Chapter 144 Modular Design

"Xiaolin, I understand your choice now. In this country, someone needs to do scientific research and someone needs to make money. Without money, nothing can be done." Liu Xianghai sighed. When talking about money, he showed some embarrassment on his face and said, "By the way, Xiaolin, I may not be able to repay you for the ten thousand yuan you lent me."

Lin Zhenhua said disapprovingly: "You can use it. I didn't say I had loaned it to you, it was for you."

Liu Xianghai said: "It's better to borrow money. If you don't have any merits, how can I take your money casually? When I get rich in my hands in the future, I will definitely have to pay it back. I'm going to tell you, your ten thousand yuan has really helped me a lot."

Lin Zhenhua asked strangely: "Why, you, a great director, have to rely on this ten thousand yuan to help you?"

Liu Xianghai said: "I can only use the money from the public within the scope of the system's permission. But in reality, many things are outside the system. Not long ago, a researcher's father got sick and needed to borrow 800 yuan for surgery. However, according to the regulations in the institute, he could only borrow up to 200 yuan. He came to my house, a man who was seven feet long, and was crying. But this is the system stipulated, what should I do?"

"So you lend him your own money?" Lin Zhenhua said.

"Isn't that?" Liu Xianghai said, "I have the right to use my own money. Kobayashi, I realized at that time what you said when you lend me money. You said that this money can sometimes be used to help you."

"I didn't expect you to use this money to do good deeds," said Lin Zhenhua.

"Then what do you mean by emergency?"

Lin Zhenhua did not answer this question. When he first gave Liu Xianghai money, one was out of respect for the old military workers, and felt that not giving some money was not enough to express his feelings. The other was thinking that Liu Xianghai had just returned to Shanghai, and might have to go through some old relationships, treat guests and give gifts, etc. However, how could these words be made clear?

"It's right to do good things. It's equivalent to buying people's hearts in Xun." Lin Zhenhua said, "Old Liu, I have another sentence, I don't know if you remember it."

"What's the matter?"

Lin Zhenhua said: "I said I was so poor that I had only money left. If you have anything to do, you can go to Huaihai Road to find the Shanghai Distribution Office of Hanhua Industrial Company. Xiong Lijun is now the manager there, you can just lend him money. I will settle with him in the future. However, I have figured it out, I can't afford the money you want to do experiments, and at best I can only lend you to favors."

Liu Xianghai shook his head: "I can't lend you more money. If I borrow too much, I can't pay it back in the future."

Lin Zhenhua said: "Old Liu, if you really lack money, just ask Xiong Lijun for it. I will just replenish him anyway. I forgot to tell you that I have applied for an international patent for the five-leaf fan you designed for me, but I use my name. This patent should actually belong to you. If you can make money in the future, I should pay you a patent fee."

Liu Xianghai said: "How can this be done? I said I gave it to you, just for you. This five-leaf fan, whether it is making money or not, has nothing to do with me. Besides, there are so many things in the public, how can I let me pay for everything privately? By the way, it's not that I pay for money privately, but that you are helping us pay for money. What's this a matter?"

"Oh, no matter how poor you are, you can't be poor in national defense. The country shouldn't let you suffer from poverty." Lin Zhenhua shouted for Liu Xianghai.

Liu Xianghai said: "You can't say that. People have been poor for so many years, and now it's time to give priority to solving the living problems of the people. The above policies have been set. In the next few years, national defense expenditures will be greatly reduced, and many projects are facing the threat of dismissal. We are still better here, but we can only maintain them. By the way, you can just listen to these things. No extrapolation is allowed, do you know?"

"Of course I know." Lin Zhenhua said.

As a time traveler, Lin Zhenhua is quite familiar with what Liu Xianghai said. In the early 1980s, the central government made a judgment on the international situation at that time, believing that large-scale armed conflicts would not occur in a short period of time. Based on this judgment, the central government greatly reduced military expenditures and laid off 1 million troops. Many military-industrial projects were also shelved during this period and were not restarted until 20 years later.

