Chapter 196: The Ice Machine

“Use an animal-powered machine,” Wang Luobin finally resorted to this.

So-called animal-powered machines are transmission devices that convert the weight, stepping force, and traction of livestock into rotational power, which is then transmitted to various operating machines. Their operating efficiency is actually very limited, but they can be used to drive various more complex machines. In the early 19th century, before the popularization of electricity and steam engines, they were widely used in Europe and America, including driving various agricultural equipment, for ore hoisting and water pumping in mines, and even for driving machine tools in factories.

After the steam engine technology matured, this type of animal-powered machine was quickly eliminated. It continued to be used in rural areas for a period and then gradually disappeared completely.

The animal-powered machine Wang Luobin planned to use to drive the water pump was of the inclined treadmill type. In layman’s terms, it was a cow or a horse running in place on a treadmill. A large flywheel was installed on the axle of the wooden treadmill to regulate the speed, and a pulley was used for transmission. This type of animal-powered machine could be built very large, enough to accommodate two or three animals at the same time.

Considering that the long-term stable power output of one cow in actual work is only equivalent to 411W, and the combined work of two cows can only guarantee a power output of slightly more than 1 horsepower, Wang Luobin designed two identical machines. This way, they could quickly switch when the cows were tired, ensuring an uninterrupted water supply.

Of course, to ensure the long-term effective operation of this kind of machine, it was necessary to raise enough livestock. To be on the safe side, it was best to have six to eight head. This was relatively easy; just build a livestock shed. In modern cities, raising chickens was a prohibited activity, but in ancient cities, it was normal for residents to raise pigs at home. In the first half of the 20th century, in the grand city of Beijing, many people in residential areas still raised sheep and cattle. Some restaurants and taverns even raised hundreds of sheep.

Wang Luobin also pointed out that relying on shallow groundwater for such a running water system could only support a very small scale. It was a bit of a stretch to supply a bathhouse. Even without considering the manpower consumed by pumping water from the well, such long-term pumping would greatly reduce the well’s output—because the replenishment of groundwater was not as fast as people imagined.

To ensure supply, the best way was to drill a deep well to the aquifer, where the water volume was abundant and the supply was stable.

“Adopt a two-stage water supply system. Use animal power to pump water from the deep well to a surface reservoir, and then pump water from the reservoir to the water tower. This way, the pumping distance will be shorter.”

“Drill a small deep well?” Zhang Xingpei shook his head repeatedly. “The technical content of drilling a deep well is too high. This technology doesn’t exist in this time and space. Even if it did, where would we find the special steel casings for drilling? Would the Engineering and Energy Committee provide them? Besides, if we drill a deep well, the hand-pressure pump will be useless…”

“It’s not difficult. We don’t even need the Engineering and Energy Committee to do the work,” Wang Luobin asked. “Do you know about the Zigong salt wells in Sichuan?”

“The place where they boil brine for salt?”

“The ancient salt and natural gas wells in Zigong are hundreds or even thousands of meters deep. They managed to drill deep wells with primitive methods, so it’s not a technical problem.”

“The problem is that the salt workers are in Sichuan.”

“No problem. Just have the Guangzhou station find a way to recruit some people. There will always be brave men under a heavy reward. As soon as they arrive, let them drill a deep well—the deep well for water here doesn’t need to be hundreds of meters deep. I think fifty meters will be enough.”

This matter was quickly settled. Guo Yi gave an order to Qiwei, asking them to immediately go to Ziliujing in Sichuan to recruit local salt workers who knew how to drill wells. The number was unlimited, the treatment was favorable, and they could bring their families.

Although Manager Sun of Qiwei couldn’t figure out why they suddenly needed salt workers—and specifically salt workers from Sichuan—he wondered if the Australians knew that there were also salt wells underground in this area. But Guangdong itself was a salt-producing area, so drilling more wells wouldn’t be of much benefit. Besides, there was the problem of the government. But he was already used to the Australians’ crazy and unconventional way of doing things. He also knew that they would spend any amount of money to get what they wanted. He immediately sent his men to handle it.

