True, but since the modern era will come much sooner, it is also very likely that the "clean" technologies will come much sooner too.
It is also very likely that space mining/colonization come much sooner as compared to OTL.
Ex Oriente Lux: An industrialized China
- Thread starter ComradeHuxley
- Start date
True, but since the modern era will come much sooner, it is also very likely that the "clean" technologies will come much sooner too.
It is also very likely that space mining/colonization come much sooner as compared to OTL.
ComradeHuxley
Donor
Forging Ahead
The Daifeng engine was a/the key piece in the industrialization of China, however it took quiet a while for people to actually understand its usefulness. For many decades, engines were build by artisans for the entertainment and comfort of wealthy landlords and higher bureaucrats. Only when all the right factors came together in the Shaxi industrial-agricultural boom the potential of the engine, to almost literally power the world was realized.
As a consequence of the oil/gas/coal boom lighting up the Middle Kingdom's cities the steel producing industry in northern China, in the aforementioned Shanxi region boomed. This development was fueled by bituminous coke which could partially replace charcoal made from burned wood. This became necessary due to the rapid deforestation that marked the early Song China's rise. More importantly was the discovery of a a method of repeated forging of cast iron under a cold blast, first officially described by Shen Kuo in 1088 (1).
The fundamental factor enabling such a technology was laid as early as the 1st century CE, as witnessed by the contemporary Du Sh. He was an governmental Prefect of Nanyang in 31 AD on behalf of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Du Shi is credited with being the first to apply hydraulic power (i.e. a waterwheel) to operate bellows (air-blowing device) in metallurgy. His invention was used to operate piston-bellows of the blast furnace and then cupola furnace in order to forge cast iron, which had been known in China since the 6th century BC.
The importance of this purification process can't be overstated. The high quality metal allowed for the engine to run at very high temperatures to maximize power and efficiency. Thus if one was inclined to build a bigger, stronger model it had quiet some power output. Aside from some more exotic uses like very large fans or elaborate mechanical theater constructed as one off inventions for the royal palace, the first actual industrial use was close to the actual producer.
Once it was build, a big version of the Daifeng engine allowed piston-bellow equipped forges to be placed and operated independently from any river. This in itself was however not a particularly ground breaking advantage. The engines really began to shine when they were utilized by the innovative thinker and governor Yu Youjun to kickstart an agricultural revolution in his province.
So far peasants had struggled tilling on the theoretically fertile loess plateau of Shanxi, paying exorbitant amounts to human water carriers. These middle man proved to be a bottleneck, hindering Shanxi's rich fields to reach their full potential.
A visionary and man of enlightened self interest Youjun order the construction of a sophisticated, pumping system powered by big, high temperature Daifeng engines. Although not super reliable, they nevertheless proved to be economical enough. The irrigaton network was responsible for filling the the province treasury and subsequently Youjun's private coffers. Once a larger scale production of the engines began, experience in constructing, improving and repairing them was accumulated. Soon Shanxi's engineers became world renown for their high power engines. The province became the starting point for the slow but steady march of pogress. The knowlegde of these enignes spread trough China and the world during the next century. They could be used to power all kinds of mechanical apparatus, slowly replacing animals and humans as beast of burden. They were however not yet ready to compete with hydro-powered devices. The most famous use in this era of industrial pioneers was undoubtedly the rather spectacle use of engines in maritime warfare. As China's new and glorious wheeled ship fleet “sailed” into the world it spread the gospel of the piston (2).
Notes and Sources
Since their seems to still be interest in the topic and nobody else is currently writing a Song timeline I decided to finish this one. It will probably end in the next two updates with the final chapter "EX ORIENTE LUX" which will explain the choice of the title..
(1) Comparable to the modern Bessemer process and completely OTL.
(2) Again OTL except for the invention of the Stirling/Daifeng Engine
POD for Shanxi water pumps suggested by EternalCycinic in the the industrialized Ming thread
Wikipedia: Du Shi and Chinese metallurgy
The Daifeng engine was a/the key piece in the industrialization of China, however it took quiet a while for people to actually understand its usefulness. For many decades, engines were build by artisans for the entertainment and comfort of wealthy landlords and higher bureaucrats. Only when all the right factors came together in the Shaxi industrial-agricultural boom the potential of the engine, to almost literally power the world was realized.
