Chapter 683: Mainly the Engine

Gao Zhendong thought about this for a while, and the comrades at the meeting were also very patient.

Patience comes from trust and also from Gao Zhendong’s performance just now.

Although Gao Zhendong often solves technical problems on site, not many people do this these days.

Although the words were interrupted as soon as they came out of your mouth, let me ask you if you scared the National Defense Work Committee.

Gao Zhendong thought for a while before speaking.

"If the rapid response capability problem of liquid missiles has been solved, I suggest that liquid missiles should be the main focus at this stage."

Gao Zhendong did not suggest to focus on solid rocket missiles just because he had a greater technical advantage in solid rocket engines. For us at this stage, liquids are far more advantageous than solids.

The most direct point is that the specific impulse of liquid launch is much greater than that of solid launch, and its carrying capacity is greater, which greatly expands its use.

Gao Zhendong's words confused the comrades working on missiles. No, we have not considered fixed-thrust missiles, and we have no intention of comparing the two for the time being.

But Gao Zhendong's words show that this "mysterious comrade" at least knows a lot about hair strengthening liquid, so it's good to listen to it.

"Why is hair growth not recommended for the time being?" The leader of the Fire Prevention Committee asked everyone's question.

Then everyone heard Gao Zhendong laughing on the phone: "To save money."

After hearing this, Mr. Cai, who was working on the engine department, became a little uneasy again. He had already recognized Gao Zhendong's voice, but could it be that Chief Engineer Gao didn't even know this?
He knows it best. Liquid-fired rockets are much more expensive than solid-fired rockets. The most exaggerated ones, with similar thrust and range, can be 10 times more expensive.

He couldn't help but indicate that he wanted to speak, and the leader of the Defense Work Committee handed him the microphone.

"A highly...reliable and high-thrust liquid engine should be much more expensive than a solid engine, right?"

Oh shit, that was a close call. Luckily I managed to pull it off myself.

Others could not hear his sudden turn, but a few people still heard it.

Hold it in! Don't laugh!

The other comrades who did not hear it just secretly praised Chief Engineer Cai for his rigorous wording. Other things may not be expensive, but high reliability and high thrust must be expensive. This is determined by scientific principles.

Gao Zhendong on the other end of the phone recognized Mr. Cai's voice. It was not strange at all for Mr. Cai to be in this meeting, but he was a little better than Mr. Cai. He almost said something wrong just now, so he was paying close attention to this matter.

"Comrade, that's true, but this matter needs to be considered in light of the environment and development. At this stage, for us, liquid hair is cheaper than solid hair, and some of the advantages of liquid hair are also very obvious."

There is a reason why the Russians have been using liquid-fueled intercontinental missiles until the 21st century.

When other comrades heard this, they were all so rigorous and strange. "Taking it all into consideration at this stage", the wording was so concise that it seemed like they were fighting against each other in the air.

On the phone, Gao Zhendong started explaining without waiting for anyone to ask.

"We all know that, even if the technology of solid-fuel propulsion is mature, there will be a problem, that is, each different type of missile or rocket requires a different design. It can be said that the solid rocket engine corresponding to each model is different."

When Mr. Cai heard this, he thought, yes, what Chief Engineer Gao said makes a lot of sense.

Unlike liquid propellants, which can be combined into multiple units and used on a rocket or missile, solid propellants basically cannot be used in this way.

Gao Zhendong: Not necessarily. For example, the American Dragon individual anti-tank missile is small, but it has a lot more solid engines.

The structure of fixed hair is simple, which also means that the structure is single and there are not many things you can do with it.

The thrust adjustment is troublesome and the use is not flexible enough, which is one of the inherent problems of hair extension.

Unless the fixed-engine is externally bundled like a space rocket, connecting multiple engines in parallel in the same cylinder is obviously a waste of time.

Therefore, solid-state engines with different cross-sectional areas, lengths, ranges, and uses are equivalent to new models of engines and need to be redesigned. In this regard, solid-state engines are no match for liquid engines.

Gao Zhendong's voice could still be heard on the phone: "Moreover, the specific impulse of solid-state engines is small, and the thrust is large, but the working time is generally short. This means that it is difficult to increase its projection weight. In addition, the real-time fuel consumption is difficult to adjust, and other problems mean that solid-state engines cannot be sold in a one-time deal. This will greatly increase our R&D investment and dilute our already weak research strength."

When we say that hair extensions are cheap, we are generally referring to the production cost, because liquid hair extensions are much more complicated than hair extensions.

If fixed hair is a firecracker, then liquid hair is a bit like an open internal combustion engine. Needless to say, its complexity and cost are very high.

