Fuel Passivation

Suiren Company was bustling with activity, and Huang Xuyuan, Lu Xuedong, and the others were equally busy, barely having a moment to catch their breath.

The Nitrogen-20 rocket fuel project, jointly established by Harbin Institute of Technology and Suiren Company, involved far more than just those two entities.

With the outstanding performance of Passivated Nitrogen-20 during actual testing, the higher-ups had already recognized its immense potential; as a rocket engine propellant, the advantages Nitrogen-20 possessed surpassed many currently active rocket fuels.

It could be stored stably for long periods without overly harsh storage conditions, and when burned alone, its combustion products were non-toxic, all while maintaining a high energy density per unit.

Perhaps the only drawback was that Nitrogen-20 was a solid fuel.

In the aerospace field, the launch vehicles commonly used usually rely more on liquid fuels, while solid fuels are generally used for ejection systems.

This is mainly related to the characteristics of the two types of fuel: the features of liquid fuel are low cost, high specific impulse, and the ability to precisely control power output, though the engine structure is relatively complex; conversely, the features of solid fuel are convenient storage, high thrust, and the ability to allow rockets to be stored and maneuvered in concealment long before launch, all while having a simple engine structure.

The advantages of one are essentially the disadvantages of the other.

However, the emergence of Nitrogen-20 broke some of the boundaries between the two, because the theoretical specific impulse of Nitrogen-20 reached 850.

In contrast, the most capable liquid fuel currently touted for high specific impulse, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, only has a specific impulse of around 457; the Dinitrogen Tetroxide + Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine combination commonly used in the Long March Series only has a specific impulse of around 348.

[Note: Specific impulse represents the propulsion efficiency of a rocket, specifically defined as the duration for which one kilogram of fuel produces one kilogram of thrust, measured in seconds.]

Nitrogen-20 possesses the high specific impulse that liquid fuels lack, while simultaneously holding the high thrust of solid fuels, and with low production costs, it is simply the dream rocket fuel everyone has been waiting for.

Rockets currently using solid fuel could directly switch to using Nitrogen-20, though for the launch vehicles in the aerospace sector, the transition would not be quite as fast.

After all, having previously followed the liquid rocket route, many things would need to be reconsidered if they were to switch to solid fuel now.

But just thinking about the high specific impulse and high thrust of Nitrogen-20, the bigwigs in the domestic aerospace sector were determined to develop solid-fuel launch vehicles, even if they had to grit their teeth to do it; otherwise, it would be a disservice to the arrival of Nitrogen-20.

Therefore, five additional official research institutes joined the joint project, including CASIC, all actively participating in the endeavor.

Huang Xuyuan and Lu Xuedong had been busy with these matters for days.

The formula for Passivated Nitrogen-20 was only suitable for high-energy explosives; to be used as rocket fuel, it had to be readjusted to convert that explosive nature into a combustible one.

The 41st Research Institute and 46th Research Institute of CASIC Sixth Academy, as well as the 41st Research Institute and 42nd Research Institute of CASC Fourth Academy, had all sent a significant number of researchers over.

These four institutes were all engaged in solid fuel and solid fuel engine research.

In fact, among the personnel from the aerospace sector, many had some connection or another to Harbin Institute of Technology, and quite a few were even Huang Xuyuan's seniors.

Inside the secondary auxiliary experimental area on the side of the Materials Laboratory.

Huang Xuyuan readjusted the passivation formula and placed it into a specialized testing chamber, where only 0.5 grams of the test propellant were ignited by the igniter.

BOOM!

The test propellant exploded violently in an instant, and the various sensors inside the testing chamber fed real-time data back to the computer.

"It failed."

"No, it didn't completely fail." Li Feng, a researcher from Harbin Institute of Technology standing nearby, pointed to a portion of the data; the explosion time was not as rapid as before, showing a delay of about 0.84 seconds.

The fuel improvement team from the CASC 42nd Research Institute, led by Zhang Kezhe, also produced a formula, and the test results were much the same.

