Great warships

Chapter 1218: Can the lift fan be used like this?
The power turbine output of a gas turbine is as high as 10,000 to 20,000 revolutions per minute. When used on warships, it requires speed reduction gears. It is a perfect match for this lift fan!

If the electric transmission solution is used, it is actually not suitable, because electric transmission is too complicated. It requires a generator and an electric motor. Although there are mature solutions for power generation, there is no suitable option for electric motors on the other hand.

The electric motors used to drive warships in water only rotate a few hundred times, and are all slow motors. Normal electric motors only rotate a few thousand times at most, and there are very few electric motors that rotate over ten thousand times.

This is also why many people brag about electric turbines, as if by changing the engine in this way, they can increase the power a lot. In fact, it is useless. The turbocharger can easily rotate at tens of thousands of revolutions, and the speed of the electric motor cannot reach that level at all. If it is used as a supplement to the exhaust gas turbocharger to reduce turbo delay, it is ok. However, if it is used as the main turbine, it will hinder the airflow at high speeds, making the engine more fuel-consuming.

If we follow Qin Tao's plan and use an electric motor to drive the fan to blow air backwards, it would definitely be inappropriate. He is giving random commands and taking things for granted. However, the idea of ​​using a ship's gas turbine is still correct.

Because this type of engine can ignore the erosion of marine salt and can be used for a long time, although this ground effect vehicle is meant to fly, many parts are better made by ships than by airplanes.

Therefore, the technicians of the Fourth Design Department thought hard and finally found a suitable solution: directly use the gas turbine to drive the lift fan!

The gas turbine is readily available, and the lift fan is also readily available!

The J-31A fighter jet uses a lift fan. When placed vertically, it is a lift fan, and when placed horizontally, it can be used as a thrust engine!
And it happens to be shaft drive!
"What power of gas turbine do you use?" Qin Tao was very curious.

"Forty megawatts." Alexeyeva introduced: "After the modification, each lift fan can withstand a power input of about 2.5 megawatts. These 40 megawatts are just right for driving sixteen lift fans."

The Caspian Monster is already very powerful with eight engines installed in the front, but for a behemoth with a take-off weight of 2,000 tons, eight engines are not enough, it needs sixteen!

When talking about the power of a jet engine, we usually refer to its thrust. Only the lift fan requires power input through the drive shaft, so it can be measured in horsepower.

Each lift fan has a power of 30,000 horsepower. This 40-megawatt gas turbine can be used to drive a 10,000-ton warship. But now it is used to drive a 2,000-ton ground-effect vehicle. It sounds like a waste, but the warship cannot fly!

The big flying aircraft made by humans, the An-225 transport aircraft, has a take-off weight of only 640 tons, while the Peace Dove IV of the Mingzhou Group weighs more than tons!

"This is for takeoff, what about cruising?"

Qin Tao has already thought of something. Since the engine used in the take-off lift technology is a gas turbine, then the cruise engine is probably also a gas turbine, right?

"For cruising, we can use a 5-megawatt gas turbine to drive two lift engines as cruise engines," said Alexeyeva. "This is more fuel-efficient. If we reduce the power of a 40-megawatt gas turbine, the fuel consumption will not be lower."

This is the disadvantage of gas turbines.

Gas turbines have high power, small size and light weight, but fuel consumption has always been a major drawback. In fact, the fuel consumption at full power is not a big deal. In the later period, the fuel consumption of some excellent gas turbines is almost the same as that of diesel engines. However, when its power is reduced, the fuel consumption is not reduced much, which is the most troublesome thing.

The American and Russian tank drivers who use gas turbines have the most say on this.

Qin Tao nodded: "If you want to use two, then use two. Our Mingzhou Group is not short of money, but... in the future, if you want to develop ground-effect vehicles of tens of thousands of tons or even hundreds of thousands of tons, this power system will not be suitable."

A 2,000-ton ground-effect vehicle would need a 40-megawatt gas turbine to drive the lift-boosting engine. How much would a 10,000-ton ground-effect vehicle need? 400 megawatts? How about a 100,000-ton ground-effect vehicle? 4,000 megawatts?

This is probably difficult to find, so it would be difficult to develop ground effect vehicles into larger ones. The engine for flying and cruising does not need to be too large, but the lift-enhancing engine required for takeoff is not small.

Alexeyeva nodded: "Yes, if we continue to develop, ordinary power will definitely not work. However, we still have special power."

The ordinary ones are gone, so what about the special ones?
Qin Tao reacted: "Nuclear power?"

Not to mention the one with a capacity of 100,000 tons, even for a big one with a capacity of 10,000 tons, we have to consider the possibility of nuclear power. After all, nuclear power can provide sufficiently high energy... Wait, nuclear power doesn't seem to be enough!
The nuclear reactor currently used on the 003 aircraft carrier has a thermal power of only 700 megawatts per unit, and the mechanical power to drive the turbine is only 200 megawatts. Even if this is used to directly drive the lift engine, it is not enough. A -ton aircraft carrier requires two nuclear reactors, and they are only used during takeoff. It is definitely a waste. Moreover, how heavy are these two nuclear reactors?

