Genius of the Rules-Style System

Chapter 815: 433

Yuan Haitao immediately followed up, "K03A? Academician Zhao, you really did it!" As he spoke, he even gave a thumbs up.

Zhao Yi pulled up a stool to sit down and asked, "Have you asked about the segmented combustor liners we designed last time? When can they produce a finished product and send it over?"

He was referring to the research and development base of the Kunlun engine group.

Zhao Yi joined the Kunlun engine R&D team, and after achieving results, he needed to submit them to the R&D group first; the group would then discuss with the manufacturing partners regarding the production of the finished product.

This mainly involved two issues: one was confidentiality, and the other was funding problems.

Zhao Yi was a distinguished expert of the Kunlun engine group, but he did not have direct access to use the funds; he had to apply to the R&D group.

Yuan Haitao said, "No news yet, but there’s no rush, right? I asked them last time, they said that creating the proof of concept wasn’t an issue, but manufacturing would need some negotiation with the factory because there are no molds."

"It requires new molds?"

Zhao Yi immediately realized.

The factory needed new molds to produce the new segmented liner; a new design meant manufacturing new molds. While molds are only used for mass production, there are many ways to fabricate an item just for experimentation.

The segmented liner merely differed in shape, size, and thickness, and did not contain any technical complexity.

Clearly.

The R&D group did not place a high priority on this, resulting in the factory dragging its feet, as the ultimate question was who would pay for the manufacturing costs.

This was the first time Zhao Yi encountered such an issue. He found it preferable to have direct control over the project funds. Otherwise, after creating a design and applying for production, it would have to go through the R&D group’s discussion. It was the R&D group that communicated with the factory, and with so many intermediaries, it meant that manufacturing even a small item could take a long time.

"This won’t do!"

"We’re just starting with the combustor’s segmented liners, and later there will be turbine blades, gears, fans, electrical equipment..."

"If everything is delayed, when will we ever finish!"

Zhao Yi directly addressed Yuan Haitao, "How about this, I’ll apply for us to directly liaise with the cooperative factory so they can produce what we need as soon as possible. Captain Yuan, you will also need to take charge of this."

"Ah? Directly liaising with the factory, isn’t that bypassing the hierarchy?" Yuan Haitao said in surprise.

"It’s easy, I’ll talk to the Aviation Group."

Zhao Yi knew instantly what to do. The Kunlun engine group’s funds were allocated by the Aviation Group, as was other support. He could directly ask the Aviation Group for funds and liaise with the relevant factories.

"There’s one more thing."

Zhao Yi continued, "We need to start preparing for new materials. As I mentioned before, the performance of K03A has improved—the power of the combustor is sufficient, but how to adapt high-performance turbine blades, how to control the output power, how to save on combustion, these are all issues. We need a professional to verify it."

His point was to study the integration issue between the combustor and new turbine engines. If both critical components were performing fine, they must be well matched to exhibit their capabilities effectively.

This was important.

"But the new K03A hasn’t arrived yet..."

Yuan Haitao hesitated.

"We’ll start with research, verification," Zhao Yi said. "I’ll just set two figures: one at 1700 degrees Celsius, and the other at 1800 degrees Celsius. Next, we’ll verify that under these two temperatures, how the combustor can achieve its maximum effect while saving energy."

"This part of the verification requires professionals in the field of propulsion. Let’s have Zhang Gangchuan send someone over!"

...

Zhao Yi left.

Yuan Haitao, Zhou Qing, and Xue Fengge were left stunned in the office, unsure how to react.

degrees Celsius?

degrees Celsius?

If they remembered correctly, wasn’t the melting point of the upgraded K03A only around 1400 degrees Celsius?

"Could it be that Academician Zhao is confident in raising the melting point of K03A to one thousand seven, one thousand eight?"

"Don’t joke!"

"I saw a report last time that said that M Country’s most advanced fighter jet engines, the turbine blade melting point, is also only just over 1700 degrees, around 2000 Kelvin."

"K03A’s performance reaching international top-tier?"

"Impossible!"

After some discussion, everyone felt it was unbelievable.

Of course, it wasn’t for them to decide. Yuan Haitao quickly relayed the news to the head of the R&D group, Zhang Gangchuan. freewebnovel.cσ๓

When Zhang Gangchuan heard it, he thought it was a joke, "Haitao, today’s not April Fool’s, and we don’t even celebrate April Fool’s Day!"

"The words came straight from Academician Zhao!" Yuan Haitao said with certainty.

Zhang Gangchuan took a deep breath and thought carefully, feeling that Zhao Yi probably achieved some results and committed to them in a moment of excitement.

But what was the point?

"Isn’t this a bit too ambitious!"

Zhang Gangchuan shook his head repeatedly, not wanting to dampen Zhao Yi’s enthusiasm, he decided to visit the Power Laboratory group instead.

The design of the Kunlun engine had been finalized, and what followed were improvement works. The original dynamic group of over a dozen had either moved to other institutions or joined the Wangwu engine group, leaving only three technicians in the Power Laboratory.

Zhang Gangchuan briefly explained.

The leader of the Power Laboratory was Zhou Kai, who turned to look at the senior technician, Gao Yaxin. Hearing the discussion, Gao Yaxin immediately shook his head, declining to participate, "Designing and testing a combustor according to a blade that withstands 2000 Kelvin? What’s the point?"

Zhou Kai also excused himself, "If it were any other time, I’d go myself, since our group isn’t that busy, but with the K03A just making performance gains, we’re about to get the materials and need to conduct matching research."

At that moment, someone walked in.

Zhou Kai immediately called out, "Xiao Wang, come here."

Xiao Wang’s real name was Wang Zhiguo, only twenty-seven years old. After obtaining his master’s degree, he joined the group and was one of the few newcomers of the Kunlun engine team, as well as the youngest technician at the base.

Once Wang Zhiguo came over, Zhou Kai said to Gangchuan, "Since it’s Academician Zhao’s request, it wouldn’t look good not to send someone. Xiao Wang is also young, not much older than Academician Zhao. The exchange would be beneficial."

"Xiao Wang, why don’t you make a trip to the capital, to the Yanhua University Power Laboratory, where Yuan Haitao is," Zhou Kai suggested.

"Consider it a business trip, with regular allowances."

Wang Zhiguo didn’t understand what was going on, but hearing about a business trip to the capital with allowances, he nodded, "Oh, okay. When do I leave?"

"You can leave now!" Zhou Kai said with a nod and a smile. "It’s a request from Academician Zhao, Xiao Wang. When you get there, make sure to learn as much as you can."

"Academician Zhao? Me? Oh..."

Wang Zhiguo agreed, puzzled.