Balachandra was embarrassed but nodded. "Since it is a furnace that converts pig iron to steel, I have nad it Kabbina Converter, Your Majesty." In fact, he even thought about using his surna or his na directly to na the new technology, but in the end, he beca too embarrassed.
Vijay smiled. "Haha, it's a very straightforward na." (Kabbina = Iron)
Balachandra felt a little reluctant since he had co to like the na. Thankfully, he had nothing to worry about. "But it's simple and direct. I like it," Vijay declared loudly.
Moving closer to the Kabbina Converter, Vijay could tell that the heat had yet to reach sufficient levels. "Give a summary, Balachandra."
"Sure, Your Majesty. First, before the research started, like you suggested, I read up on the research paper on the oxidation of impurities in iron, and I imdiately contacted the student who had written the paper and directly recruited him as an intern researcher." Balachandra quickly pulled a boy over who was helping out in preparing the test.
"His na is Vasu Ramachari, Your Majesty. He has a very clever mind and is very talented in tallurgy."
Vijay looked at the boy and nodded in acknowledgent.
The boy was overwheld when he was brought in front of His Majesty. Thankfully, he was let go quickly. He greeted Vijay and ran away.
Balachandra laughed it off.
"The converter works on the principles of oxidation of impurities, exothermic reaction, removal of impurities, and enhanced combustion through blowing."
"It's made up of four basic parts: the outer shell, refractory lining, air inlet, and pivot chanism."
"The design is based upon cent mixers commonly used in construction."
'Dong!' 'Dong!'
"It has a capacity of 1.3 tonnes, Your Majesty, out of which over 85% is converted into steel, while the remaining is converted into slag."
"It operates at temperatures upward of 1350 Degrees Tāpans. The air blowing pressure required is about 60 to 100 psi, and each cycle takes over 20 minutes."
Vijay had a thoughtful look. "Is it scalable?"
"Definitely, Your Majesty," Balachandra nodded without hesitation. "The principle is very simple, and the working is not too complex. I am actually confident to build a converter of 20-tonne capacity, and if not for the material issues that would increase by increasing the volu, I would even promise to build a converter capable of producing more than 50 tonnes in one cycle."
'Bzzzzzzz'
'Grrrrrr'
The molten pig iron that had just been unloaded into the converter started to burn intensely with the entry of oxygen, so the carbon was oxidised, followed by silicon, magnesium, and finally phosphorus.
'Buss!'
The exothermic process created intense heat. Temperatures reached over 1200 degrees, and Vijay had to step back.
Soon, huge amounts of smoke began to leave the converter, and black substances started to float on top of the molten tal. It was a combination of silicon dioxide, manganese oxide, and phosphorus pentoxide.
Balachandra, who had completely ignored him and focused his entire attention on the fla, suddenly noticed the change in the colour of the fla. The fla used to be bright yellow in colour, but right now, it had dimd visibly to the naked eye.
"The carbon content has been reduced. Pour the tal."
The converter gradually began to tilt. Moulds were placed under it, and the freshly produced molten steel began to flow through the moulds, occupying every molecule in them.
Finally, the mould was removed, and a container was brought in to collect the slag as it was poured out.
Vijay didn't have to wait long to confirm that it was indeed steel in the mould.
He was overjoyed. The Bharatiya Empire finally had all the required pieces for an industrial revolution: it had a large economy, dical technology, chemical technology, tallurgical technology, scientific talents, a large market, huge resources, an environnt that fostered innovation, and everything else.
The only thing missing was the heart—the heart of the industrial revolution—the steam engine.
"Balachandra, you did an amazing job. Quickly contact Baskar Acharya and have him apply for the patents. Oh, and have you acquired the licence for the pivot chanism?"
"No, Your Majesty. Since it is only in the research phase, we didn't do anything with the intellectual property rights."
Vijay stroked his chin. "Alright, it doesn't matter. I'll inform Bhaskara Acharya to do it."
