Chapter 448: The Direction of Aerospace Engines

After the official establishment of Xinghai Research Institute, Xu Chuan's work became a three-point line.

Living in a villa at the foot of Zijin Mountain, taking classes and guiding students on the campus of Nanjing University, and handling initial project work at Xinghai Research Institute.

In addition to these, the rest of the time is used to study the new atomic doping structure mechanism and multi-orbital strong correlation system found in KL-66 materials.

Time has passed for nearly a week, and there is still half a month before the New Year's Day.

Xinghai Research Institute, in a conference room of the Institute of Aerospace Research.

Xu Chuan sat in a chair and listened to the report of Weng Yunzong, the general director of the Institute of Aerospace.

Although the instructions for restarting manned space flight and even the lunar exploration project have not yet been issued, the relevant projects have fallen to Xinghai Research Institute, or like the controlled nuclear fusion project, it is a foregone conclusion that a new research institute will be established here.

For Xu Chuan, the development of aerospace technology is almost the first priority after the completion of controlled nuclear fusion technology.

After all, the stars and the sea are the most desirable direction.

"At present, the engines in the aerospace field are mainly chemical fuel propulsion engines used in the atmosphere and electric propulsion engines used in outer orbits."

"Fossil fuel rockets mainly use liquid oxygen and kerosene fuel, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel, liquid oxygen and methane fuel, unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine fuel and solid fuel. The fuel used in our Long March series rockets is mainly liquid oxygen and kerosene."

In the conference room, Weng Yunzong gave a simple and general report on the current aerospace direction of various countries.

Through the meetings he participated in these days, through Weng Yunzong's mouth, and through some information he consulted, Xu Chuan has a general understanding of the domestic and foreign aerospace industry and related developments.

After listening to this, he said: "From the information you reported, if we develop a space shuttle, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen should be the most suitable fuel."

Weng Yunzong nodded and said: "Well, liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel is indeed the most commonly used and highest-performance rocket propellant fuel."

"However, due to the ultra-low temperature properties of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, both storage and use are quite troublesome. Our country's technology in this area is relatively backward."

After a slight hesitation, he looked at Xu Chuan and said: "Excuse me, Academician Xu, although our domestic aerospace technology has developed rapidly in recent years, it started late after all, and there is still a big gap in aerospace technology with the United States, Tsarist Russia and other countries. distance."

"At present, the launch vehicles we develop, whether they are the Long March series or the Shenzhou series, have a carrying capacity of less than 30 tons. We do not have much experience in high-load launch vehicles of more than 30 tons."

"And if we want to develop space shuttle technology, large-load launch vehicles involve space shuttle-related technologies, and there are too many things involved."

After a pause, he continued: "Although it is unpleasant to say that boosting others' ambitions will destroy your own prestige, judging from our current domestic aerospace technology, it is almost impossible to complete manned lunar landing, especially through the technology of space shuttle."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan did not care too much.

In fact, the development of the aerospace field is indeed as Weng Yunzong said.

Because aerospace, especially manned space landing and other technologies are difficult to bring equivalent returns, apart from the US-Soviet Cold War in the last century, countries behind aerospace technology have basically not invested much.

Take China for example. At present, the budget for China's aerospace industry in 2020 is only 13 billion RMB, less than 15 billion RMB, and this is the sum of various projects such as Long March, Shenzhou, Beidou, Chang'e, and Tiangong.

It sounds a lot, but it is actually quite small.

You know, in the last century, in order to achieve manned lunar landing, the United States formulated the Apollo program, and the total investment in it exceeded 22 billion US dollars.

If converted to today according to the economic growth and inflation of the United States, this number is about seven to eight times higher.

In other words, it costs about 150 billion US dollars to achieve a manned lunar landing.

Of course, this conversion does not really make much sense. After all, the technology was relatively immature at that time, and the investment was naturally more.

And today's manned lunar landing, with the relatively mature aerospace technology, naturally does not cost that much money.

But from this data, it is enough to see how expensive it is to invest in aerospace technology.

And it's not just about money. Manned lunar landing involves too many core technologies.

A large-load carrier rocket alone involves the rocket body, power system, control system, telemetry system, external measurement system, safety control system, etc., not to mention the space shuttle.

Manned space technology involves an almost complete industrial system, and to some extent, it involves a wider range than controlled nuclear fusion technology.