Another problem Zhang Xingpei encountered was that modern public buildings, including restaurants, bathhouses, and museums, mostly relied on artificial lighting, with relatively little consideration for natural lighting. But here, it was impossible to use modern lighting equipment. Using devices like candles and oil lamps was extremely prone to fire. Therefore, the entire design process had to use natural light as much as possible. For this reason, he luxuriously used a large amount of glass and opened skylights on the roof. On some roofs, he even used glass tiles to enhance light transmission.

“This should be considered extremely environmentally friendly,” Zhang Xingpei looked at his design drawings with considerable satisfaction. He had used every possible means for lighting.

“Perhaps when everyone sees how good glass windows are, they will all come to buy glass to install windows,” Zhang Xin studied the design drawings for a long time. “I just don’t know if the glass factory can guarantee the supply.”

“No problem,” Zhang Xingpei knew that since the expansion of Changhua Fort, large-scale mining of quartz sand was just a matter of time. And the machine factory was currently working on a major technical renovation project for the glass factory: an automatic blowing system, researching the use of compressed air to mass-produce glass bottles. Once this problem was solved, not only would the production of glass bottles soar, but it would also free up more skilled workers for the production of flat glass.

The various consumer goods to be used in the Ziminglou were also being continuously trial-produced and put into small-scale production. It had already been decided that kvass would be one of the items promoted in the Ziminglou—this carbonated beverage had been proven to be popular with the natives in Lincheng. Huang Dashan also had Hu Yicheng distill some local spices: mint, orange peel, and the like, as flavorings. The re-blended kvass became a beverage with a fruity and vanilla flavor.

Leizhou’s rum was also on the promotion list for the Ziminglou. Pure rum had no special outstanding features compared to traditional Chinese distilled white wine, so Pei Lixiu’s idea was to sell cocktails. Of course, there was no soda water for the time being, but it was possible to add sugar syrup and fruit juice to the rum.

“I feel that with this, rum has become a bit feminine,” Zhang Xin, a heavy drinker, commented after a few glasses of fruit rum.

“Traditionally, women don’t drink. If we can attract women to drink, the business will be huge…” Pei Lixiu said.

“Do you think any women will come to the Ziminglou?” Guo Yi said irritably.

“Why wouldn’t they? Life in the inner quarters is also empty and lonely…”

Pei Lixiu’s idea was to create something like a women’s salon, to talk about poetry, engage in literature, and compose poems.

“Alright, your idea is feasible, but what kind of people will it attract? Obviously, only famous courtesans and the like. Respectable women will not come to your salon…”

“It’s not bad if famous courtesans are willing to participate,” Zhang Xin said. “First, it brings us popularity, which is also a celebrity effect. Besides, it’s easier to use what’s already there than to cultivate our own, and there won’t be any disputes–”

The so-called disputes naturally referred to the five hundred people in Lincheng. The issue of slavery had already been the subject of several issues of the Lincheng Times, with supporters of abolition and slavery each holding their own views. Naturally, there were also those who were just there for the show and those who tried to smooth things over.

The matter of the Ziminglou recruiting young women in Guangzhou to be trained as massage girls and dancers had already been questioned by many people, especially Du Wen, who had written several articles in the Lincheng Times, strongly criticizing this “perverse act” and “turning back the clock of history,” reminding everyone to be wary of the “resurgence of feudal ideas of toying with women.”

…But her attempt to issue a protest letter in the name of the Women’s Federation in conjunction with Li Mei was unsuccessful—Li Mei was very interested in this matter and had long wanted to create a similar entertainment complex in Lincheng.

“Second, the famous courtesans of the late Ming Dynasty had great social influence. Whether it’s promoting goods, influencing certain officials and gentry, or gathering information, they have a natural advantage—just think of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai. And many high officials and nobles in this time and space love to take famous courtesans as concubines. The sisterly bond between them is also something we can use.”

“Let’s give it a try,” Guo Yi nodded and turned to Pei Lixiu, “You have this idea, so you probably already have a suitable target for the salon.”

“Of course,” Pei Lixiu smiled sweetly. “Master, you are truly discerning…”

“Alright, alright, stop with the flattery. Tell me the situation.”

