Great Power Industry: You're a private company building an aircraft carrier?

Babbage's eyes widened: "Qin, you can manufacture this kind of steel?"

“Sure, but we can’t use this batch of scrap steel. The nickel and chromium content is too high. I need crude steel produced by domestic steel mills. Anshan Iron and Steel Group’s crude steel is the most suitable,” Qin Chuan said. “It can be done with some refining.”

Yu Hongxin stood up: "Okay, I'll help you coordinate!"

"Uncle Yu, you can take the survey here first. It's not too late to coordinate after you've finished surveying."

“No, without suitable steel, this boiler cannot be copied and manufactured. I won’t feel at ease until I see this P92 thick-walled tube made.” Yu Hongxin said, “Find a car and take me to the station. I’ll go to the capital to see the leaders now.”

"The capital? I'll send a car directly there for you. You won't need to take the train. Construction, you make the trip!"

Yu Hongxin left in a hurry and arrived at the relevant department in the capital at four o'clock in the afternoon, where she happened to see that the deputy factory director Guo Xiangyang had also arrived.

"Director Guo, what brings you here?"

"What are you here for?"

"I'm here... Director Guo, is there something wrong at the factory?"

"Yes, we haven't seen you come back since you ran away last time. Our factory has recently taken on a new task."

Guo Xiangyang said, "Our superiors instructed that in order to further improve the operating efficiency of our thermal power generating units, we need to conduct preliminary research on supercritical boilers. This time, we came to contact Alstom of France to see if we can introduce relevant technologies from them."

"Are we finally going to build a supercritical boiler?" Yu Hongxin was overjoyed.

Coal is the cheapest energy source in the world. Therefore, coal is currently the main energy source used for power generation in the country. Water is heated into steam to drive a steam turbine, which in turn drives a generator.

Although the technical principle has been used since Watt invented the steam engine, the technology continues to develop, and the thermal efficiency has been continuously improved, from the initial three percent to more than forty percent today!

The domestic thermal power generation technology was aided by the Russians. Among the 156 projects that year, the Harbin Boiler Factory obtained medium-pressure boiler technology with an internal steam pressure of less than 6 MPa.

Later, through hard work, it gradually improved to the level of high pressure and ultra-high pressure, with the highest pressure reaching 13.7 MPa. Of course, the steel pipes used were all ordinary thick-walled pipes.

The higher the steam pressure inside the boiler, the higher the boiler's efficiency.

In the late 1950s, the United States operated a 31 MPa boiler, which was the world's first supercritical unit.

This is a technical term in the boiler industry, and it's quite simple to explain. As most people know, water boils at 100 degrees Celsius to produce steam, which is light and has a low density.

As pressure increases, the temperature required for water to boil also increases, and the density difference between water and water vapor also decreases.

When the pressure is increased to 22.115 MPa, the density of water vapor and water becomes the same. This pressure is the critical pressure. At this temperature, water needs to be heated to 374.15 degrees Celsius to completely vaporize, which is called the critical temperature.

The high-pressure steam flowing inside the steam pipes of this type of boiler is similar to water in that it is small in volume, high in energy, and highly efficient, making it the most efficient boiler operation mode.

However, it is not easy to heat a boiler to that pressure.

In the 1980s, through the introduction of technology from Westinghouse Electric Corporation, the boiler steam pressure was increased to 18.28 MPa, a state called subcritical, while pressures exceeding 22 MPa are called supercritical.

Over the past decade or so, China has been absorbing and digesting the technology of subcritical boilers and building similar products on its own. Now, it is finally time to develop supercritical boilers!

"Old Guo, you're finally here! Quick, to the meeting room!"

Just then, Luo Rongguang, the superior leader, greeted them from the stairwell.

So, everyone quickly entered the conference room.

Across from us, a group of French people were already sitting there, with white skin, blue eyes, and high noses, their eyes seemingly also looking up at the ceiling.

"Mr. Abel, let me introduce you. This is Director Guo from our Bingcheng Boiler Factory. Their factory has the most advanced technology in the country, so they want to take it a step further and hope to introduce supercritical boiler technology from you," Luo Rongguang said.

Upon hearing the translated words, Abel immediately frowned: "No, no, Mr. Luo, I think you've made a mistake. The information we received is that you want to build a new thermal power plant and want to import world-class supercritical boilers and matching generators from our Alstom company. We only sell power generation equipment, not technology."

“Yes, we do want to import such a power generation system from you, but we hope to import the related technology along with the power generation system,” Luo Rongguang quickly said.

"Supercritical boilers are the most advanced boiler technology in the world. With your industrial base in the East, it is simply impossible for you to master these technologies."

Abel said, "Our technology operates at pressures up to 26 MPa, using P92 steel pipes produced by our domestic Vallourek-Mannesmann Steel Pipe Company. This advanced steel is something you in the East can't produce! So..."

Abel's eyes were full of contempt: "I've heard that there's a proverb in the East: 'Don't take on a job you can't handle.' You can't build this kind of boiler, and you can't even make the steel pipes. So, you should just give up and import it directly from our company. We'll give you a price that will satisfy you."

The faces of the Asians present were all very grim.

Guo Xiangyang clenched his fist. Yes, we can't produce it now, but we will definitely be able to in the future, and show you foreigners!

Back then, our country was extremely poor and backward. But during the first Five-Year Plan, we were transformed into an industrialized nation with a complete production chain.

But he can't say anything yet, since they really can't build it right now.

“Mr. Abel, we are indeed unable to produce it at the moment, which is why we hope to cooperate with you. If we had it, there would be no need for us to sit here together.”

Luo Rongguang said, "We just want to introduce your technology, no matter the cost..."

"Mr. Luo, you've misunderstood. Of course we're willing to cooperate. If you want to buy technology, we're willing to sell it to you. But we can only sell boiler technology. Even if you have the technology, you won't be able to build a boiler because you don't have high-pressure resistant pipes. Do you understand?"

French goods were expensive, of poor quality, and lacked value for money. However, in the late 1970s, after China opened its doors to the world, France was still the most frequently purchased commodity in the East.

Simply put, the French sell both products and technology!

We bought two sets of the Sea Rattlesnake missile, which gave us the technology and enabled us to produce a large number of HQ-7 missiles.

After the Dolphin helicopter was purchased, the domestically produced Z-9 helicopter was developed.

We bought two 100mm naval guns and then copied them ourselves.

Don't even think about discussing technology with products from other countries unless you buy dozens or even hundreds of units.

When we wanted to introduce Mercedes-Benz's heavy truck technology, Mercedes-Benz dismissed us, saying: "Buy two thousand vehicles first!"

Of course, French products can be difficult to buy. When I tried to buy a Phantom 2000, the deal fell through because they wouldn't sell me the technology. But overall, French products are the easiest to negotiate with.

If China wants to improve its boiler technology, it still needs to learn from the French. But unexpectedly, the French refuse to sell, and they have all sorts of reasons!