Later generations have mixed reviews on the gains and losses of this period of compressing military expenditure. Compliants believe that China decisively shifted a large amount of military expenditure to civilian use, promoted economic development and laid the foundation for China's rapid economic growth in the next 30 years. Critics believe that due to the compression of projects during this period, the stagnation of technology and the loss of military-industrial talents, the value of this loss is incalculable.

Is it really easy to evaluate the merits and demerits of a policy so easy to evaluate?

"So, you can spend only one million yuan a year on research? It's really a big deal to complete the trial production of propellers." Lin Zhenhua sighed.

Liu Xianghai smiled bitterly and said, "How can there be a million yuan in research funds? This or two million yuan also includes the cap expenses, medical expenses, and subsidies for the entire institute. I have to find a way to squeeze out tens of thousands of yuan to build a house for the employees in the institute. Now the housing problems in our shipyard are more tense than those in the Hanhua Factory. There are also many problems for researchers to live in the same room for three generations. Which institute should not squeeze out some scientific research funds to build a house?"

"This is too much!" Lin Zhenhua couldn't help but go wild, "Then what else can you do in research? You might as well go back to Fenghua to be your wood mold worker. I spent more research funds at Hanhua Company than you."

Liu Xianghai said: "You can't say that. In fact, the cap fee is also considered scientific research investment. Our researchers have to work after getting their salary. Our theoretical research is progressing well now, but when it comes to experiments, they will be blind. You also know that our experiments are very expensive. We want to transform a large milling machine that can be used for propeller processing. The material fee for modification alone will cost more than one million. We have already submitted it to the Central Military Commission and are waiting for the higher authorities to approve the money."

"The more I say it, I feel discouraged." Lin Zhenhua said depressedly, "Old Liu, if I had known that you had been here every day and waited for death, I would have advised you to stay in the Hanhua Factory. At least you could help me solve some technical problems."

Liu Xianghai laughed, he patted Lin Zhenhua on the shoulder and said, "Xiaolin, you can't say that. We are still doing things. When the country overcomes this period of difficulties, things will get better in the future. Forget it, I won't tell you these unhappy things. Xiaolin, are you interested in going to see the warship?"

"Interested!" Lin Zhenhua raised his hand and said, "How is it? Is it a new drive? Is there 8,000 tons?"

Liu Xianghai said: "There is no new 8,000 tons drive? You are not confused, right? It is a newly built missile frigate with a full load displacement of 2,000 tons, which is very good."

"It's only 2,000 tons?" Lin Zhenhua said disappointedly. He said as if he was taking care of Liu Xianghai's emotions: "Well, it's okay, 2,000 tons, go and have a look. By the way, there's no leakage, right?"

Liu Xianghai said: "This thing is not very secret, it doesn't matter. Just don't go out and talk about it."

The two of them were walking around the factory, and the Hudong Factory had been sending people to accompany him. I heard that Liu Xianghai was going to see the frigate, and the accompanying staff quickly led them to a huge factory.

This factory is nearly 200 meters long and dozens of meters high. In the center of the factory, a warship about 100 meters long stands across the street. The construction of the warship has not been completed, and groups of workers are busy on the scaffolding. The sound of smashing rivets is jingling and continuous, and brilliant electric welding sparks are falling from the heights, which is a busy production scene.

Liu Xianghai took Lin Zhenhua along the stairs to the platform next to him, and from there, he could overlook the full view of the warship. Liu Xianghai proudly introduced to Lin Zhenhua: "Look, this is the new frigate newly designed and finalized by our institute. The standard displacement is 1,674 tons and the full load displacement is 1,924 tons. The ship is equipped with two combined ship-to-ship missiles, two double 100 main guns, four double 37 anti-aircraft guns, as well as anti-submarine rockets, deep-water bombs, and anti-submarine torpedoes. It has various functions of air defense, anti-ship, and anti-submarine."

