What is the scientific knowledge of two Wan Li under the sea?

Chapter 12 Everything uses electricity

"Sir," Captain Nemo said, pointing to the instruments hanging on the wall of his room, "these are the instruments necessary for the Nautilus to sail. Here, just like in the living room, I always pay attention to them. These instruments point out my actual position and accurate direction in the middle of the ocean. You know, some of these instruments, such as thermometers, indicate the temperature in the nautilus; Meteorometer, which measures the weight of air and predicts the change of weather; A hygrometer for indicating air humidity; Storm mirror, when the mixture of L in the mirror decomposes, it indicates that a storm is coming; Compass, guide my route; Sextant, measuring the height of the sun, let me know the latitude of the ship; Meridian, so that I can calculate the longitude of the ship; Finally, there are binoculars used during the day and binoculars used at night. When the Nautilus floats on the water, I can spy on the sky. "

"These are instruments commonly used by navigators," I replied. "I know their usage. But there are other instruments here, which must be used for the special needs of Nautilus: there is a rotating pointer on the dial I see now. Isn't that a fluid pressure gauge? "

"This is a fluid pressure gauge. It is connected with the sea and can point out the pressure of the sea outside, so I know the depth of my ship. "

"What do those new testers do?"

"Those are temperature testers. Give me the temperature of the water layer below the seabed. "

"There are some clever instruments, I can't guess what's the use?"

"Professor, I should explain this to you," Captain Nemo said. "Please listen to me."

He was silent for a while, and then said, "There is a strong motivation, convenience, quickness and convenience. It can be used for various purposes, and everything on board depends on it. Everything is made of it. It gives me light and heat. It is the soul of the machine on my ship. This motive force is electricity. "

"electricity!" I shouted in surprise.

"Yes, sir."

"But, captain, your ship is moving too fast, which is not in line with the power of electricity. So far, electricity is still very limited and can only generate quite limited electricity! "

"Professor," Captain Nemo replied, "my electricity is not second-class. This is all I can say to you. "

"Sir, I don't want to ask, I just feel very strange about this effect. However, there is one question I want to ask. If you shouldn't ask, you can not answer. Of course, the substance you use to generate this amazing motive force will soon run out. For example, zinc, since it has nothing to do with the ground, how can it be replenished when it is used up? "

"You can get the answer to this question," Captain Nemo replied. "First of all, I tell you that there are mineral deposits such as zinc, iron, silver and gold on the seabed, and development is not impossible. But I don't rely on these metals on land. I just hope that the ocean itself will provide me with raw materials for producing electricity. "

"Do you want sea supplies?"

"Yes, professor, I have many methods? For example, I can connect metal wires immersed in different depths into a circuit, and different heat of the metal wires will generate electricity; But I usually use another more convenient and practical method. "

"What kind of method is it?"

"Do you know the composition of the sea. One kilogram of seawater is 96.5% water, about 2.7% sodium chloride, and the rest is a small amount of magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium bromide, magnesium sulfate, sulfuric acid and carbolic acid. As you can see, the content of sodium chloride in seawater is quite high. What I propose from seawater is sodium, which I use to make the substances I need. "

"sodium?"

"Yes, Sir. Sodium and mercury are mixed to form an alloy to replace zinc needed by Bunsen battery. Mercury will not be lost, but only sodium will be consumed, but seawater itself provides the sodium I need. In addition, I can tell you that the sodium battery should be the strongest, and its electrodynamic force is several times stronger than that of the zinc battery. "

① Bunsen (1811-1899), a German physicist and chemist.

"Captain, I know very well that you have achieved the superiority of sodium in this case. Seawater contains sodium. That's right. But we must make it, that is, we must bring it out. How did you do that? Of course, your battery can do this kind of work, but if I am not mistaken, I am afraid that the electric machine will consume more sodium than the recommended sodium. As a result, you actually consume more sodium for production than you can produce! "

"Professor, I don't need a battery to extract it. I simply use the heat of coal on land. "

"On land?" I said emphatically.

"Suppose it is coal at the bottom of the sea." Captain Nemo replied.

"Can you mine coal under the sea?"

"Mr. Pierre Aronnax, you will see me mining. I only ask you to be patient for a while, because you have time, you can wait. I only ask you to pay attention to this: I get everything from the ocean; It uses the ocean to generate electricity, providing heat, light and electricity for Nautilus. In short, electricity gave life to Nautilus. "

"But electricity can't supply the air you breathe, can it?"

"oh! I can also make air for my own consumption, but it is not necessary, because I can float to the surface of the sea at any time when I am happy. However, although electricity does not supply J air that I can breathe, it can start a powerful air extractor and send air into a special sealed room, so that I can stay in the depths of the sea for the necessary time. "

"Captain," I replied, "I can only admire. You have obviously discovered something that humans may discover in the future, and that is the real power of electricity. "

"I don't know if they will find it one day," Captain Nemo replied coldly. "Anyway, you have seen my first practical application of this precious motive force. It is it that has the uniformity and continuity that sunlight does not have, and illuminates us. Now, please look at this clock; It runs by electricity, and it runs very accurately, so it can compete with the most perfect and accurate clock. I divide it into twenty-four hours, just like an Italian clock; Because for me, there is neither day nor night, nor the sun and the moon, only this artificial light that I can always take to the bottom of the sea! Look, it's ten o'clock in the morning. "

"yes."

