Chapter 38: Distributed Power Mode

"Quite an extraordinary child, to think so deeply at such a young age." Su Handong was surprised, but he couldn't help but become deeply interested in the Fang family's educational methods. How did an ordinary family in a small town raise such a child? Although Fang Mingyuan often cited what he read in books and what his teachers said, Su Handong valued more the way Fang Mingyuan thought about problems, completely unbound by conventional constraints, often making leaps in his thinking. These leaps in thought provided him with many insights. With these insights and the abundant materials at his disposal, Su Handong was confident he could write a report that would impress the Minister of Railways and the national leadership.

Fang Mingyuan's emphasis on converting the level crossing to an overpass, even using the example of American railways, ultimately aimed to ensure that this work would be given importance from the very beginning of the railway speed-up project, setting a precedent. This way, whether it was the renovation of existing lines or the construction of new ones, the builders would have to consider this work, forming a virtuous cycle. Su Handong was well aware of the working style of people in the country. Cutting corners and dragging their feet were nothing new. If he didn't emphasize this issue enough in his report, it might be delayed for a long time before it was even considered.

"Enough, enough. I've benefited from this child, so how can I refuse his small request?"

"Moreover, Grandpa Su, why do our trains have to be pulled by the locomotive? If each carriage could provide power, wouldn't the speed be easier to increase? I know it might be difficult for steam locomotives, but what about electric locomotives? If each carriage had an electric motor, wouldn't that be quite feasible?" Fang Mingyuan bit his finger, feigning innocence as he asked.

In his previous life, he had read about the Shinkansen, which used a distributed power system rather than the common locomotive traction. The common locomotive traction relies on the power of the locomotive to pull the entire train, using a small number of drive wheels to move the entire train. To effectively utilize the locomotive's traction power and prevent wheel slippage, a large weight is added to the locomotive, increasing the pressure on the track and raising the cost of railway construction and maintenance.

In contrast, the distributed power mode involves installing drive units—usually electric motors—on the wheels of each carriage, distributing the train's power across all carriages. This way, each carriage's axles can serve as the drive, eliminating the need for a heavy locomotive. This significantly reduces the weight of the carriages, making it easier to accelerate and decelerate, and allowing for smoother travel on steep gradients. It also reduces noise and vibration, enhancing travel comfort. Additionally, by reducing the pressure on the track, it lowers construction costs and improves economic efficiency. Even during braking, the kinetic energy of the train can be converted back into electrical energy, saving energy.

Su Handong was even more impressed. He had only become aware of this technology after learning about Fang Mingyuan's conversation with Su Aijun and researching the latest related materials at the ministry. The distributed power mode Fang Mingyuan mentioned was precisely the power mode used by Japan's Shinkansen high-speed railways. Due to this mode, Japanese Shinkansen trains have very responsive acceleration and deceleration, allowing for a five-minute interval between trains without the risk of collisions. Moreover, the carriages are about 10% lighter than those in China. In contrast, France's TGV high-speed trains, which use a power-concentrated design with locomotives at the front and rear, experience more significant swaying during travel and slower acceleration and deceleration, making it impossible to run trains at five-minute intervals like the Shinkansen.

"Can you tell me how you came up with this idea?" Su Handong asked with a smile.

"What's so strange about it?" Fang Mingyuan's mind raced, and he quickly had an idea. "Grandpa Su, I heard from my teacher that many military jeeps have all four wheels providing power, right?"

Su Handong nodded. Jeeps are four-wheel drive, which is not a new concept, dating back to the jeeps used by the U.S. military during World War II. But what does this have to do with distributed power?

"Teacher said that ordinary cars are powered by the rear wheels, but jeeps are better suited for off-road driving, with faster and more agile acceleration and turning, and higher load capacity, all because all four wheels provide power. I thought, if trains have so many wheels, and if each wheel could provide power like a jeep, wouldn't the train go faster?" Fang Mingyuan blinked.

"..." Su Handong and Su Aijun looked at each other, speechless. They had never heard anyone explain the inspiration for the distributed power mode in this way.

At that moment, the living room door suddenly opened, and a girl poked her head in. "Grandpa, Grandma wants me to call you down for dinner!"

PS: Many friends have asked, if the protagonist is a resource tycoon, where are the resources? Why haven't they appeared after nearly 100,000 words? Some friends have even pointed out that trying to become a resource tycoon in China is a death wish. I can only say that you are confusing resources with energy.

Resources are the general term for all material elements, including natural and social resources. Natural resources include sunlight, air, water, land, forests, grasslands, animals, and minerals. Social resources include human resources, information resources, and various material wealth created through labor. These can all be called resources.

Energy, on the other hand, has about 20 definitions. For example, the "Encyclopedia of Science and Technology" states: "Energy is a resource from which heat, light, and power can be obtained"; the "Encyclopedia Britannica" states: "Energy is a term that includes all fuels, flowing water, sunlight, and wind, which humans can convert to provide the energy they need"; the "Japanese Encyclopedia" states: "In various production activities, we use thermal energy, mechanical energy, light energy, and electrical energy to do work, and the various carriers in nature that can be used as sources of these energies are called energy"; the "Encyclopedia of Energy" in China states: "Energy is a resource that can directly or after conversion provide humans with any form of energy, such as light, heat, and power." In short, energy is a source of various forms of energy that can be converted into each other. Simply put, energy is a natural resource that can provide humans with a certain form of energy.

Therefore, resources include energy, but energy is only a part of resources.

Although the protagonist was in the geological exploration industry in his previous life and is familiar with the distribution of mineral resources in the country, he naturally knows many mineral deposits that were discovered later. However, he is only seven years old, with no power, money, or influence. Attempting to get involved in energy now would be a death wish, and even in a fictional story, it would be hard to find a logical basis. Would people want to read such a story? And as some friends have pointed out, it's best not to get involved in energy in China. So, I can only say that mineral resources will definitely play a role, but not now. And why limit it to China?

As for resources, the protagonist is already utilizing them, as information is also a resource. Because he has experienced his previous life, he knows that there will be a crackdown in 1983, that monkey stamps will increase in value, that trains will speed up, that house prices will rise, and that the first stock buyers were all wealthy. He also knows that university will start charging tuition!

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