"Exactly, it can also be called an electric light."
Wu Liang screwed the brass base of the electric light into a threaded lamp holder, also made of brass.
Two wires were connected to the back of the lamp holder.
"Most of the air inside the bulb has been pumped out."
Wu Liang explained.
"And that thin black filament inside is tungsten wire."
"Why pump out the air?"
An Artisan asked, puzzled.
"Because in the air, anything that burns needs oxygen."
"Without air, this tungsten wire won't burn out when it heats up from the electricity; instead, it will emit light."
Wu Liang explained patiently.
He connected the two wires from the lamp holder to the two output terminals of the generator and carefully checked them once.
"Watch closely."
Wu Liang took a deep breath and gripped the generator's crank handle again.
Everyone subconsciously leaned forward, staring at the bulb without blinking.
Wu Liang began to slowly turn the crank.
One turn, two turns... the bulb didn't change at all.
Wu Liang gradually increased the rotation speed.
Suddenly, the tungsten wire in the bulb produced a faint light.
"It's lit!"
Someone in the crowd let out a very low exclamation.
The light filled the entire bulb, illuminating the faces of everyone around in a golden glow!
Everyone's mouths hung wide open.
"This is simply a miracle..."
Suina exclaimed.
"This isn't a miracle, this is science!"
"From today on, the Black Rock Tribe will no longer fear the dark of night!"
Wu Liang said.
"But hand-cranking is too inefficient."
Wu Liang pointed at the steam engine.
"We will use this to generate electricity!"
"What we're going to build is a factory! A thermal power plant!"
"Let's do it!"
Suina slammed a fist into her palm, making a dull thud.
"Wu Liang, you tell us how to do it, and we'll do it!"
"Good!" Wu Liang wanted exactly that drive from her.
He led everyone aside and spread a huge blueprint on the table.
On it was the sketch for the Black Rock Tribe's first thermal power plant, which he had planned long ago.
"First, we need a brand-new steam engine designed specifically for power generation." Wu Liang pointed to the core part of the blueprint.
"It doesn't need to provide massive impact force like a forging press, but it needs to provide long-term, stable, high-speed rotational power."
He explained the concepts of the flywheel, drive shaft, and governor in detail.
The governor in particular—this ingenious device that could automatically adjust the steam input based on the load—opened the eyes of Suina and the Artisans.
"Second is the generator itself."
Wu Liang pointed to another part of the blueprint.
"The hand-cranked one is just a toy."
"We need a big fellow, a behemoth composed of countless coils and massive electromagnets!"
He drew the basic structure of the generator: the stator, rotor, brushes... Although many details were simplified, the core principles were clearly displayed before everyone.
To help them understand better, Wu Liang even used mud and wood to mold a simple model on the spot.
He demonstrated how the rotor rotates within the stator, thereby cutting magnetic field lines to generate current.
"Finally, there's the boiler and the factory building."
There was a large framework on the blueprint.
"We need a sturdy house to accommodate these big guys, and a brand-new, more efficient boiler to provide a continuous stream of power."
The scale of this project was much larger than the previous construction of the Converter and steam forging press combined!
"I will personally supervise, and Suina will be in charge of overall coordination!"
Wu Liang's voice became serious.
After establishing the goal, the foundation for the power plant was excavated.
The Converter flames of the steel mill burned day and night, and furnace after furnace of molten steel was cast into massive mechanical components.
Huge electromagnets were manufactured, which involved a large amount of copper wire being wound neatly.
Wu Liang specially designed a simple winding machine for this, using a steam engine for power, which greatly improved efficiency.
At the same time, the logistics department managed by Florgloria and Lolia was also operating at full capacity.
They organized a specialized team to start producing light bulbs on a small scale with the help of Annia's Magic apprentices.
This was an extremely delicate task.
Blowing qualified glass shells and carefully installing the tiny tungsten filaments inside.
Then Annia would use magic to pump out the air inside, and finally, it would be sealed with special pine resin.
Soon, rows of brand-new light bulbs were carefully stored in the warehouse.
Another team, under the command of Eliza and Wei Xian, began to erect tall wooden poles along the Tribe's main roads and squares.
And according to Wu Liang's plan, bundles of copper wires wrapped in insulation and cotton-linen were pulled from the power plant under construction, extending in all directions of the Tribe.
The entire Black Rock Tribe was in a state of intense activity.
Three months later.
In the rear of the Tribe, a magnificent masonry factory building rose from the ground.
Seen from afar, a towering chimney pierced the clouds, becoming a conspicuous landmark of the Black Rock Tribe.
Inside the factory building, a massive machine stood on its base.
A huge flywheel and thick piston connecting rods gleamed with a metallic luster.
All pipes and lines had been connected.
The boiler had been filled with the highest quality anthracite coal, and the water tank was also full.
Suina stood before the massive boiler, holding a torch.
Wu Liang stood by her side, with all the Artisans who had participated in this project behind him.
"Ignite!"
Wu Liang gave the order.
Suina took a deep breath and tossed the torch into the boiler's furnace!
Boom!
The raging fire was instantly lit!
The fire burned fiercely in the furnace, and the water temperature in the boiler began to climb rapidly.
The atmosphere in the factory building was tense to the extreme; everyone held their breath, staring fixedly at the pressure gauge connected to the boiler.
That brass needle began to move upward slowly, yet steadily.
One tick, two ticks... when the needle crossed a red marking line, the Artisan guarding the valve immediately pulled the huge valve handle with a sudden motion, following the process they had rehearsed countless times!
"Ssss——"
High-pressure steam, like a wild beast breaking free, let out a sharp hiss and surged fiercely into the steam engine's cylinder through the thick pipe!
"Clang!"
A heavy sound of metal impacting rang out as the massive piston connecting rod was pushed violently, driving the huge flywheel with a diameter of over three meters to begin turning slowly.
"It's moving! It's moving!"
Uncontrollable exclamations erupted from the crowd.
Under the continuous push of the steam, the flywheel's rotation speed grew faster and faster.
Clang... clang... clang... that heavy and rhythmic sound, like the heartbeat of a steel giant, boomed in everyone's ears.
The floor of the factory building began to vibrate slightly, and the air was filled with the unique smell of engine oil and steam.
The steam engine steadily entered its preset working state, and the huge flywheel brought gusts of wind that made people's clothes flap loudly.
Through the drive shaft, this powerful rotational force was faithfully transmitted to that even larger generator.
The generator's rotor began to rotate at high speed accordingly, emitting a low hum.
Wu Liang walked to the main control panel, where there was a large knife switch.
He glanced at a test meter next to it connected to a small light bulb; the bulb was already glowing.
"Voltage stable!"
The Artisan responsible for monitoring reported loudly.
"Prepare to close the switch!"