"This is another use of electricity. The dial hanging in front of us is used to indicate the speed of the nautilus. A wire connects it with the propeller of the log, and the long needle on it points out the actual speed of the ship to me. Look, at the moment we are driving at a medium speed of 15 nautical miles per hour. "

"Great," I replied. "Captain, I understand why you use this power, because it can replace wind, water and steam."

"Mr. Pierre Aronnax, we're not finished yet," Captain Nemo stood up and said, "Please come with me. We want to see the tail of the nautilus. "

I have seen the whole front of this submarine now. From the center of the ship to the front of the ship, the correct distinction of the first half is as follows: a five-meter-long restaurant, a partition, that is, a partition that can't let water penetrate, separates it from the library; A five-meter library; There is a second partition between the 10-meter-long living room and the captain's room; Five-meter-long captain's cabin; My room is two and a half meters long; Finally, there is a seven-and-a-half-meter-long cabin for storing air, near the bow. The first half is 35 meters long. Waterproof partitions have doors, and rubber plugs close the doors. Even if there are loopholes, the safety of Nautilus can be guaranteed.

I followed Captain Nemo through the narrow passage beside the boat and reached the middle of the boat. There is a well-shaped opening between two clapboards in the center of the ship. There is an iron ladder along the inner wall leading to the upper part of the well. I asked the captain what this ladder was for.

"It goes to the boat." He replied.

"what! Do you still have a boat? " I said with some surprise.

"Of course. A good boat, light and not afraid of sinking, can go sightseeing and fishing. "

"So when you want to get on the boat, do you have to float to the surface?"

"Don't need it. The boat was tied to the upper part of the Nautilus and put in a hole dedicated to hiding it. All ships are equipped with decks, which are completely watertight and fastened with solid screws. The iron ladder leads to an entrance of the Nautilus, next to a hole of the same size in the boat. I will go to the boat through these two holes. A man closed the hole door of the nautilus with a pressure screw, and I also closed the hole door of the boat; When I released the hinge pin, the ship floated to the surface at a high speed. So I opened the closed lid, erected the mast, pulled up the sail or paddled, and I wandered on the water.

"But how did you get back to the big ship?"

"Mr. Pierre Aronnax, it's not me going back, but the Nautilus coming back to me."

"Is this your order?"

"It listens to my command. A wire connects me to it. I just need to send a telegram! "

"Indeed," I said, intoxicated by these miracles. "Nothing is more convenient than this!"

I walked past the cage leading to the platform and saw a two-meter-long hut, Conseil and Ned? 6? Lan and his wife wolfed down their meals and had a good time.

Then, another door leads to the three-meter-long kitchen, which is in the middle of the spacious food storage room.

In the kitchen, all cooking work uses electricity, which is more effective and convenient than gas. The bottom of the furnace is connected with a wire, which transfers heat to the platinum sheet, and the heat is distributed everywhere, maintaining a certain and regular temperature. Electricity also heats the distiller, which can provide people with clean drinking water because of vaporization. Next to the kitchen is the bathroom, which is very comfortable. Indoor faucet can supply cold water or hot water according to your preference.

Next to the kitchen is the studio of the crew, which is five meters long. The door is closed and I can't see the internal layout, but I seem to think it depends on the number of people needed to fly the Nautilus.

Inside, the fourth waterproof board separates the studio from the machine. The door opened and I walked into a room. Captain Nemo (he is undoubtedly a first-class engineer) installed various machines in it to drive the ship.

This computer room is brightly lit and more than 20 meters long. The interior is naturally divided into two parts: the first part contains raw materials for producing electricity, and the second part contains machines for rotating hidden wheels.

I was not used to it as soon as I entered, because there was an unspeakable smell in the room.

Captain Nemo saw my expression and said, "This is the gas decomposed by sodium, which is the only fly in the ointment. We always let the boat out of the water once every morning to get rid of this gas. "

At this time, I studied the mechanical equipment of Nautilus with great interest.

"You see," Captain Nemo said to me, "I used Bunsen battery device, not lankov battery device. The latter is not strong. Bunsen burner battery device is simple, but it has strong power, which is proved by experience. The generated telex is transmitted to the back, so that a large area of electromagnet acts on the special mechanism composed of lever and gear teeth, rotating the shaft of propeller, and the whole ship moves. The propeller is six meters in diameter and the turbine is seven and a half meters in diameter, and it can turn 120 revolutions per second. "

(1) Reims (Ruhmkorff,1803-1877), German mechanical electrician.

"What is the maximum speed you can reach?"

"The speed can reach 50 knots."

There is a secret, but I don't insist on knowing it. How can electricity be so powerful? Where does this almost infinite power come from? Is this the high voltage caused by the new transformer? Or from a secret lever mechanism that can infinitely enhance ① rotation? This is a question that I can't understand.

Now people are talking about this invention, saying that the function of a new lever mechanism can generate important power. Does this inventor coincide with Captain Nemo?

"Captain Nemo," I said, "I see the facts before me, and I don't want to ask for an explanation of these facts. I saw the power of the nautilus moving in front of the Lincoln, and I knew its speed. But just making it move is not enough. We have to see where it's going! We also need to be able to command it to the left, right, up and down! How can you let it dive to the deepest seabed, because the underwater resistance is getting bigger and bigger, and it is tens of thousands of atmospheres? How can you let it float to the surface? Finally, how can we keep it at the depth you think is appropriate? Is it too presumptuous for me to ask you these questions? "

"With all due respect, professor," he replied after a little hesitation, "because you can't leave my submarine. Please come to the living room. The living room is our real studio, where you can know everything you should know about Nautilus! "