As a consequence of the oil/gas/coal boom lighting up the Middle Kingdom's cities the steel producing industry in northern China, in the aforementioned Shanxi region boomed. This development was fueled by bituminous coke which could partially replace charcoal made from burned wood. This became necessary due to the rapid deforestation that marked the early Song China's rise. More importantly was the discovery of a a method of repeated forging of cast iron under a cold blast, first officially described by Shen Kuo in 1088 (1).
The fundamental factor enabling such a technology was laid as early as the 1st century CE, as witnessed by the contemporary Du Sh. He was an governmental Prefect of Nanyang in 31 AD on behalf of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Du Shi is credited with being the first to apply hydraulic power (i.e. a waterwheel) to operate bellows (air-blowing device) in metallurgy. His invention was used to operate piston-bellows of the blast furnace and then cupola furnace in order to forge cast iron, which had been known in China since the 6th century BC.
The importance of this purification process can't be overstated. The high quality metal allowed for the engine to run at very high temperatures to maximize power and efficiency. Thus if one was inclined to build a bigger, stronger model it had quiet some power output. Aside from some more exotic uses like very large fans or elaborate mechanical theater constructed as one off inventions for the royal palace, the first actual industrial use was close to the actual producer.
Once it was build, a big version of the Daifeng engine allowed piston-bellow equipped forges to be placed and operated independently from any river. This in itself was however not a particularly ground breaking advantage. The engines really began to shine when they were utilized by the innovative thinker and governor Yu Youjun to kickstart an agricultural revolution in his province.
So far peasants had struggled tilling on the theoretically fertile loess plateau of Shanxi, paying exorbitant amounts to human water carriers. These middle man proved to be a bottleneck, hindering Shanxi's rich fields to reach their full potential.
A visionary and man of enlightened self interest Youjun order the construction of a sophisticated, pumping system powered by big, high temperature Daifeng engines. Although not super reliable, they nevertheless proved to be economical enough. The irrigaton network was responsible for filling the the province treasury and subsequently Youjun's private coffers. Once a larger scale production of the engines began, experience in constructing, improving and repairing them was accumulated. Soon Shanxi's engineers became world renown for their high power engines. The province became the starting point for the slow but steady march of pogress. The knowlegde of these enignes spread trough China and the world during the next century. They could be used to power all kinds of mechanical apparatus, slowly replacing animals and humans as beast of burden. They were however not yet ready to compete with hydro-powered devices. The most famous use in this era of industrial pioneers was undoubtedly the rather spectacle use of engines in maritime warfare. As China's new and glorious wheeled ship fleet “sailed” into the world it spread the gospel of the piston (2).
Notes and Sources
Since their seems to still be interest in the topic and nobody else is currently writing a Song timeline I decided to finish this one. It will probably end in the next two updates with the final chapter "EX ORIENTE LUX" which will explain the choice of the title..
(1) Comparable to the modern Bessemer process and completely OTL.
(2) Again OTL except for the invention of the Stirling/Daifeng Engine
POD for Shanxi water pumps suggested by EternalCycinic in the the industrialized Ming thread
Wikipedia: Du Shi and Chinese metallurgy
Last edited:
ComradeHuxley
Donor
It's back!
Well, you reminding me of this timeline might have something to with this
.Well, you reminding me of this timeline might have something to with this
Well, I certainly don't regret that decision.
Well, I certainly don't regret that decision.
Thank you for that, I'm glad to read more in this fascinating timeline.
ComradeHuxley
Donor
I am very happy that you enjoy this little timeline. As I mentioned previously this is mostly a proof of concept timeline on the topic how a uniqly Chinese industrialization might look like. Sadly, that means that means that I don't have any idea or wish to continue beyond writting an hopefully statisying ending. If anybody more qualified wants to write something in a similar vain I would be happy to offer them my ideas as a basis.