"In the anti, mass-produce the converters. The company will soon receive orders."
"Um, how many should we manufacture, Your Majesty, and at what output?"
Vijay thought for a while and replied, "Let's manufacture 1,000 units. As for the output, let it be 10 tonnes."
'Gulp!'
Balachandra nodded.
Vijay smiled in satisfaction and quickly set off.
"Where to, Your Majesty?" the driver asked.
A light of excitent and ambition burned in Vijay's eyes.
"To build the heart of industry!"
---
Hoysala
"Hey, pass the ball!" Nikolai scread at the top of his lungs.
The Bharatiya boy hesitated for a mont and did a cross. "Here!" Although he was reluctant, he still passed the ball since the white guy running in the midfield could really create wonders.
Nikolai no longer had the depression he had when the military training started. He slowly adapted to the school lifestyle of the Bharatiya Empire. Unconsciously, he started to even pick up local habits—like whenever he accidentally touched soone with his leg, he touched his chest. He started to avoid talking in a first-person perspective like a typical noble. He began to touch the ground before he arrived, he started to do the namaskara to the teachers and his classmates, and he even got into the habit of wearing a lungi.
In the beginning, he was very averse to wearing it since it was a single piece of cloth and nothing else. Being born in a country where people still used animal skins to keep warm, the lungi looked very unreliable to him. But he soon couldn't resist the temperature. When he reluctantly tried it, the coolness gave him supre comfort. The cool breeze flowing through his legs left him feeling free.
From that day onwards, if he was not in his official training uniform, he would be in a lungi.
Nikolai found out that the Bharatiyas were not so bad after all. They were just like him but raised in different cultures and places. A few tis, Nikolai and his Bharatiya friends tried to sneak into the girls' dormitory in a hostel a few hundred tres away, but unfortunately, they were always caught by the warden and greeted with a beating.
Nikolai was not the only one who integrated into the class. The majority of the Europeans did. The noble young masters, who wouldn't get up until the sun rose high in the sky, were now so of the first ones to get up and co to the field. The Bharatiya kids could no longer make fun of them. Additionally, the Slavs with their strong builds started to show their physical advantages.
They began to beco star players in physical gas like Kabaddi, rugby, and football. The Slavic Europeans, who could barely enter group gas with the Bharatiya kids, ended up becoming so of the most desirable players, bid on by so of the most popular teams in the school.
"Dong!" "Dong!"
With the ringing of the bell, all the kids on the field began to head back to the dormitory. Surprisingly, instead of the warden, the sergeant was waiting for them.
The kids didn't have to be told what to do; they voluntarily stood in equal rows at attention.
The sergeant, noticing that everyone had arrived, roared, "At ease!"
*Stomp!*
The sound of everyone stomping in unison left the walls reverberating.
"As of today, everyone's two-month military and physical courses will end. There will be a break for two days where you are free to do whatever you want. Starting Monday, your classes will begin."
"The syllabus will be announced on the first day of class. For now, each of you, collect your writing slate, two notebooks, and your uniform."
Sounds of exclamation were heard; however, due to the discipline instilled by the sergeant, they disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.
Nikolai was shocked. He knew he would eventually have to start his studies, but he did not think it would co so soon. *Haha, the first week I wished for this hell to end every day, but who would have thought this is actually heaven?* he lanted.
Soon, one by one, the kids started to collect their issued belongings. Monts later, it was Nikolai's turn. He was handed a slate along with a few sticks of so sort of white object, which he guessed were for writing, two whole books, which he handled carefully as he knew how expensive they were, and finally, a uniform.
Looking at the uniform, his expression was complicated. If he had seen the uniform two months ago, he would have thought it was too small for his size. But now, as a guy with six-pack abs, the uniform fit him perfectly.
"I wonder what awaits next!" he thought to himself as he left for his room.
P.S. In case I don't upload tomorrow I'm sorry, I haven't prepped to the xam yet, its a tough one
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