"Ordinary nuclear power is not enough. However, our domestic related units are currently developing nuclear fusion technology. We look forward to a breakthrough in this technology. By then, we will have a nuclear power system with sufficient energy. When our Mingzhou Group builds an aircraft carrier in the future, it will probably be a true aerospace aircraft carrier!"

The energy generated by nuclear fusion is several times that of fission. If a fission reactor produces 700 megawatts, then a fusion reactor may have or megawatts, which will naturally be enough for us by then.

Qin Tao breathed a sigh of relief. Well, since you are pinning your hopes on fusion reactors, then I am relieved. At least this kind of nuclear reactor will not come out right now, and you don’t have to play with tens of thousands of tons right away.

If it is really too big, it would probably cost a huge amount of money, and I would be embarrassed to say no.

"Mr. Qin, thank you for helping me realize my father's dream. In fact, my father planned to build a 2,000-ton ground-effect vehicle back then." Alexeyeva continued.

Alexeyeva thought of her father again.

Five hundred tons and two hundred tons were not what her father really pursued. Alexeev wanted to build a two thousand ton class at that time, but no one supported him at all. Even the five hundred ton class was not supported. In the end, only the two hundred ton class was put into practical use.

Now, Alexeyeva can finally build a 2,000-ton class one. At this time, she thought of her father again. How great it would be if her father could see her current achievements!

"Well, it's a pity that Mr. Alexeev left early, otherwise he would definitely be leading this project now, and he would also be able to see the feasibility of this project."

"Yes, Sir Stanley Hooker of the United Kingdom also proposed a 2,000-ton ground-effect vehicle that could carry thousands of passengers as an aerial train, but he ultimately decided that it was unrealistic and had to give up. We, on the other hand, are confident that we can make it a reality."

"By the way, we've only talked about the engine, so the wings should be pretty big too, right?"

When the size increases to a certain limit, it is not just a simple expansion, and there may be many technical problems. For example, the strength of the material may not be met.

Qin Tao didn't understand the details, but he understood common sense, so he asked.

"Yes, it is also difficult to manufacture wings, but fortunately, our domestic material technology is advancing rapidly. Our wings and many parts on the fuselage are made of composite materials. This material is strong and durable, has high strength, is moisture-proof and salt-proof, and most importantly, can allow some deformation, which was absolutely impossible with aluminum alloy materials before."

The aviation industry has been developing various advanced materials. Those that are resistant to high temperatures are used in engines, and those that are lightweight and have high performance are used in skins. The slender wings of the American Global Hawk drone are made of composite materials, which is quite advanced.

When the East was manufacturing drones, there was no such advanced technology and only ordinary materials could be used. Therefore, the wings could not be made particularly long, so two were made in the style of a carrying pole. If it were made now, it would be completely possible.

However, it is not necessary now. Practice has proven that this design is not bad. When it is on an aircraft carrier, it is also convenient to flip the outer half of the wing over in the narrow hangar. If it is a large aircraft like the Global Hawk, the flipping of the outer part of the wing can only be done on the deck, and the hangar is not high enough!
No matter where you are, materials are the most important. It is precisely because of advanced materials that ground effect vehicles can reach the two thousand ton level.

"Moreover, as the weight of our ground effect vehicles increases, it has become difficult to land on land. We mainly fly over the sea. In order to facilitate docking at ports, our wings are designed with a folding mechanism. When arriving at the port, they can be folded upwards, which can greatly reduce the risk of scratches.

A 225-ton ground-effect vehicle can barely be designed with landing gear. After all, the take-off weight of the An-640 is tons, and it can still use the landing gear to land on the airport runway.

However, a 2,000-ton aircraft would not work. How many tires would be needed? How many runways would be needed? Moreover, when switching between sea and land, the landing gear doors must be absolutely sealed and absolutely watertight.

These are too difficult, so it can only give up the ability to take off and land on land. This also means that even if it can fly over land, it cannot land. Fortunately, most places on the earth are seawater.

"It seems that you have considered everything carefully. In this case, I feel relieved."

Qin Tao felt that he had nothing more to ask. The design of the wing-folding docking port had already come out. What else was he worried about?

But Alexeyeva began to ask questions in return.

"Boss Qin, where do you think our 2,000-ton ground-effect vehicle would be best used?"

In the era of the Red Empire, the Russian designers only needed to make things and did not need to worry about what they were used for. All kinds of advanced equipment were created by smart brains, and Alexeev was one of them.

But now, we must find a market for the product. If we make it but don't know what it is for, it will definitely be a failure. Even if Max is involved in aerospace, it will cost a huge amount of money and he has the dream of sending humans to Mars, and he can also make a lot of money.

What does a 2,000-ton ground-effect vehicle do?
"The Navy is very interested in this project," Qin Tao said. "The Navy hopes that this ground effect vehicle can play a role in future operations and can quickly travel back and forth between the two sides to transport a large number of main battle tanks."

