Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology-Chapter 1198: The Sangapathi engine (2)

Rakesh’s eyes widened. "Wow, it’s even more powerful than the Pragathi engine?" he exclaimed, unable to hide his shock.

Maha Sangapati, hearing the tone and seeing the director’s stunned expression, could not help but feel a quiet satisfaction in his heart. ’That’s right. My internal combustion engine is a whole new breed of power unit, an entire generation beyond the steam engine.’ He felt a surge of smug pride, but knowing that excessive pride was dangerous, he suppressed his excitement and simply nodded, maintaining a composed demeanour.

"Indeed, sir, it is more powerful than the Pragathi engine, and that is thanks to the way energy is generated. In the Pragathi engine, water is heated, and the steam produced is what drives the engine. On a second thought, this is true for steam engines in general. But anyway, the internal combustion engine I have developed uses a completely different method of generating power. Instead of heating water and transporting superheated steam to perform work, it relies on combustion, in simpler terms, the burning of fuel inside a chamber, to drive the piston at high speed and run the engine."

Rakesh knew that he had lost his composure a little, so he quickly calmed down and nodded with an approving look. "That does indeed sound more efficient, but you mentioned that it needs fuel to burn within the chamber, so I assume it is some sort of liquid?" He questioned, his look not hiding the curiosity. He had been quite busy recently handling the logistics for the war, so he did not have the chance to look into the details of the research project his majesty had taken a liking to.

Sangapati nodded. "It could be said it is a liquid, but it is not completely accurate."

"Hm?" Rakesh’s eyebrows rose. "Could it possibly be Coke mixed with oil?" This was the same fuel used for the turbines on the Maharaja Ramachandra Class battleships, so that was the conclusion he arrived at as soon as he heard that the fuel was not completely liquid. Still, he felt confused. If the fuel was burned directly inside the chamber, wouldn’t ash and soot accumulate too quickly and clog the entire engine? Not to mention, was the burning of coke, even when mixed with oil, really enough to power the engine?

Sangapati immediately shook his head. "No, your Excellency, you misunderstood. The fuel my internal combustion engine uses is not a semi-solid semi-liquid fuel, but a semi-liquid and a semi-gaseous fuel."

Looking at the director’s clueless expression, Sangapati thought about it and explained in simpler terms. "Usually, for a flame to burn, three things are required, making up the fire triangle. Number one, fuel, things like coal, coke, firewood, kerosene oil, and other flammable things. Number two, oxidiser, which is nothing but oxygen that is readily available in the air. And number three, heat, to set off the burning reaction."

"So in my internal combustion engine, the fuel and the oxidiser together are combined in a fine mixture to form a unique fuel mixture, which is the ’fuel’ used by the engine in literal terms."

Rakesh was left in thought, stroking his stubble, then he nodded. "I think I understand, so you’re saying it’s basically a mixture of liquid fuel and a gaseous substance, but ultimately, what is this liquid fuel?"

"It’s kerosene and a mixture of light petroleum distillate, Sir. But the potential for fuel is endless, really. Any liquid that has a lot of energy stored within it and can burn intensely has the potential to become the fuel of an internal combustion engine." Suddenly, a smile appeared on his face. "In fact, if I can work on a more powerful internal combustion engine, I’m confident that I can come up with an engine that is capable of powering a tractor or a car."

Rakesh was taken aback, but at the same time, he did not doubt the claim. After all, if the metal lump he is seeing in front of him could really achieve the performance the guy in front of him just promised, it is indeed feasible to produce an arrangement that is capable of being housed in cars, tractors, trucks, and other automobiles.

Rakesh could tell that this was a big deal, but...

His eyes immediately sharpened, catching Maha Sangapati a little off guard.

"You have put forward very enticing claims, Mr Sangapathi. If what you said is indeed the truth, then your invention might as well kick off the next era of transportation and automobiles, just as his majesty’s steam engine did all those years ago. But it is only under the prerequisite that whatever you said is the truth. So, Mr Mahasangapati, could you please demonstrate the working of your invention?"

