Chapter 206 Pulse Engine
Gol didn't blame the Pejite craftsmen who raised questions. Instead, he chuckled and waved his hand, saying that his reaction was even stronger than theirs when he first saw the design blueprints that the Divine Tree had sent via a mental link.
"Please don't jump to conclusions yet. Take a look at the prototype we brought. It's not too late to question it then." After saying that, he turned and waved towards the factory entrance.
Several artisans from the Valley of the Wind and Pejite worked together to carry a prototype engine, over three meters long, into the factory.
The engine has a cylindrical combustion chamber at the front and a long nozzle extending from the rear, making its overall shape resemble an elongated monocular telescope.
The surface of the pipeline is covered with various copper pipes and infusion tubes, completely untouched. However, anyone with a discerning eye can tell that the engine is made of an unusual material, with a bright silver color that is unique to Ceramic Steel.
Ceramic Steel is a material whose toughness and hardness far exceed those of ordinary steel, and it can withstand temperatures high enough to melt anything.
Note that "melting everything" is not an adjective here; even tungsten steel used to make lamp filaments will turn into liquid at that temperature, while Ceramic Steel will only slightly soften.
Engines made from this material can theoretically withstand the temperatures generated by the combustion of any fuel.
The craftsmen of the Valley of the Wind placed the engine bracket on the ground, and one of them took out iron hoops and long nails for fixing it, pressing his palm on the top of the long nails.
Bang!
A small golden shockwave shot out from his palm, and the half-meter-long nail was smashed into the concrete ground, with only a short section sticking out.
The artisans in Pejite watched with twitching eyelids.
What was that golden shockwave? And how did he manage to smash a long nail into concrete with his bare hands?
Soon, the engine was firmly fixed to the concrete ground, with its nozzle facing the open mooring area outside the factory gate.
"Gentlemen, what you are about to see may overturn some of your understanding. I suggest you take a few steps back, and it would be best to cover your ears." Gol installed the high-pressure fuel tank in the pre-reserved position in front of the engine, then turned to the others and said. The engineers looked at each other, took a few steps back with some skepticism.
Asbel instead took a few steps forward and stood next to Gol, his eyes fixed on the pipe.
Gol then pressed the button.
First, the sound of high-pressure gas leaking is heard; that's the sound of the valve simultaneously pushing air and fuel into the combustion chamber.
Then, boom! Boom boom boom boom boom boom! First, a huge, explosive fireball erupted from behind the pipe, the orange-red flames shooting out three or four meters.
As the blower valves opened and closed dozens of times per second, the explosions began to become continuous, transforming from single roars into dense pulses. The low hum gradually rose, eventually turning into a deep, heart-wrenching roar.
Everyone was stunned.
They were the artisans of Pejite, the most mechanically knowledgeable people in all the kingdoms of the Sea of Corruption.
They could tell at a glance that this rough, rudimentary thing, which looked like it was haphazardly pieced together from Ceramic Steel, was an engine.
It is a working engine capable of generating thrust.
But it doesn't rely on the kind of ancient engine core that can shoot out blue flames as long as fuel and electricity are connected; instead, it generates thrust with just a single pipe!
No one could believe that such a structure could be used as an engine, but the facts were right in front of them.
The rumbling continued, and the airflow from the nozzle became increasingly violent. The scorching airflow, carrying unburned fuel, blew the dust and rubble piled up at the factory entrance into all directions. The force was so great that it even caused the guards standing at the gate more than ten meters away to stagger backward, having to hold on tightly to the door frame to keep their balance.
As the engine started fully, the pipes fixed to the ground with spikes began to vibrate, a teeth-grinding creaking sound came from the connection between the brackets and the ground, and cracks began to appear in the concrete floor.
Just as the engineers were worried that the thing might fly off like a battering ram, Gol gently pressed the stop button.
The rumbling gradually subsided, and as the last ball of flame was expelled from the nozzle, the monster fell completely silent.
The factory was completely silent, except for the lingering buzzing sound in my ears.
"This... this is a pulse jet engine?" Finally, someone couldn't help but ask.