As expected, Pei Lixiu had already made friends with several sisters in the past few months, basically all of them concubines of large households. Among them were the concubines of Dong Jizhong and others who had lent money to Guo Yi during the Leizhou sugar industry war. These people were all well-fed and idle, looking for amusement. Women often visited each other. Pei Lixiu was eloquent and had many novel things that were not available locally. Over time, she had formed a friendship with them.

“Hmm, that’s not bad. At least we can use pillow talk when necessary. But the status of these people is not high. You need to find a way to connect with people of a higher level.”

“Sister Su said that she has a little sister who is the concubine of Gao Qinshun. She has long heard of the benefits of Australian goods. If it weren’t for the recent demolition and renovation of the Ziminglou, she would have wanted to come and see it these past few days.”

Guo Yi and the others all knew the name Gao Qinshun. He was the Provincial Inspector of Guangdong. Although he was only a seventh-rank official, he was a supervising censor and a powerful figure in the local area. Knowing what he was thinking in bed would naturally be of great benefit to intelligence work.

“Good. You follow up on this matter. You must win her over!”

“These are some things I want. Can the master do me a small favor…” Pei Lixiu’s eyes were媚眼如丝, and she handed over a piece of paper.

Zhang Xin’s attempt to get a refrigerator in Lincheng had completely failed—not to mention that a refrigerator was the most important piece of equipment at this stage, even if he could get one, the Guangzhou station lacked sufficient electricity to power it. The electricity from a few solar panels and a foot-powered generator was barely enough for the radio and computers.

Of course, the Ming Dynasty also had methods of refrigeration, which was to use a well. The temperature at the bottom of a well could be maintained at about twenty-something degrees. It was barely enough for general preservation. But you couldn’t make ice cubes in a well. Without ice cubes, the cold drinks Pei Lixiu proposed, like fruit juice shaved ice, ice cream, and popsicles, were naturally out of the question—the rich and particularly fastidious families in Guangzhou had private icehouses, where they stored ice made in the winter, but most people did not have this condition. Zhang Xin had written to Mo Xiao’an N times asking him to help solve this problem, strongly stating the significance and benefits of this thing. Mo Xiao’an was so disturbed by him that he had no choice but to go to Zhan Wuya.

“It’s not that I don’t want to make a refrigerator. Everyone would be more comfortable with one,” Zhan Wuya sat in the machine factory office, where the temperature was as high as 40 degrees. Outside was a tall, truss-structured workshop. The heating furnace emitted huge amounts of heat. The roar of the machines, the rotation of the motors, and the loud noise of steel being cut and stamped made the entire environment extremely hot. Several high-power blower fans made by the machine factory blew a strong wind from the doorway that could almost knock a person over—unfortunately, it was hot.

“I don’t want an air conditioner—” Mo Xiao’an knew that an air conditioner was actually easier to solve. The geothermal air conditioning system installed at the pharmaceutical factory had a very good response. If it weren’t for the high copper consumption and the need to dig deep wells, it might have been promoted long ago. The air conditioning in the Ziminglou renovation was also temporarily shelved for this reason—the Planning Committee required the Ziminglou to solve the problems of copper and digging deep wells themselves. Now they could only wait for the salt well workers from Sichuan to arrive.

“An ice machine, that’s even harder—” Zhan Wuya shrugged his shoulders. “Without a high-power compressor, without refrigerant, what can you make ice with? Even if I could make one in Guangzhou, are you planning to install a generator for them first?”

“That’s true,” Mo Xiao’an thought, this really couldn’t be done without electricity. “So there’s no way?”

“There is a way, but it’s very primitive and not very economical,” Zhan Wuya said. “There’s one thing we need to confirm first: the animal-powered machine that Wang Luobin is planning to build at your place, can it reach 1.5KW?”

“One animal-powered machine is a little over 1 horsepower. Two working together is more than 2 horsepower. That’s enough.”

Zhan Wuya nodded and made a call to the Planning Committee. He mentioned “an air conditioner” on the phone, seemingly applying to use it. Mo Xiao’an waited for a few minutes, and Zhan Wuya hung up the phone:

“No problem, the Chief has agreed. We’ll see in a few days.”

