Chapter 1245 Controlling Thunder and Lightning
With the situation on all sides urgent, it will take a long time for the Russians to get out of their siege.
However, Franz still hoped that they could go a little longer. After all, Franz did not want the Austrian Empire to be involved in large-scale disputes in Europe again.
The Austrian Empire's reverse engineering of Siemens generators was very smooth. In conclusion, Franz's behavior was a bit unnecessary.
The design drawings provided by Werner von Siemens to the Austrian Empire were completely correct. He did not hide anything. Franz was completely "judging others by one's own standards".
However, in Franz's view, it was very necessary. The research on reverse engineering was also a kind of experience for the technicians of the Austrian Empire. At the same time, it was also very important to verify the authenticity.
Siemens' generators were definitely a cross-era product, but in Franz's eyes, it was far from enough. Its efficiency was still very low and its power was even insufficient.
If it was just to send a telegram or light a light bulb, it would be fine. But if you want to apply it on a large scale, or even replace steam to complete the electric revolution, there is still a long way to go.
At this time, this high-power generator was mainly used by Franz to electrolyze magnesium and aluminum. At that time, the price of aluminum was comparable to that of gold, and the price of magnesium was equally exaggerated.
However, the biggest demand for magnesium powder was in the photography industry and military industry. The burning of magnesium powder would produce strong light, which could help take better photos.
The military demand for magnesium powder was also urgent, because the Austrian Empire's signal soldiers had had enough of the dangerous white phosphorus flares.
White phosphorus flares had another name in the colonies, that is, elephant-killing guns, which meant that this thing could kill an elephant with one shot.
White phosphorus flares can kill an elephant. If it hits a person or explodes in a person's hand, the consequences are simply unimaginable.
Therefore, the reconnaissance troops of the Austrian Empire would never use this thing unless it was absolutely necessary. They would rather find some firewood as a signal than use this advanced and dangerous thing.
However, flares made of magnesium powder would not have this problem. At least there would be no situation where scouts were directly killed by flares.
In addition, magnesium powder was also used for whitening and making laxatives. Magnesium sulfate and magnesium hydroxide are still used today.
Inspired by the Siemens generator, experts and engineers from the Royal Academy of Sciences in Vienna soon invented a practical electric motor.
However, electricity was still a scarce resource at that time, so electric motors were not widely used.
Although the electric motors at that time still seemed very clumsy, they marked the beginning of a new era. In addition, Franz's refrigerator finally no longer required forty people to run in turns to generate electricity.
It may be too early for personal household refrigerators, but it made it possible to invent large refrigerated ships.
If North American beef could be brought back to Austria, the meat problem of Austrians would be greatly alleviated.
The invention of the Siemens generator was also a huge breakthrough for the telegraph industry. In the future, the telegraph office may replace the post office as the main means of long-distance communication for people for a period of time.
More stable and stronger electricity also made it possible for the telephone to appear, but when the telephone could be invented was another question.
At this time, in addition to magnesium and aluminum production, the most likely large-scale application was still in the lighting field, that is, replacing gas lamps with electric lamps.
In addition to electricity, the most important thing for making electric lights is to have filaments. The development of materials science often relies on trial and error.
But Franz didn't need it, he knew the result, that is tungsten filament.
First, the melting point of tungsten is about 3422°C, the highest among all metals. This allows tungsten filaments to withstand high temperatures without melting.
Second, at high temperatures, tungsten evaporates slowly, which can extend the life of the bulb.
Third, tungsten has good mechanical strength and can maintain its shape even at high temperatures. At the same time, it has very good plasticity and is easy to process into filaments.
Tungsten filaments almost perfectly meet all the requirements of filaments, but Franz soon discovered that tungsten at this time is difficult to make and expensive.
If tungsten filaments are really used to make street lamps, I am afraid that a large number of lamp thieves will soon appear. After all, people die for money and birds die for food.
Fortunately, Franz has also heard the story of Edison, carbonized cotton filaments. Edison can buy other people's patents as his own inventions, and Franz can naturally steal future achievements as his own inventions.
Of course, Franz only knew the name of carbonized cotton, but fortunately, this name highlights its physical properties.
As long as Franz's ideas are followed, the so-called carbonized cotton can be made soon.
The advent of the generator is also a huge benefit to the science and research of the Austrian Empire. At least it is much easier to put electricity into experiments than in the past.
This is especially true for Babbage and his analytical engine, because steam power is not stable enough, even if the hydraulic press of the Austrian Empire can provide nearly perfect parts, it cannot realize his long-cherished wish.
However, electricity is undoubtedly a more stable and potential power. Dr. Babbage has devoted his life to this analytical engine.
At this time, a mechanical monster composed of 240,000 special parts is dormant in Babbage's studio, but it can only dormant here because the technology at that time cannot make it work perfectly.
While studying the analytical engine, Babbage also accepted Franz's advice and was miniaturizing and electrifying the calculator.
It just so happened that the Siemens generator was launched at this time, and Babbage's electric calculator would also sell well in the foreseeable future.
Babbage was not alone in history at this time. Thirty of his students joined his career after graduation. At the same time, Babbage used the money he earned to hire fifteen mathematicians and twenty-three engineers to work with him.
Including the logisticians provided by the Austrian Empire, Babbage's team had more than one hundred people.
This time he did not die alone in poverty and illness. Although the research work was still very tiring and difficult to advance, there was finally someone to share the pressure with him. At least he didn't have to worry about whether he would have the next meal or where to live tomorrow.
It's just that as a programmer, wearing glasses and being bald is inevitable. Coupled with the high-sugar diet in the Royal Women's College, diabetes is also inevitable.
Whenever students pass by, they can always identify the people from the School of Digital Engineering at the first time, "four eyes"! "Mediterranean"!
Babbage was not a stingy person, and Franz, the financier behind him, would not mistreat someone who could change the course of history, at least not materially.
So the people in the School of Digital Engineering had no complaints. A grand goal and relatively generous treatment, for these experts, perhaps this is happiness, perhaps this is luck.
Thanks to the book friend Guchuan 520 for the reward.