31: Chapter 31 Patent Fees? The Empress Dowager already paid them!

"Elder Mo, I didn't invent this."

Zhao Fusu shook his head slightly.

"Young Master Fusu, you are too modest. If you didn't think of it, then who did?"

Elder Mo was certain that this steering system was Zhao Fusu's invention.

The Steam Engine was also Zhao Fusu's invention!

Zhao Fusu opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

This steering system was invented by foreigners.

In the textbooks, the Steam Engine was improved by Watt.

But in this parallel world, he was the one who brought out the Steam Engine, and he was the first to mention the steering system.

It was actually quite reasonable to stack the patents on himself, wasn't it!

Besides, back then, the Empress Dowager had already paid the patent fees to the foreigners.

So what if he claimed this was his own patent!

Thinking of this, Zhao Fusu felt more and more at ease.

Seeing Zhao Fusu's tacit admission, Elder Mo showed a look that said, 'as I thought.'

He became increasingly respectful toward Zhao Fusu.

This definitely wasn't because of Zhao Fusu's noble status, but because he admired Zhao Fusu on a technical level.

He immensely admired Zhao Fusu's ability to invent such divinely crafted machinery.

"Elder Mo, don't make it too complicated. It's enough as long as you can connect the Steam Engine's drive shaft to the wheels."

Zhao Fusu said.

The Steam Engine provided by the system came with its own clutch, as well as forward and reverse gears.

The whistle, safety valve, pressure gauge, boiler, water tank, and water level gauge were all included.

As long as the Steam Engine was placed onto a bronze four-wheeled carriage frame and the drive shaft was connected to the wheels, it would be a simple Steam Locomotive.

"Alright."

Zhao Fusu said: "Then the work of making the carriage frame is left to you."

"Understood."

Elder Mo circled the Steam Engine with an excited expression.

As long as coal was burned, the flywheel could rotate at high speeds. To him, it was both miraculous and intriguing.

He really wanted to dismantle the Steam Engine to see its specific internal structure.

"Elder Mo, don't you dare take the Steam Engine apart."

Zhao Fusu quickly warned: "I only have one!"

"This old man knows, this old man knows."

Elder Mo smiled somewhat sheepishly.

He continued to circle the Steam Engine, asking for a ruler to measure its dimensions before recording various data onto bamboo slips.

Zhao Fusu didn't interfere much; professional matters like this should be handled by professional technicians.

Good news came from Elder Liu's side; he and his apprentices had already built a small Bronze Blower.

Zhao Fusu looked at the blower crafted by Elder Liu's team.

After multiple design optimizations to increase the air pressure generated by the blower...

The design of this blower was similar to a centrifugal fan.

Structurally, it could be divided into the intake, front shroud, impeller, back shroud, casing, and outlet.

Zhao Fusu smiled with satisfaction and said: "Very good. Using this small blower as a model, scale up the blades. Then find a way to connect it to the Steam Engine's flywheel so that the flywheel can drive the blower's rotation."

"Steam Engine?"

"Could that be the 'great treasure' you mentioned, Young Master Fusu?"

Elder Liu asked curiously.

"Yes."

Zhao Fusu nodded: "I'll take you to see the Steam Engine."

"Great."

Elder Liu was full of curiosity.

"Is this the Steam Engine?"

When Elder Liu saw that steel beast, he was just as curious as Elder Mo.

He had never seen such a machine before.

"Young Master Fusu, how do you use this Steam Engine?"

Before Zhao Fusu could speak, Elder Mo, who was studying the Steam Locomotive nearby, said: "Light a fire in the furnace. Once steam is produced in the boiler, the flywheel can rotate."

As he spoke, he directed his apprentices to add water to the boiler and light the coal in the furnace.

Under the power of the steam, the flywheel began to rotate.

*Puff, puff, puff...*

Excess water vapor was discharged through the pressure relief valve.

*Creak, creak...*

The continuous rotation of the crankshaft and connecting rods produced increasingly rapid mechanical noises, and the flywheel spun faster and faster.

"Miraculous, truly miraculous!"

Elder Liu's mouth hung wide open, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.

*Puff, puff, puff...*

*Puff, puff, puff...*

The water vapor venting from the relief valve became more violent, and even the ground vibrated with the bursts of steam.

"How much power does this machine have?"

Elder Liu couldn't help but ask curiously.

Again, before Zhao Fusu could speak, Elder Mo said impatiently: "It's equivalent to the power of one hundred and twenty-eight horses of three hundred kilograms each!"

"As long as it has coal burning, it can keep rotating forever."

*Hiss!*

Elder Liu was greatly shocked.

He looked at the Steam Engine, the look of astonishment in his eyes growing more intense.

If the Steam Engine could be connected to the blower, wouldn't it be able to spin non-stop day and night!

And with so much power, no matter how large or heavy the blower was, the Steam Engine could easily make it turn.

This Steam Engine could be used not only to power blowers but also in many other places!

"Young Master Fusu, can you tell me how this Steam Engine was made?"

Zhao Fusu said: "No rush. We'll talk about it after we get the Refractory Brick and steel sorted out."

"Alright."

Elder Liu could only suppress his internal curiosity.

Elder Mo had already finished designing the Steam Locomotive.

He and his apprentices hurried back to the Forging Workshop to create the molds and build the carriage frame and steering system.

Zhao Fusu waited patiently.

Once Elder Mo finished, Zhao Fusu looked at the bronze four-wheeled carriage he had built.

The four bronze wheels were massive, reaching up to Zhao Fusu's waist.

He climbed onto the bronze carriage frame.

Primitive...

Crude...

Hmm...

It didn't even have a seat.

Zhao Fusu said: "Add a seat here at the driver's position."

"Yes."

Elder Mo nodded and took note.

Zhao Fusu then tested the steering of the bronze carriage.

Without a power steering system, the steering wheel of the bronze carriage was extremely heavy.

And this was without the Steam Engine added; once the Steam Engine was installed, the steering wheel would be even heavier.

However, this problem could only be optimized later.

For example, finding a way to add a power steering system.

Using hydraulics to make the steering system less heavy.

For now, the goal was to build the first-generation, immature Steam Locomotive.

Later, improvements could be made based on this first-generation Steam Engine to make it smaller and lighter.

"Is there a braking system?"

Zhao Fusu asked again.

If there were no brakes, it would be too dangerous.

"Yes."

Elder Mo pointed to the rear of the bronze carriage.

Zhao Fusu jumped off the carriage to take a look.

At the back of the bronze carriage was a wooden pole. Using the lever principle, the pole would rub against the ground to act as a brake.

Zhao Fusu shook his head.

Damn, it'd be a miracle if that could actually stop anything.

Seeing Zhao Fusu's expression, Elder Mo knew that Zhao Fusu was not satisfied with the braking system he had developed.

"Young Master Fusu, this old man is ashamed."

Elder Mo said with quite a bit of self-reproach.

"Elder Mo, there's no need for self-reproach."

Zhao Fusu said: "For the Steam Locomotive, we can improve it generation by generation."

"Now, let's first move the Steam Engine to the Forging Workshop."

"Understood."

After hearing Zhao Fusu say that, Elder Mo's mood improved considerably.

Pulled by five horses, the carriage frame was hauled toward the military camp.