“Can you make it?”

“I can’t guarantee it yet,” Zhan Wuya laughed. “It’s a primitive idea of mine, not technically verified. We’ll have to see the effect after it’s actually made.”

After sending Mo Xiao’an off, Zhan Wuya dug out a pack of Dahongying from his locked drawer, carefully took one out, and played with it in his hand, sniffing and pinching it for a long time before lighting it and taking a puff.

Right now, to meet the urgent needs of the Guangzhou station, Zhan Wuya was preparing to make a primitive “animal-powered compression refrigerator” that he had designed. He immediately called Liang Xin, who was temporarily idle at the machine factory, and the two of them went to the exclusive warehouse of the Engineering and Energy Committee with wrenches and tools.

Although it was the warehouse of the Engineering and Energy Committee, everything inside was under the absolute management of the Planning Committee. Every pair of pliers, hammer, and screwdriver was registered and assigned to a person. Any damage or loss had to be reported. The management was extremely strict.

The warehouse was filled with various tools and accessories for the machine factory, all packed in boxes with labels and in-out records. In the innermost part, there was a pile of objects tightly wrapped in oilcloth, looking like a machine.

When they unwrapped it, it turned out to be an air conditioner, rusty and in a terrible state.

This air conditioner was dismantled from the flat-deck self-propelled barge. It was already in a scrapped state at that time—it was not a professional marine air conditioner, but just an ordinary 1.5KW household wall-mounted air conditioner, bought by the crew to create a comfortable environment. This air conditioner, left in a corner of the engine room, was rusty and no longer cooled. When the Planning Committee collected materials, they registered and accepted it based on the concept that “there is no waste from the 21st century.”

The two of them used a handcart to pull the air conditioner to the workshop. They opened the outer casing and dismantled it, taking out the air conditioner compressor. Then they also dismantled the evaporator. This air conditioner was really something; it actually had two evaporators—these corrugated copper tubes were good stuff.

“Instead of going through all this trouble, why not just use a gas refrigerator?” Liang Xin was puzzled.

“A gas refrigerator is of course good, but we are not qualified to make a household-grade one yet. Besides, a gas refrigerator needs a配套 gas generator. To be honest, I don’t feel safe putting it in the Ziminglou. We still have weaknesses in the production of配套 gas pipelines, valves, and seals.”

The gas stoves used in Lincheng were basically located far from the crowd. The stove was managed by a dedicated person, and it was well-ventilated on all four sides, so safety was somewhat better. The Ziminglou was densely populated. In case of a leak, whether it was an explosion or poisoning, it would be a tragedy.

After short-circuiting the compressor clutch, the compressor actually started running. Zhan Wuya then connected his self-made condenser, throttle valve, and evaporator, and a simple refrigeration system was created.

A purely green, environmentally friendly, animal-powered ice machine—of course, the effect would be better with an electric motor or other power source.

Next was the refrigerant. The Freon in the broken air conditioner was long gone. Where could he find this refrigerant? Zhan Wuya suddenly realized he had overlooked this key issue. Finally, he thought of Ma Qianzhu. Although he hadn’t brought any guns to this time and space, he had several air guns. Didn’t air guns use F12? That was a good refrigerant!

But the air guns were his private property. Making a small ice machine was not a matter of life and death or industrial upgrading. It would not be easy to persuade him to contribute the F12. It seemed he had to resort to material temptation—Zhan Wuya suddenly felt very wronged: this thing was not for his own use. Why should he have to pay out of his own pocket for the materials?

But the temptation of making a primitive device was too great. Making things from blueprints was not interesting. This kind of challenging work was what was interesting.

Back in his office, he gritted his teeth and took out a carton of premium Dahongying from his drawer. He opened it and took out two packs. After thinking for a moment, he put one pack back and went to find Ma Qianzhu with only one pack.

[Note: The copyright of this ice machine belongs to Zhan Zanshi’s Crow for now. It is unknown if it can be used. The original text said it was driven by a bicycle, and he himself also stated that the output power of a bicycle is not enough to drive a compressor.]