ComradeHuxley
Donor
The Thousand League Fleet
While Daifang engines became ubiquitous in households and factories, relieving man and beast alike, the driving force behind this development was actually shipping and warfare. In order for the technology to really mature, heavy investments were necessary.
Obviously the time between putting money into research, building production sites and profits was too much for most private enterprises to consider. Luckily soon enough military and logistical uses for the invention were found. Thus the state could stem the financial burden of making these early engines sufficiently efficient and building up the capacities for mass production.
The background of the story began in between 420-581. During that period the world’s first paddle wheel ship was build. The ships were used by Admiral Wang Zhene in his campaign against theQiang people in 418 AD. A wheel with boards or paddles affixed around its circumference, instead of the oars, was used to propel the ship. The use of a constantly moving device, rather than an intermittent device, signified a critical technological improvement in shipbuilding.
Song Wheeled Ship (1)
By the time of the Song Dynasty, powder and ships had become two of the most important military weapon. Historical records show that General Han Shizhong defeated the enemy largely due to the use of paddle wheel ships in the famous Huangtiandang Battle. Another record shows that Yu Yuwen's paddle wheel ships once "startled and astonished" the enemy troops. With the improvement of the shipbuilding technology, the number of paddle wheels also increased from 2 to 4, 8, 20, or even 32.
The standard Chinese term "wheel ship" was used by the Song period, whereas a litany of colorful terms were used to describe it beforehand. In the 12th century, the Song government used paddle-wheel ships en masse to defeat opposing armies of pirates armed with their own paddle-wheel ships. Obviously the Daifeng engine was just the missing piece to make China’s truly invincible. And once the government operated factories were churning out engines like rice cake, it became lucrative to privatize faculties in peace times. Once the country was flooded in cheap engines, a surplus of engineers as set free, nothing could turn back the tide of industrialization.
Notes and Sources
(1) ioacs.org
The next update, whenever it will happen is going to end the timeline.
Jessie: The Paddle Wheel Ship.
http://www1.chinaculture.org
wikipedia: paddle steamer
While Daifang engines became ubiquitous in households and factories, relieving man and beast alike, the driving force behind this development was actually shipping and warfare. In order for the technology to really mature, heavy investments were necessary.
Obviously the time between putting money into research, building production sites and profits was too much for most private enterprises to consider. Luckily soon enough military and logistical uses for the invention were found. Thus the state could stem the financial burden of making these early engines sufficiently efficient and building up the capacities for mass production.
The background of the story began in between 420-581. During that period the world’s first paddle wheel ship was build. The ships were used by Admiral Wang Zhene in his campaign against theQiang people in 418 AD. A wheel with boards or paddles affixed around its circumference, instead of the oars, was used to propel the ship. The use of a constantly moving device, rather than an intermittent device, signified a critical technological improvement in shipbuilding.
Song Wheeled Ship (1)
By the time of the Song Dynasty, powder and ships had become two of the most important military weapon. Historical records show that General Han Shizhong defeated the enemy largely due to the use of paddle wheel ships in the famous Huangtiandang Battle. Another record shows that Yu Yuwen's paddle wheel ships once "startled and astonished" the enemy troops. With the improvement of the shipbuilding technology, the number of paddle wheels also increased from 2 to 4, 8, 20, or even 32.
The standard Chinese term "wheel ship" was used by the Song period, whereas a litany of colorful terms were used to describe it beforehand. In the 12th century, the Song government used paddle-wheel ships en masse to defeat opposing armies of pirates armed with their own paddle-wheel ships. Obviously the Daifeng engine was just the missing piece to make China’s truly invincible. And once the government operated factories were churning out engines like rice cake, it became lucrative to privatize faculties in peace times. Once the country was flooded in cheap engines, a surplus of engineers as set free, nothing could turn back the tide of industrialization.
Notes and Sources
(1) ioacs.org
The next update, whenever it will happen is going to end the timeline.
Jessie: The Paddle Wheel Ship.
http://www1.chinaculture.org
wikipedia: paddle steamer
A history of civilisation based on drillin'. As an old roughneck, count me in.
Sink some pipe!
