NOVEL NEXT Chapter 986: The Balwaan Engine (2/2)
Reading the summary of the report, one thing that became immediately obvious to Vijay was that the whole design of the steam engine that Heyram and other researchers had developed seemed to be strikingly similar to the Penydarren Locomotive engine, developed by the English engineer Richard Trevithick.
Trevithick was a researcher from a small town in Cornwall who grew up in the mining community and was dissatisfied with the limitations of a low-powered steam engine made by James Watt, so he made a high-powered engine that was more compact and more powerful.
Finally reaching the laboratory, Vijay saw a small machine placed right in the centre of the laboratory floor as if it were the crown jewel in a museum, but thinking about its importance to the empire and what it means to human travel, it might actually be more valuable.
" So, Heyram, tell me what you have done, " Vijay enquired as he put down the document he was reading and folded his hands with the expression of I'm listening.
Heyram wiped the sweat off his bald head and nodded.
" This new engine is a drastically different engine from the previous Kesari engines, your majesty, the main difference is that in the Kesari engines it was the atmospheric pressure that was responsible for bringing down the piston, but here in this machine, high pressurised steam is directly used to push down the piston with immense force to generate a piston cycle and consecutively generate power for rotation. "
Vijay stroked his chin. "How does it compare to the Kesari K3?" Then he looked at Heyram, "I suppose the improvement is huge."
Hey Ram Nodded, " It's the difference between day and night, your majesty. Both engines are in entirely different dimensions. While the Balwaan engine is smaller, it is more powerful and efficient, while the Kesari engine, although larger, is not as powerful and efficient as the small engine capable of being carried by a carrage. "
" Balwaan, it's a nice name, it has a good ring to it. Did you come up with that? "
" Ah, no, your majesty, it was actually His Highness Vedant. He was the one who suggested the name. I simply felt like it was apt, so I continued to use it. "
" Hmm, it is a good name indeed, " Vijay nodded as he eyed his son, who was trying to divert his gaze from him.
"Anyway, " he turned back to look at Heyram with interest.
" Is it really good for you to speak ill of your own invention? "
Hearing this, Heyram quickly waved his hands. " Haha, there's no such thing as good or bad, your majesty. I'm only doing my job. Besides, surpassing oneself and reaching greater heights is something everyone can be proud of, and I am no different. "
Vijay nodded in understanding and went to inspect the engine himself while Heyram continued his report.
" Some other changes I have made are"
"First, instead of using rotary motion, this is a horizontal engine that can send power directly to the wheels through the crank."
"Second, in terms of pressure, while the Kesari engine, even the latest K3 model, produces at most ten to twelve bars of steam pressure, the new engine can generate over forty, even fifty bars. That's a four- to fivefold increase."
Vijay examined the components closely and immediately sensed the difference. "What type of metal is this? It's not the ordinary kind, I presume?"
"You're correct, Your Majesty. We've used the latest MKV-2 special steel for critical parts that require high strength, and normal steel for the rest to keep the weight under control."
"That's good. What else?"
"Its thermal efficiency has improved by 25 to 35% compared to the Kesari engine. Naturally, its internal components are also very different from the K3. The cylindrical bore is smaller but built to withstand much higher pressures, and the piston is designed with a shorter stroke to allow for faster cycles. As for output, the previous Kesari K3 could produce around 20 to 25 horsepower, or up to 38 in its latest version. The Balwaan engine, however, delivers 40 to 45 horsepower."
He paused, then added, "The numbers may not seem like a huge jump at first, Your Majesty, but when you compare the power-to-weight ratio, the Bhalwan engine is leagues ahead of the Kesari."
Vijay didn't react, " Of course I know this, you don't have to stress upon it as if I would not understand the significance of this smaller engine. "
Heyram was a little embarrassed, but he quickly recovered.
" As far as torque number goes, your majesty, it is significantly lower than the Kesari engine, but what it loses in torque, it makes up in RPM. "
" This engine cannot replace the Kesari engines for industrial purposes, is what you're saying? "
" Yes, your majesty, precisely. The Kesari engine, despite its bulky size, is a strong engine capable of outputting anywhere south of 10,000 Khanda metres of torque, while the Bhalwan engine would be considered working at its full capacity if it outputs 6,000 Khanda metres. For most industrial purposes, torque is as useful, if not more useful, than RPM, so the K3 engine will still be the mainstay in manufacturing companies for quite some time. "
Suddenly, a voice was heard from beside them.
" What if the Kesari engine is modified to use a high-power steam system instead of a low-power steam system, and it removes its sun and planet gears delivery system entirely and uses a crankshaft system? "
Vijay looked to the side, and who else could it be other than Vedant? Hearing his idea, Heyram's eyes lit up.
" That's an excellent idea. Doing this may mean the power could be increased along with the torque while keeping the size of the engine the same. Also, if the chamber of the K3 engine is fitted with MKV-2 steel, how powerful will it be? " He kept on muttering, which made Vijay quite helpless.
" Alright, you both can think about the Kesari engine some other time, and since you both have this idea, begin the research at a later date. And since it is voiced to be the biggest leap of performance for the K3 engine, it does not have to follow the same naming convention; maybe you both can call it Kesari P-1 for Pratham One. "
" Now get back to the task at hand. "
" Ah, yes! " Heyram moved, feeling a little embarrassed that he had continued, " Where was I, ah yes, the RPM, your majesty, this new engine is capable of speeds of 50 RPM, more than twice the speed of a conventional Kesari K3. "
" As for its weight, it's only around 7 tonnes, a reduction of over 60% compared to the Kesari engine. "
Vijay now had the complete idea of the Bhalwan engine in his mind.
" Let's see it run, " he said as he got up and backed away, taking the cloth his son handed over to him to wipe down his hands that were greased up.
" Right away, your majesty. "
Heyram ordered around a few researchers to throw in the coal and light up the fire while he stood at the side and waited until the temperature reached a glowing hot level.
When it did, he went forward and primed the cylinder with a splash of water, which sealed the piston. The next part, he motioned for Vedant to come forward.
Vedant went forward as if it were the most natural thing, and without any instructions, he strongly planted his feet on the ground and started to crank the flywheel. The engine started to groan like an old man whose bones cracked every time he moved, but eventually the speed of the crankwheel became faster and faster until Vedant completely let go of the wheel and the engine came to life.
" Chug Chug! "
Hearing the extremely familiar sound of a steam engine, a sense of nostalgia hit Vijay's heart. They had done it, they had really done it, they had made an engine capable of driving trains and carriages. His heart was filled with satisfaction and hope.
Coming back to his senses, Vijay immediately decided, " Let's build a vehicle to carry this engine. "
Listening to the Emperor's words, both Heyram and Vedant were stunned. Does this mean that the Emperor would be participating in the process?
They were visibly excited, as it was not every day that the Emperor got his hands dirty, and they both knew that the Emperor was among the most capable engineers and researchers in the empire. He was the person who was responsible for the invention of lathes, machine tools, the Raya printing press, and the atmospheric steam engine, for God's sake.
Vijay didn't think of doing anything fancy; he simply followed what Richard Trevithick had done in his last life and began building a platform with wheels that could accept the power from the crankshaft. All this only took a few weeks before the first locomotive was finished and ready to be tested.
P.S. Thank you, Sudhanva_SH, for the 2 IceColas