The passivation of Nitrogen-20 for fuel purposes had to ensure the energy density per unit of the fuel while also ensuring that the combustion rate of the fuel was controllable; otherwise, it would not be fuel, but high-energy explosive.

After watching the experiment of Zhang Kezhe's team with their improved formula, Huang Xuyuan actually already had a mature fuel passivation formula, but he intentionally delayed the release of the formula so as not to appear too abrupt.

On the other hand, he was also doing it to train the Scientific Research Department of Suiren Company.

They were busy for the entire day.

At night, the bright moon hung high, and in the headquarters' employee cafeteria, many aerospace researchers who had come to participate in the fuel passivation project were gathered in groups of three or five around the dining tables.

They presented a completely different style from the researchers of Suiren Company.

He Wen, who had previously worked at an official research institute, chatted quite well with the aerospace researchers, even occasionally probing to see if they were interested in jumping ship to Suiren Company.

The task of poaching talent was, naturally, assigned by Huang Xuyuan.

Even many of the lead researchers, such as Zhang Kezhe and others, were somewhat tempted; after all, the compensation at Suiren Company was clearly higher than that of official research institutes.

There was another reason as well: the work atmosphere, which made Zhang Kezhe and his team envious.

In the internal structure of Suiren Company, the Scientific Research Department, the Industrial Department, and the Security Department were on equal footing, reporting only to the Board of Directors.

The current General Manager of the Scientific Research Department was Lu Xuedong, a typical product of a science and engineering background, and in all the subordinate agencies of the Scientific Research Department, those engaged in management were deputies, which was completely different from those research institutes in the aerospace sector.

Even more importantly, among the eligibility criteria for entering the Board of Directors, there were more research personnel engaged in research than administrative management personnel.

Because research personnel were more likely to obtain shares, this was an invisible benefit brought about by technological innovation, and it was also intended to encourage technological innovation.

When one can be the master of their own house, who would want to live under someone else's thumb?

Many young researchers within the system already had some ideas; one only lives once, and sometimes money is not the most important thing, especially for research personnel who are already a high-income group—they value dignity and reputation more.

The various research institutes were actually well aware of Suiren Company's poaching, but they had no way to stop it.

Many people purely dedicated to academics were even happy to see it happen and were secretly fueling the fire.

These people also had their own hidden agendas, aiming to create a sense of crisis so that the laymen in the institutes would understand that if this place doesn't keep them, there are plenty of other places that will.

Although the "catfish effect" of Suiren Company did not seem very obvious at the moment, as time passed, who could say what the future would hold?

In a private room on the second floor of the cafeteria.

Huang Xuyuan and Lu Xuedong were discussing some recent matters while eating. He set down his chopsticks:

"Xuedong, where has your research on other Polygonal Silicon Oxide reached so far?"

Lu Xuedong wiped his mouth and began to speak: "We have made a small discovery regarding Pentagonal Silicon Oxide. The third team, which is responsible for that material, synthesized a form of Elemental Silicon two days ago."

"Elemental Silicon?" Huang Xiuyuan became interested.

Lu Xuedong explained: "It is a special type of Elemental Silicon, different from the Monocrystalline Silicon and Polycrystalline Silicon discovered previously; it is a molecule composed of 9 silicon atoms."

Composed of 9 silicon atoms?

Could it be... Huang Xiuyuan was lost in thought. If there were no surprises, it should be that very silicon molecule from his memories.

The appearance of this silicon molecule was also the first new material created through Pentagonal Silicon Oxide at that time.

However, the emergence of this material did not initially attract the attention of the academic or industrial worlds, and in terms of its applications, it didn't seem particularly high-end.

It wasn't until five years later that the special nature of Pentagonal Silicon Oxide was discovered.

Thank you all for your support, and thanks to the book friends "Hao Gei Ren Dao Le", "Shui Zai Paopao Li De Yu", "Shuyou 20210111230720404", "Meng Shizhi", and "tainialy" for their tips (ω｀)