The speaker was a middle-aged craftsman. He had just flipped through a few pages of blueprints and happened to see the relevant section, which was densely covered with various parameters and explanations of principles.
"You've seen this technology before?" the person next to me asked in surprise.
"I've never seen it before, but—it's written clearly here." The middle-aged craftsman's voice was trembling.
"The principle behind this device is to confine the impact generated by the combustion chamber's deflagration within the rear nozzle to create thrust, while simultaneously drawing in air from the front using the low pressure generated by combustion to maintain continuous operation. Its structure is extremely simple, with no moving parts, only valves opening and closing—"
As he read aloud the annotations on the design drawings word for word, the engineers finally believed him.
This is an "engine core" entirely created by the people of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind!
That's right, this is the "pulse engine" that Gol and others created by hand, following blueprints and through Incantations based on the Golden Order.
If you are not familiar with this name, please search for " V-1 Flying Bomb," a favorite of a certain mustachioed man; the principle is basically the same.
Unlike the original version, the pulse engine made of Ceramic Steel can increase power regardless of materials science limitations. If a tail fin were added to this prototype, it might be able to fly at speeds exceeding 1,000 kilometers per hour.
Of course, this doesn't mean that its technology is more advanced than ancient engines— the Eftal gunship's slow speed is due to its design, not its engine.
The ability to launch an aerial fortress with a wingspan of several hundred meters into the air requires a thrust-to-weight ratio that pulse engines can only dream of.
However, conversely, the advantages of pulse engines—simple structure and ease of mass production—are also unmatched by ancient engine cores, meaning each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Asbel stood aside, watching those who had just been questioning the "impossible" now engrossed in their studies, a smile playing on his lips.
"Everyone!"
"These technologies were all granted to Valley of the Wind by that great being who governs the Erdtree Alliance. Valley of the Wind was just the first beneficiary; now, it's Pejite's turn."
"As long as you're willing to join this project, you're free to research these technologies and use these blueprints, as long as you can successfully restore or innovate the technologies required by the Erdtree Alliance."
Gol stepped forward cooperatively, took out a fist-sized golden fruit from his pocket, and handed it to Asbel. It was the golden apple that Mu En had given him before he came here by spaceship.
"You will receive the same reward as me."
Without any hesitation, Asbel put the fruit into his mouth, and as golden juice spilled from the corners of his mouth, his entire body began to glow.
The light shone from beneath the skin, growing brighter and brighter until it illuminated the entire factory as if it were daytime. Everyone squinted instinctively, and some even reached out to shield their eyes from the blinding light.
The light lasted for about ten seconds, then gradually faded.
Asbel stood still, looking down at his hands. He felt an immense power surging within him, every cell cheering, and with each breath he could feel the energy flowing through the air.
He walked to the huge box of blueprints, grabbed the edge of the box with one hand, and gently lifted it. The 300-kilogram wooden box was easily lifted by the 15-year-old boy.
He placed the box steadily on the workbench and turned to look at the dumbfounded craftsmen.
"This is a blessing."
"As long as you make a contribution, you will have the opportunity to obtain this power."
The next moment, the Pejite were in complete jubilation.
Some rushed to the pile of blueprints, eagerly flipping through them to examine them; some surrounded the pulse engine, reaching out to touch every part; some grabbed the artisans of the Valley of the Wind, asking all sorts of questions, wishing they could extract every single technical detail.
They were even more enthusiastic about the technical blueprints than about the rewards the prince had mentioned. As artisans of an industrial city-state, they understood better than anyone what this meant.
Spaceship production will no longer depend on archaeological excavations, nor will it be limited by ancient engines. As long as there are enough factories, enough workers, and enough raw materials, they can even build a fleet larger than the Torumekian Empire!
Asbel watched the craftsmen instantly get into the zone, his smile growing wider.
He walked to the foot of the unfinished purple gunboat and looked up at his creation, which he had poured countless hours of effort into.
It is beautiful and exquisite, a testament to his talent and passion.
But that's not enough now.
He turned around, clapped his hands, and drew everyone's attention.
"Gentlemen, forget about that outdated ancient gunboat, let's get back to work."
"The first ornithopter prototype took off from here."