Maha Sangapati could feel the seriousness in the director’s words, and he could even perceive the sudden shift of demeanour from an approachable superior to a stern military leader, so he didn’t dare to neglect the director’s request and immediately nodded.

"Of course I can. Please observe, your Excellency."

He quickly, in a few steps, arrived near the engine and immediately opened the lid of the fuel can and confirmed that there was ample fuel within the can. Then he checked the fuel line, making sure that there was no blockage and the fuel was flowing uninterrupted. The next thing he did was to make sure that there was no leakage at the place where the fuel line went into the chamber, and then he confirmed for the last time that the air inlet was also working properly.

After seeing that there was no problem, he nodded in satisfaction and walked to the other side of the engine.

"Please observe, your Excellency. This lever is connected directly to the crankshaft. Once I turn this, the piston goes through the four-stroke process manually until the first combustion happens. The energy from the combustion takes over the next cycle, where you will not need to rotate the crankshaft manually."

"The crankshaft is directly connected to a miniature dynamo. Whenever a cycle is completed, the dynamo generates a small spark. By the time the spark is produced, the fuel–air mixture is already inside the chamber, igniting precisely during the power stroke. Most importantly, every operation is synchronised with the rotation of the crankshaft."

After explaining the process, he no longer held back and turned the lever in a rotational motion as quickly as possible.

Rakesh waited with bated breath, and soon, as the lever began to turn, a few puffs of black smoke exited from the engine’s exhaust pipe. He did not know what to expect, so when he heard the odd sound, completely different from the familiar rumbling of a steam engine, he could not tell whether the startup had failed or not. Sangapati turned the lever a few more times, and the engine still did not seem to start. Rakesh was just about to ask if something was wrong when, in the very next moment, the speed at which the exhaust gases exited suddenly increased, and the sound, which had previously resembled a continuous fart, instantly transformed into the roar of a wild animal.

At this point, Sangapati had already removed the lever, and the engine started running on its own.

Rakesh walked forward in quick steps and observed the turning of a wheel that was attached to the engine, with a grin on his face.

"It really did succeed!" he couldn’t help but exclaim, and understanding what the success signified, the grin only became wider, and even his teeth began to show.

The engine ran for nearly an hour, and Rakesh, despite having a lot of work, did not divert his gaze and continued to observe the engine, becoming more excited as the time passed, and ultimately only calming down when the fuel was about to run out.

"How much fuel does it consume?"

"About 0.45 kilogrammes per hour for this prototype exactly, but if we add a function to increase the amount of air and fuel injected into the chamber, the fuel consumption naturally goes up."

Rakesh suddenly had an idea. "Can this engine be installed on a bicycle, replacing the Pragathi engine?"

Mahasangapati immediately felt excitement surging in his chest. "Technically, it is possible, but if the engine is going to be put on a motorcycle, it has to be polished, and some of its parameters should be modified in order to be installed on a cycle."

"How long will it take?"

Mahasangapati immediately wanted to say a few months, but a shrewd glint appeared in his eyes. "Your Excellency, can the location of the laboratory be changed? I’m really not able to adapt to the underground environment here."

"Impossible. Your project is rated SS. There can be no compromise in secrecy, not to mention that now that the prototype is manufactured, the rating probably reaches SSS. So it is really not feasible to shift the laboratory to other places."

Maha Sangapati was a little dejected. He was hoping that the director would agree in his happiness, but it looks like he was not that absent-minded after all. He could only let out a sigh and answer the original question. "With enough manpower, I can come up with a production prototype in a few months, and if the manufacturing plant is professional enough, the engineers should be able to set up the production plant in a few more months. Overall, by the end of the year, we could probably manufacture the Sangapati engine model I."

Rakesh thought about it and nodded. "Alright, go ahead. I’ll arrange the resources you need."

Bidding farewell to Maha Sangapati, Rakesh immediately set off to meet with His Highness Vedant Devaraya, who was temporarily handling the affairs of the royal family now that the emperor and the first prince were both overseas, personally participating in the war.