Chapter 247: Chapter 243
Since the parts were already in place, Perfikot naturally began leading the alchemists in the assembly of the Serpentine Shield Machine 1.0.
However, due to the current lack of appropriate engineering equipment in the Northern Territory, and some parts being too heavy, Perfikot had no choice but to enlist several White Bear Knights to don Steam Knight Armor to assist.
Admittedly, Steam Knights with hundreds of horsepower are exceptionally effective at these physical tasks, far surpassing the era’s cranes and similar engineering equipment.
So much so that an alchemist suggested to Perfikot to develop some non-weaponized versions of Steam Armor for engineering purposes in related fields.
Perfikot gladly accepted this suggestion, assigning the task to this alchemist, giving him an early model Steam Knight Armor without weapons, and authorizing him to recruit a research team for improvements.
Though the alchemist seemed somewhat anxious, he was extremely delighted to accept this commission.
For him, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if successful, he would at least gain fame if not fortune.
With a bit of luck, he might even receive a noble title from Perfikot.
Isn’t it true that among the current Pioneer Knights in the Northern Territory, Oliver was just an ordinary merchant, yet he won Perfikot’s favor and received the title of Pioneer Knight, now even becoming the Lord of Fjord Town, creating great envy among others.
Although there might be some cognitive biases involved, overall it’s not a problem; gaining Perfikot’s favor could indeed exchange for a noble title.
As for Perfikot, she didn’t mind using a few cost-effective noble titles to gain subordinates who satisfy her needs.
If someone could propose suggestions that she found constructive, Perfikot would be happy to give them an opportunity to showcase their abilities and talents.
Of course, more than these matters, Perfikot currently emphasizes completing her main work efficiently.
The assembly of the Serpentine Shield Machine 1.0 went smoothly; although its structure was considered complex for the era, it posed no difficulty for Perfikot and a group of alchemists who could earn the title of university professors. They quickly completed the assembly and conducted preliminary test runs.
"Count, currently the operation of the Serpentine Shield Machine 1.0 is normal, but the efficiency of the transmission mechanism is about 10% lower than the design expectations. The main issue is that lubrication and transmission have not reached the expected values," an alchemist reported to Perfikot, while lamenting, "It’s a pity the whaling business in the Northern Territory and the New Continent isn’t good, we can’t get whale oil, which is the best lubricant! The grease we’re using now is beef tallow, significantly less effective than whale oil.
However, we are attempting to optimize the transmission structure and gear ratio to make up for this deficiency."
Upon hearing this alchemist’s lament, Perfikot remembered that the lubricants used in this era were still primarily natural animal fats, and petroleum-derived synthetic lubricants had yet to appear in this era.
Accurately speaking, even the shadow of petrochemistry didn’t exist in this era.
Perfikot put down her work, removed her glasses, rubbed her forehead, and asked, "If we had whale oil, how much could the efficiency increase?"
"It is estimated that it could improve the current data by 15%! But the demand for whale oil is enormous, and the production capacity of the Old World cannot meet the needs of various countries! Our country’s whaling industry is not developed, and the Empire imports from the Four Northern Countries every year..." The alchemist explained, clearly knowledgeable about this topic.
But before he could finish, Perfikot interrupted him, asking, "I’m not concerned about that. I only want to know if whale oil is indispensable right now?"
Perfikot was not surprised by the need for whale oil as a lubricant.
In the early industrial era, oils were made from animal and vegetable oils, and after extensive experiments, whale and rapeseed oil were found to have better lubrication effects.
In the 19th century, as prices for rapeseed oil and other vegetable oils increased, whale oil became the industrial lubricant of choice.
In the original world, she had read a novel called "White Whale," which described in detail the 19th-century North American whaling industry.
The book elaborately portrayed all aspects of the whaling industry at the time, including the application range of whale oil, which was not only an excellent lubricant but also the best lamp oil, burning with the fragrance of oil and without unpleasant odors, smoke, or residues.
Its industrial applications were even more extensive, useful in steelmaking, tanning, and lubrication, among many other fields. After hydrogenation, it could be used as raw material for food and the manufacture of soap and candles.
It could be said that before petrochemical refining derived non-animal oils, humanity’s industry was fundamentally dependent on this excellent oil.
Moreover, the whaling industry was also the first globally industrialized industry in human history.
Perfikot clearly remembered investigating after reading "White Whale" and discovering that the whaling industry on the American Continent was extremely developed, even one of the five economic pillars of the United States when it was founded, providing the first pot of gold for its establishment.
During the United States’ Gilded Age in the 19th century, the wealthiest woman, Heidi Green, accumulated enormous wealth through her family’s whaling fleet, amassing over a billion dollars by that era.
And New Bedford City, Massachusetts, where Heidi Green rose to prominence, was the largest whaling industry center in North America at the time, with many whaling ships docking there daily and quickly selling vast quantities of oil extracted from whale carcasses for immense profits.
At that time, the income from catching a whale for each crew member was equivalent to half a year’s wages for a land worker.
There were even women disguised as men to work on the ships, and many girls dreamed of marrying a whaling ship captain.
In some ways, whalers had become an embodiment of light, and the whaling industry had become one of the most respected professions.
The author of "White Whale," Herman Melville, wrote of New Bedford, "There is no place in America with as many aristocratic residences, parks, and gardens as here," a luxury "fished from the sea bottom."
Around 1846, nearly half of all fishing vessels in America engaged in whaling, and of the world’s 900 whaling ships, 735 were American.
In the 20th century alone, humans killed at least 2.8 million whales, a figure that would have been more exaggerated in the 19th century before the development of the petrochemical industry.
However, for Perfikot now, what she cares about is whether whale oil is a necessity; as for what consequences this might bring, it’s not within her scope of consideration.