Super Island Tycoon

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Super-cavitating Propeller!

Angel Beach Resort Special Zone, Fira Beach Hotel.

Open-air rooftop, an infinity pool.

Jiang Cheng swam comfortably back and forth several times in the pool, then floated to the surface and lay back on the beach chair.

He casually picked up the coconut juice next to him and took several big gulps.

Immediately after, Jiang Cheng took out his phone and opened the Island Tycoon APP.

The successful promotion of Flying Cars brought the valuation of Jade Island directly past the USD 300 billion mark!

And Jiang Cheng’s Island Master level also reached Lv3.

As a result, all the system’s building sections and other modules were unlocked, making Jiang Cheng very excited.

However, at this moment, Jiang Cheng did not care about the other modules but instead focused on the suddenly appearing Black Technology Store.

The Black Technology Store, true to its name, was filled with technologies or products that current human knowledge and scientific level couldn’t achieve. Any one of them could cause a worldwide sensation.

But in the system store at this time, there were only a few scant technologies and products, including the ”Zombie” Internet of Things, ”Slug” super glue, Artificial Intelligence, and so on.

Jiang Cheng casually browsed through them and didn’t find them very interesting, so he focused on the last product.

Super-cavitating Propeller!

Seeing this, Jiang Cheng’s eyes lit up like spotlights.

He had actually heard about this technology long ago, but it always existed in the realm of science fiction. Although some developed countries were researching it, there was still a long way to go before it could be truly put into practice.

The so-called ”supercavitation” is actually a physical phenomenon.

When an object’s speed in water exceeds 185 km/h, a peculiar large steam pocket forms at its tail, enveloping the part of the object in contact with water. At this moment, the medium in contact with the object changes from water to steam, thus greatly reducing resistance to only 1/800th of water. This is called the ”supercavitation phenomenon.”

There are generally three ways to form ”supercavitation.”

First, increase the speed of the vessel.

Second, reduce the pressure in the flow field.

Third, in low-speed situations, use artificial ventilation to increase the internal pressure of the cavity.

The first two methods result in natural supercavitation, which is extremely hard to achieve. Only the last method is feasible for human capability.

The ”supercavitation technology” uses the third method to artificially release gas around an object moving in water, significantly reducing its resistance to movement.

Theoretically, torpedoes made using supercavitation technology can achieve terrifying underwater speeds of up to 1549 m/s, even surpassing three times the speed of sound in standard conditions!

This is downright monstrous!

Imagine, if we vigorously develop and manufacture such supercavitating torpedoes, what in the world could intercept underwater torpedo attacks?!

This technology is unquestionably the ultimate nightmare for all objects moving on and under water!

Of course, this is theoretical, and there are significant technical challenges, so it has not yet been put into practice.

However, it can be considered a development goal and the future direction of ships.

Water resistance has always been the biggest obstacle restricting the development of the shipping industry.

And supercavitation technology allows people to see the bright future; solving this problem would significantly aid the development of the shipping industry, possibly even overrunning aviation.

This technology holds astonishing development prospects behind it.

The passionate glow in Jiang Cheng’s eyes suggested he felt his chance to soar had come.

The applications for supercavitation technology are incredibly broad, including a variety of ships, vessels, and underwater equipment. If he could bring this technology into practice, he might even change the world to some extent!

With this in mind, Jiang Cheng couldn’t wait any longer and clicked on the introduction of the Super-cavitating Propeller, then began to browse.

It took a good ten minutes before Jiang Cheng looked away.

There’s no denying, the Super-cavitating Propeller really counts as an exceptionally monstrous piece of black technology.

According to the introduction, this product can be directly applied to existing ships, greatly enhancing their movement speed. Of course, some adjustments to the propulsion system and operating system are needed, which would significantly increase the cost of the ship.

Yet even so, Jiang Cheng was very satisfied.

Know that in modern shipbuilding, the hardest technical index to improve is cruising speed.

Of course, this is related to the ship’s engine industry to some extent, but more importantly, it’s about reducing underwater resistance.

So, in shipbuilding industry today, to improve cruising speed, most methods are focused on reducing the ship’s weight by developing lightweight composite materials to lessen underwater drag, thus raising speed.

However, using such methods to increase speed is extremely limited in effect, and the cost is not low.

The advent of the Super-cavitating Propeller effectively solves this problem by offering a revolutionary technology for modern shipbuilding.

With a light touch, Jiang Cheng displayed the three-dimensional model of the Super-cavitating Propeller, along with a series of related technical parameters.

The Super-cavitating Propeller in sight is a massive spindle-shaped structure with a long protruding nozzle at the head and a deep black coating on the surface, giving it a very sci-fi feel.

[Name]: Super-cavitating Propeller

[Nature]: Ship exclusive

[Maximum speed]: 142 knots

[Cost]: USD 19.5 million

[Time]: None

[Evaluation]: First-generation concept supercavitating propeller, core of the future ship propulsion system.

Seeing the cost of the Super-cavitating Propeller, Jiang Cheng smacked his lips, feeling a wave of shock.

Needless to say, the cost of the Super-cavitating Propeller is exceedingly high.

As far as he knows, the cost of a regular transport ship is about USD 30 million to 50 million, while only super-large LNG transport ships cost over USD 100 million.

Yet, the cost of this propeller alone is nearly USD 20 million, not to mention the associated propulsion and operating systems.

It seems that this so-called black technology isn’t just handed out for free.

If in the future Jiang Cheng’s shipbuilding yard applies this technology, the cost of ships would at least double.

However, if twice the cost could yield more than three times the speed, it seems totally worth it.

When Jiang Cheng’s gaze fell upon the speed of the Super-cavitating Propeller, his eyes immediately showed a look of excitement.

In modern shipbuilding, improving speed by even 1 knot is difficult, but the Super-cavitating Propeller can reach 142 knots—this truly seems like a miracle!

knots is equivalent to 263 km/h, a speed almost comparable to land-based high-speed trains!