The Start Of Technology Live Broadcast To Build Rockets

Chapter 91 – Carbon nanotubes

The construction of the tower has extremely high requirements on the building structure, materials and construction methods. With the addition of facilities to prevent typhoons and thunder and lightning, Du Xingyu spent nearly a million energy points to complete the preliminary simulation.

“The most important thing in the ground station is the artificial island and the tower. These two points are completed, and basically it is almost the same.” Du Xingyu pushed forward the simulation progress of the space elevator again, and then the most difficult point in the entire space elevator-the cable!

Just imagine, what kind of cable can guarantee that the length of more than 36,000 kilometers can be maintained without deformation or breakage, maintaining its own physical properties, and not being damaged by wind, rain, and lightning?

At present, there is no such material in the world!

So the seemingly simple thing, the cable, is the most difficult part of the space elevator!

Fortunately, Du Xingyu is not fighting alone. The expert team has already given the most suitable alternative, which is carbon nanotubes!

Carbon nanotubes are tubular nano-scale graphite crystals, which have extremely high strength, and the theoretical calculation is one hundred times that of steel! It is also very soft and can be regarded as a kind of “super fiber”.

Its electromagnetic performance, adsorption capacity and other aspects are excellent. If there is a material that can be used as a cable for a space elevator, it must be carbon nanotubes!

What makes materials scientists all over the world a headache is that humans are still unable to produce and synthesize high-purity carbon nanotubes. At the same time, carbon nanotubes have excellent mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties in the microscopic field. When they are made into tools and appliances, the macroscopic Some of the above cannot be expressed.

These factors have caused that, so far, scientists from various countries have not been able to find a suitable carbon nanotube as a material for space elevators.

In Du Xingyu’s database, there are dozens of alternatives for carbon nanotubes, including single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, different lengths, shorts and thicknesses, and metal and non-metallic carbon nanotubes. He started One by one simulation test.

“Invest one hundred thousand energy points to carry out the C1 carbon nanotube test.” Du Xingyu used C1 carbon nanotubes to synthesize the cable material in the simulator, extending 36,000 kilometers. Its lower section was fixed with a ground station and a tower, and the upper end was connected with a counterweight. And Tiangong Space Station.

Science and technology simulator: “The carbon nanotubes are cracked, the material is irreversibly damaged, and the test fails!”

Du Xingyu began to check the firmness of the damage, saved the material data, and started the next test.

“C2 type carbon nanotubes are suitable in strength and poor in electrical conductivity on a macroscopic level, so they are not suitable for transporting cars.”

“The performance of F92 type carbon nanotubes is barely suitable, and it is difficult to manufacture, as an alternative.”

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Du Xingyu simulated the carbon nanotubes produced by experts from various countries on a science and technology simulator, but basically nothing could meet the demand.(Read more @ wuxiax.com)

But he also obtained a lot of data, allowing him to carry out the next experiment.

“Invest 100,000 energy points to develop A1 type carbon nanotube materials.” Du Xingyu combined the data and began to experiment with his own ideas.

A few days later, the science and technology simulator finally gave him good news: “The A21 carbon nanotube test was successful.”

“Very good!” Du Xingyu failed the simulation twenty times, and finally got a carbon nanotube material with excellent mechanics, electricity, and thermal properties.

Most importantly, its synthesis technology is relatively simple and can be used for large-scale manufacturing.

During this period of time, various countries have been arguing about the location of the space elevator.

The reason behind this is that all parties want to control this ground-to-space transportation hub-even if this super project may not be completed smoothly.

“Everyone!” The core committee of the Alliance for the Protection of Mankind is holding a meeting. A member of Europe said: “We have no time to delay. This meeting must decide the location of the space elevator. I think the Indian Ocean and the equator south of the Maldives. Building a space elevator nearby is a good choice.”

“Building artificial islands and space elevators in the equatorial waters of the South Pacific is the best place!” The committee from the Americas and Australia said.

“The southern waters of China is the most suitable location.” Du Xingyu said, “Regardless of other factors, this location is the fastest place to achieve the construction task.”

“But we not only want to build artificial islands, but also make cars and the most critical cables!” European Commissioner said.

The island committee member Yusuke Akiyama said: “The rope is the most important thing. If the rope cannot be manufactured, everything is empty talk! Commander Du, I don’t know how you demonstrated the carbon nanotube project we sent?”

Du Xingyu said: “We have demonstrated that you are indeed very successful in carbon nanotube manufacturing technology. But the strength of the material is still not enough.”

Yusuke Akiyama nodded and said, “It is true, so we must find a suitable carbon nanotube material as soon as possible.”

“We have found it!” Du Xingyu said, taking out a small piece of A21 carbon nanotube material. This is the sample he synthesized in the materials laboratory.

“This type of A21 carbon nanotube material perfectly meets our needs. This is its performance parameter.”

Du Xingyu showed the laboratory test results, whether it is toughness, strength, electrical conductivity or heat resistance, they have fully met expectations.

When Yusuke Akiyama took a look, his eyes lit up and he said, “That’s it! This is the effect we envisioned. How difficult is it to make it?”

“The synthesis in the laboratory is fairly smooth at the moment,” Du Xingyu said truthfully, “but if you want to manufacture on a large scale, you must cooperate with chemical companies in various countries.”

“Everyone.” Du Xingyu said, “The main body of the space elevator, the ground station, the cable, the car, the synchronous track station and the counterweight, China has the conditions for construction and manufacturing, and it is currently the only place most suitable for building a space elevator in all places. , There should be no objection to the address selection now?”

Everyone in the core committee looked at each other, and although they were very reluctant to bear it, it was a fact. Therefore, the site of the first space elevator for mankind has been selected in the waters of southern China!

This space elevator project is called the “Sky Elevator Project”. The ground station will build a large artificial island called “Penglai Island”. By then, there will be a tower with an overall height of more than 15 kilometers, a seaport and an airport. facility.

For higher efficiency and resource utilization, the ladder project still has to allocate tasks to all parties.

The artificial island is mainly constructed by Huaxia. On the day the plan was passed, the offshore exploration team had already set off, the design institute began to produce drawings overnight, and the construction party was also mobilizing submarine dredgers and island-building artifacts to the target sea area.

At the seminar on the ladder project, Du Xingyu said: “The ground station part, the China Construction Team will be completed within the deadline, and the space station part will be served by our Tiangong Space Station.”

“The other three main parts still need the cooperation of the member states, the car, the cable and the counterweight.”

“Our European team will be responsible for the design and manufacture of the car!” said a senior German engineer. In fact, their design work has already begun.

“Our island country and South Korea’s chemical companies will be responsible for the manufacture of A21 carbon nanotube cables and complete them on time!” said Akiyama Yusuke.