Alexeyeva shook her head. "Our ground effect vehicles fly very fast, but they are very slow in entering and leaving the port. Our ground effect vehicles cannot land on the beach, so if the navy uses them, they will soon feel useless. Unless we transport amphibious tanks, they can land near the target and then drive over by themselves. However, many equipment in the navy can do this. What the navy lacks is the tools to transport heavy equipment."

Even though the Navy has been pushing for ground effect vehicles all the time, once they are used, they will feel that they are inappropriate.

After all, a distance of one or two hundred kilometers is too short. After taking off, the ground effect vehicle has to land again soon, and the port operations are very complicated. Therefore, the ground effect vehicle is not suitable for this scenario.

"If you want to fly to Hawaii or even the west coast of the United States, this ground effect vehicle would be very suitable," Alexeyeva added.

Only long-distance flights can demonstrate the advantages of ground-effect vehicles!

A 2,000-ton ground-effect vehicle weighs 500 tons, plus 500 tons of fuel, fresh water and other resources, and has a carrying capacity of 1,000 tons. It can carry 20 50-ton main battle tanks!
It is equivalent to being able to attack with two tank companies. It is meaningless to only do it at a short distance. It must be driven at least several thousand kilometers to reflect the value of this aircraft.

Take Hawaii for example. The distance is 7,000 kilometers. At a speed of 500 kilometers per hour, it only takes fourteen hours. If you set out in the afternoon, you can arrive in the early morning of the next day. You can change all the flags on the island during the day. This speed is much faster than that of warships. If those warships were to sail there, at a speed of 30 knots, they could only travel 1,000 kilometers a day and it would take seven or eight days to get there.

Airplanes are fast but have a small carrying capacity, while warships have a large carrying capacity but are slow. Ground effect vehicles combine the advantages of both: the speed of airplanes and the carrying capacity of warships.

"What if we increase the strength of the bottom so that this ground effect vehicle can use it to run aground?"

Many landing ships are designed in this way, and can drive directly to the beach. In this way, even tanks without amphibious capabilities can drive directly to the beach and then rush towards the target.

"We can give this a try." Alexeyeva nodded. "If we strengthen the bottom, it will increase the weight, unless we use high-strength materials. Or should we use titanium alloy?"

Qin Tao frowned. Titanium alloy? We are not like the old Russians who could use titanium alloy to build the hull of nuclear submarines. If we use titanium alloy to build the bottom of the ship, how expensive would it be?

"Let's list this as a planned project first." Qin Tao changed the subject: "We still need to take advantage of the long-distance advantage. Let's make a batch of them first and add them to our Mingzhou Group Transportation Company. With this ground-effect aircraft, we can promise that all kinds of valuable materials from all over the world will arrive within 48 hours!"

The East is on the other side of the earth, not the United States, nor Europe, not Argentina, but Argentina. Speaking of Argentina, it is estimated that it is difficult to arrive on the same day, but as for other places, there is still no problem. For example, to Argentina, the direct sea voyage is about 10,000 kilometers, and a ground effect vehicle can reach there within 20 hours. If you want to fly a shorter route, you can go over land, then fly over Lao Ba, and go directly to Argentina.

Although it is about flying over the sea, the ground effect vehicle can also fly close to the ground, and when necessary, it can even fly thousands of meters into the sky. As for the fact that it cannot land on land, it is really a problem. It needs to find a nearby lake to land, or simply use an unmanned vehicle. It doesn't matter if the cargo is destroyed, anyway, the insurance company will compensate, as long as the people are fine.

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Big dog owner...

Why is it always the dog owners? There is no other way, who makes the dog owners rich?

"Can our ground effect vehicle be unmanned?" Qin Tao asked.

"We have already adopted digital fly-by-wire flight control. As long as we transplant the automatic flight control program, we can fly autonomously." Alexeyeva said, "But these have not been tested yet, so I can't report to you about the specific results."

Qin Tao nodded: "Our Mingzhou Group has powerful unmanned driving technology. As long as the flight control here is up to standard, it won't be difficult to transplant the unmanned driving technology here. You guys should just do your own thing. We'll find professionals to do this professional stuff."

Alexeyeva nodded and said, "Boss Qin, let's build a batch of ten first. Each one will cost about 100 million."

"Well, this money will be paid by our transportation company. This amount is nothing. A passenger plane costs two or three hundred million."

Whether compared with a ship or an airplane, this type of ground effect vehicle is not expensive. What can one hundred million do?
"After we build it, we can also market it to the world. If a customer takes a fancy to our 2,000-ton ground-effect vehicle, we'll have to charge him more than $500 million for one!"

Building it yourself has one price, and delivering it is another price. A ground-effect vehicle has the speed of an airplane and the carrying capacity of a ship, so there will definitely be many customers who are interested in it. If you send something to a big dog owner, he will probably like it.

Ground effect vehicles will become another important source of profit for the Mingzhou Group! As for some people, the French, British, Americans, etc., just look at them. If you want to buy them, you can wait in line for ten years.

(End of this chapter)