ABT Chapter 105

The equipment in the laboratory was successfully debugged, and Li Fanyu's engine prototype was also assembled. Throughout the process, Li Fanyu didn't lift a finger; it was all done by Zhuzi and the workers.

Anning and Lao Zhang couldn't take their eyes off the shining prototype. Anning's expression was like that of a cultivator who had just laid eyes on an ancient limited edition artifact, reaching out to touch and admire it.

Li Fanyu watched the two of them immersed in delight, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Normally, creating a prototype was extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive.

First, you had to use the modeling to create a wooden model, then polish and correct it to ensure it was free from deformities or deviations. Then, using the wooden model as a reference, you could create a sand mold.

How do you make a sand mold? Remember playing with clay as a kid? You'd put a key in the clay and press down hard. That impression with the physical indentations is the process of making a sand mold.

Next, if the clay can withstand high temperatures, you pour molten metal into the impression to create an identical key.

That's what sand molds are for.

After a set of procedures, you could use the sand mold to create the parts you wanted. But here's the problem: for an engine with over a thousand different parts, these procedures had to be done over a thousand times.

Not to mention the costs incurred; just the time alone was enough to drive someone crazy. Pouring molten metal into the sand mold over and over again? That's an ordeal.

But you think that's the end of it? Think again! For ease of removing the castings, the sand mold is made of two parts joined together. After the part comes out, there will still be a flashing, like the kind you see on old-fashioned radiators.

A radiator just needs to be crack-free and not leaking, but would you dare to use an engine part like that?

So you still need to carefully polish it with sandpaper or similar tools, or else minor issues like tolerance, deformation, insufficient smoothness, etc., could drive you crazy.

Now, with the 3D metal printer, none of this is a problem anymore. Li Fanyu even dared to guarantee that the prototype in front of him was no different from a mass-produced engine in terms of craftsmanship. Although the material was a bit off, whether it was the cylinder head, cylinder block, or crankshaft, they were all made of aluminum alloy...

But for testing purposes, it was enough.

Li Fanyu and Zhuzi worked together to place the prototype on the testing platform. Anning and Lao Zhang couldn't wait, putting on safety goggles and preparing to start the test. Their faces were filled with enthusiastic excitement, reminiscent of mad scientists.

After connecting the fuel supply and exhaust systems, Lao Zhang gave everyone a deep look and flipped the switch.

If it could run smoothly, it meant there were no issues with the prototype's direction.

Sure enough, after fueling, the engine started to shake slightly and slowly began to run.

Lao Zhang's hands trembled as he stared at the simulated gearbox, gradually shifting gears from one thousand to two thousand rpm, then to three thousand rpm...

All the way up to five thousand rpm, the engine was still running smoothly. Only the crankshaft emitted occasional squeaks due to the softness of the aluminum alloy material.

Five minutes passed, and the machine was still running. Lao Zhang didn't dare to continue; he was afraid that higher RPMs would damage the machine. He slowly lowered the RPMs and eventually turned it off.

Anning was already in tears of joy. She had originally thought this was just a preliminary design that Li Fanyu had come up with on a whim. For this prototype, just being able to run had already exceeded her highest expectations.

Now it seemed that her expectations had been far too low.

Lao Zhang's lips trembled so much that he couldn't speak. He trembled as he touched the prototype, ignoring the high temperature on the machine after its high-speed operation.

"It worked... It worked... Just like that?"

"You're twenty years too late!"

At that moment, Lao Zhang burst into loud sobs and hugged the prototype directly.

Li Fanyu quickly stepped forward and pulled him away. "Professor Zhang, please calm down. Don't get burned!"

The old man pushed away his hand, twisting like a top, and struggled to rush over several times after being pulled away.

His hands were red from the heat, and his tears fell onto the prototype, evaporating in no time.

Anning silently pulled Li Fanyu aside, shaking her head with tears in her eyes.

"These are tears of bitterness; let them flow. Once they're gone, he can forget the past grievances and take a new path."

After crying for a long time, Lao Zhang wiped away his tears and bowed to Li Fanyu; he thanked him for the national automotive industry and for his deceased colleagues.

The scene was like getting drunk at a hot pot restaurant that day.

Li Fanyu's temples were throbbing, and he dared not accept the bow from his teacher. A teacher bowing to a student would shorten his life.

More than an hour passed in chaos before Lao Zhang, exhausted, was sent to rest. Anning and Li Fanyu then returned to the laboratory to continue the next experiment.

Because it was a prototype, many structures did not meet the application standards, so the two of them roughly calculated the power and torque. Relying on excellent craftsmanship and the fact that the prototype was not under load during testing, the calculations went smoothly;

At 4000-6000 rpm, the engine could reach a maximum power of 132 kW.

At 1500-3900 rpm, it could reach a peak torque of 32 Nm.

These were very simple and rough data, but they were enough to illustrate the point - this was an excellent engine!

Maximum power determines the maximum speed and mid-to-late-stage acceleration capability of the car. With constant fuel consumption, bigger is naturally better.

The EA888 engine Li Fanyu produced was a 1.8T version, with a power of 132 kW, already surpassing engines of the same displacement on the domestic market. Currently, the most common 2.0L naturally aspirated engines on the Chinese market have a maximum power of only around 120 kW.

Peak torque determines the acceleration capability of the car when starting. The larger the torque, the more explosive the power, and the better the climbing performance. It's like the saying goes - powerful!

Although whether a car can accelerate quickly depends on its transmission system and powertrain. These two parts are like hands and feet; having enough is one thing, but a good heart is even more important.

And from the test results, this EA888 engine was definitely a strong and powerful heart!

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