Investing and researching in this area cannot be achieved overnight.

It is very difficult to catch up with or even surpass the past in aerospace technology.

Let’s not talk about other things, just the load of the launch vehicle. The Saturn V super-heavy launch vehicle developed by the United States in the 1960s has a thrust of 3,400 tons, and a carrying capacity of 118 tons in low-Earth orbit and 45 tons in lunar orbit respectively.

In China, the Long March 5 has the strongest carrying capacity at present, with a maximum thrust of 879 tons, a carrying capacity of 25 tons in low-Earth orbit, and no data for lunar orbit.

From this point of view, it can only be said that the task is long and the task is heavy.

After understanding these gaps, Xu Chuan is naturally clear, but he did not give up.

For a scientific researcher, the least feared thing should be to face the difficulties he encounters.

After thinking for a while, Xu Chuan looked at Weng Yunzong and asked: "If it is possible to provide millions of kilowatt-hours of electricity, is there any suitable electric propulsion engine technology that can achieve a carrying capacity of 100 tons?"

Hearing this question, Weng Yunzong was stunned for a moment, and then frowned.

After thinking for a while, he smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "This question is beyond my scope of answer. I don't know much about the electric propulsion series."

"After all, when I was at the Sichuan Space Base, I was mainly responsible for chemical fuel launch vehicles."

After thinking for a while, he continued, "If you need something related to electric propulsion, I can recommend someone to you."

"Who? In China?" Xu Chuan asked.

Weng Yunzong nodded and said, "Of course in China, Academician Yang Hong, the chief designer of the Tiangong Space Station. His technology related to electric propulsion should be the best in China. The world's top Hall thruster used in Tiangong was designed by him."

Xu Chuan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go find Academician Yang later."

Weng Yunzong glanced at Xu Chuan, thought about it, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "As for electric propulsion engines, to be honest, I personally am not very optimistic."

"Whether it is ion thrusters or Hall thrusters, although I don't know much about them, the thrust of both is not large. It is enough to be used on satellites or space stations in outer space, but if it is now For application in the atmosphere, it is probably difficult to achieve without four or five upgrades. "

"After all, the thrust is too weak, still at the millinewton level."

"As for research on electric propulsion, I suggest imitating the space route of the United States and using chemical fuels for propulsion. At least this is a road that has been traveled, and we have a greater chance of success."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan smiled and said: "You are right, chemical fuel propulsion technology is indeed a road that has been traveled, it is more mature, and we can cross the river by feeling the stones."

"But its potential has basically reached its limit, and it can be said that it is difficult to advance further. I think you are also very clear about this."

Hearing this, Weng Yunzong nodded in approval.

Although chemical fuel rocket technology is mature, the specific impulse can hardly be improved any further.

Xu Chuan continued: "If we want to surpass the Western countries led by the United States in aerospace technology, we must find another way."

"And electromagnetic propulsion is undoubtedly the key to the future, especially under the premise that controlled nuclear fusion technology has been realized, it is even more necessary to develop electric propulsion with high specific impulse."

After a pause, he continued: "Of course, at present, our route has not been determined. Both traditional fossil fuel propulsion engines and electric propulsion engines are under consideration."

"The specific development direction will be discussed and studied by experts in the aerospace field after the manned space flight and manned lunar landing projects are implemented."

"And now our job is to sort out the advantages and disadvantages of various propulsion and related engines, and then discuss them at the project meeting in a while."

"Don't worry, I'm not someone who doesn't listen to suggestions. I will discuss what should be discussed and what should be discussed."

Hearing this, Weng Yunzong's half-raised heart was slightly relieved.

When he was transferred here from the Sichuan Aerospace Base, he received the instruction to fully cooperate with the research work of Academician Xu.

What this means is naturally self-evident.

But to be honest, crossing a field is like crossing a mountain. The barriers between different fields are not so easy to cross.

Especially in the two almost completely unrelated fields of controlled nuclear fusion and aerospace engineering.

He was a little worried that this person might be obsessed with a technology that he thought might be possible but is indeed difficult to achieve at present, and then invest a lot of manpower, material resources and funds, but ultimately make slow progress or gain nothing.

This is not impossible.

However, after hearing this sentence, he was relieved a lot.

PS: There is another chapter in the evening, please vote for me!