Listening to Gao Zhendong's talk on the phone, all the comrades at the meeting listened with great interest. Although they had not considered the issue of hair loss at the beginning, the reason was that they had not thought about it so much and so thoroughly.

Now that someone has analyzed it thoroughly, it is actually a good learning opportunity for everyone.

"Liquid rocket engines are different. If they are carefully, rigorously and scientifically planned, basically at this stage, only one or two types of engines are needed, which can basically cover most usage scenarios, from medium-range to long-range and intercontinental ranges, from ground-to-ground missiles to space rockets, and from silo launch, launch pad launch and even mobile launch."

"As long as you can solve the problem of quick response to a certain extent, liquid launch is still a very suitable option at this stage. Especially for well-launched launch, as long as the problem of long-term storage of liquid fuel is solved, the difference in quick response speed between the two is not very large, because the maintenance conditions of well-launched launch are excellent. If the equipment and system are properly designed, the reaction gap between the two can be largely eliminated."

When Mr. Cai heard this, he thought, you are asking a question even though you already know the answer. Others may not know whether the quick response problem has been solved to a certain extent. Don’t you have any idea about it?

Starlight guidance correction + unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine/nitrogen tetroxide fuel, one solves the problem of positioning and aiming after launch, and the other solves the problem of temporary fuel refueling, but they all came from you.

The other comrades listened very attentively. The comrades present had not thought too much about what Gao Zhendong said, but after Gao Zhendong explained it in detail, everyone felt that this was indeed the case.

One or two types of engines are planned, one for the small one and two or three for the larger ones. The first stage is used for short-range and the second and third stages are used for long-range or even longer distances.

With a full combination of two types of engines, one large and one small or one medium and one small, it is possible to cover all kinds of existing uses, whether planned or not, which greatly saves R&D funds and is also conducive to the maturity of equipment and cost reduction.

"Well, your suggestion is very good. Thank you, comrade consultant. We will give it full consideration." The leader of the Defense Work Committee said on the phone.

Gao Zhendong did not stop talking: "In short, no matter how far the range is, no matter how many ranges are planned, first plan and design the liquid rocket engine well, and everything else will be easy. Guidance and range are not problems. The biggest problem is whether the engine is easy to use."

I wonder if Comrade Gao Zhendong was so arrogant when he heard this. He said that guidance and range are not a problem. He is not afraid of the strong wind blowing his tongue off.

But those who knew him knew that what he said was not really arrogant.

If the range can be extended by great force, then it is very curious how Gao Zhendong can ensure good accuracy at a long range.

Among these curious people was his senior brother Zhang. Senior brother Zhang knew about starlight guidance and how to use it for corrections, but he was still curious about how to ensure accuracy under various circumstances.

Of course, these things cannot be discussed now, we’ll talk about them later.

Gao Zhendong thought about it and decided not to give up on the idea of ​​fixed-emission missiles. He just made a suggestion: "If you must use fixed-emission missiles, it is recommended to use them on short-range and long-range missiles or above, and then consider medium-range missiles."

This two-way shuttle suggestion has confused everyone. Isn't it too weird?
"Why do you suggest that?"

"Because short-range missiles are tactical missiles, if they are to be truly effective, the production volume must not be small. In this case, the production cost advantage of Gufa is very obvious. Moreover, for short-range missiles, the specific impulse disadvantage of Gufa is easier to cover up. At most, they can be made slightly larger, which is acceptable."

Gao Zhendong's voice came out of the loudspeaker, a little unclear, but everyone still heard what he meant.

The comrades at the scene all laughed. It is indeed a good idea to play to one's strengths and avoid one's weaknesses. If you can't do it small, then do it bigger. This comrade really did make do when he could.

"As for long-range missiles, since they have a long range, the price of a single missile is naturally high. At this time, the cost advantage of the GDF can also be brought into play. Moreover, this missile must be quite large. In this way, there is room for solving the disadvantage of the GDF's smaller size. It is difficult to build a training ground in a nutshell, but if the territory is large, there are more ways to think of."

This idea was quite bizarre, and no one could figure it out for a while.

But Gao Zhendong's next sentence on the phone caught everyone's attention.

"And quick response capability is what is most needed at this range." OK, I understand. This comrade's feelings towards Citigroup are really pure. He talks about Citigroup every other sentence.

"In short, if you don't have the spare capacity, you can use a liquid-propellant combination to solve the problem above long range. If you have the spare capacity, it would be great to have a solid-propellant missile above long range. After all, the maintenance performance of a solid-propellant missile is incomparable to that of a liquid-propellant missile anyway."

(End of this chapter)