, but if they are finished, it won't be long before our colonies in Taiwan, Macau, and Luzon will all be finished. So, I think the Manila Fleet should continue to support those two useless people."
"agree."
"Well, I had a deep talk with Mr. Galileo last night, and he told me that the No. 37 marine steam engine can be tested next week at the latest. So, if the experiment is successful, we will try to build an ironclad ship. If our ironclad ship is built within three years, and Japan and Thailand are not finished yet, I don't mind sending an ironclad ship to the Far East to support them. And if Japan and Thailand are obviously defeated within these three years, then our Manila Fleet will fight back. After all, many things in China are very important to us."