"What a good thing!" Lin Zhenhua exclaimed. He had never had contact with a warship so close. Although it was just a 2,000-ton frigate, it was enough to make him feel bloody.

Liu Xianghai said: "The only problem with this type of frigate is that the cost is still too high. We have considered whether to cut off some weapons and equipment so that it can reduce the displacement and further increase the speed under the conditions of the two existing diesel engines. However, after all, no one can be reduced. This unit said it was air defense, and that unit said it was anti-submarine, but it had to take care of all aspects. This is the most troublesome problem we have at present."

Lin Zhenhua casually said: "Isn't this easy? You design various weapon systems into modularity and install which one you want. The same hull design is suitable for different uses. Isn't this a very simple idea?"

Liu Xianghai looked at Lin Zhenhua: "What did you say just now? Say it again."

"Didn't you hear it clearly?" Lin Zhenhua asked strangely. The noise in the workshop was indeed quite loud, but they didn't feel unaware when they stood together and talked.

Liu Xianghai shook his head desperately: "No, no, I heard what you said just now, and felt like a ray of light flashing in my mind, but I couldn't grasp it at once. No, you must have said a very, very important concept just now, but I didn't understand."

Lin Zhenhua thought about it himself and couldn't help but laugh. He said, "Old Liu, what I'm talking about is not complicated. What I mean is that you can make each system standardized and modularized, and the main body of the warship is fixed, and the weapon system can be mounted according to needs. It can even be handled like this. The rich units will install more, and the poor units will install less.

In addition, if a modular design is adopted, all weapon modules can be subcontracted to each unit for manufacturing, and the shipyard only needs to build the hull. At that time, transport the modules over and fight them up, and a new warship will be completed."

"Yes! That's the concept!" Liu Xianghai shouted excitedly, "You're so right, modular! Xiaolin, I really admire you. How could you come up with such a genius idea?"

Uh... It seems that this was not proposed by me, it was proposed by the Germans, right? Lin Zhenhua defended in his heart. However, he dared not say that his idea was borrowed from other places. It was a matter involving military intelligence. If the security department said it out, there would be a ghost. Just check it. The problem is, where can I check such unreasonable things?

"Old Liu, in fact, my idea is just to borrow the ideas in machine tool design. Do you think it is feasible to use it in warship design?" Lin Zhenhua stammered. The concept of modularization in industry is already quite popular, and his explanation is reasonable.

"Of course it's feasible, it's really necessary!" Liu Xianghai said, "Kobayashi, you don't know that our ship's main engine has a small power, which determines that our warships cannot be too large. According to your ideas just now, we can quickly design warships of different configurations according to the tasks of different troops, which is much more effective than redesigning them one by one."

"So, can I be a warship designer?" Lin Zhenhua asked excitedly. This is an ideal he has had since childhood.

Liu Xianghai smiled and said, "You are not qualified. You just provide a very valuable idea. Modularity... This sentence is simple, but how to design various weapon systems into standard interface modules is not simple. To put it bigger, it may bring about a major change in the entire ship design concept. Just because you, an outsider who knows nothing about ships, can still do this?"

"No?" Lin Zhenhua was very dissatisfied. "Old Liu, aren't you just working on thrusters? How can you do such a thing?"

Liu Xianghai said: "I didn't say it was up to me. I am now the director of the thruster institute and a member of the expert committee of the craft institute. Naturally, I will participate in the overall design of the ship. Next time the craft institute holds a meeting, I will put forward this idea, and all experts will need to argue at that time. If this idea is finally recognized by the expert committee, I will organize various systems to jointly research. The outstanding experts in our systems have their abilities that you can't imagine. Kobayashi, maybe your idea can really be realized."

Lin Zhenhua asked, "Then wouldn't I win a prize or something?"

Liu Xianghai laughed: "No problem, we will use thick boards for you to make a one-ton medal."
Chapter completed!