Chapter 1307: Everything from Food and Clothing to Housing and Transportation is a Huge Industry
Joseph found himself not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
The steam engine had opened a door to a whole new world for everyone, and with it, all sorts of incredible inventions had emerged. Yet, as it turned out, most of them were simply misguided.
This was the necessary trial and error inherent in the path of technological exploration.
But now, with him, the "cheat," overseeing things, most of that trial and error could be skipped entirely.
"Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, I would like to show you the effect of this machine; it is truly very useful," a man in his thirties said, adding a few shovelfuls of coal to the steam engine and gesturing for his assistant to push over a cart of manure.
Carnot introduced, "Your Highness, this is Mr. Schramm, the inventor of the 'Urban Sanitation Compressor.'"
"Oh, there's no need," Joseph said, waving a hand at Schramm. "We need to plan urban sewage disposal..."
Even as he spoke, Schramm had already pulled down the lever. The pre-warmed steam engine spun rapidly, driving a thick threaded rod downward through a gearbox to push against a pressing plate.
A sickening squelch echoed from the iron container, and immediately, dark yellow liquid oozed from the gaps below. The surrounding stench intensified severalfold in an instant.
Just as he prepared to leave, he heard a distinct 'click,' signaling the end of the compression process.
Schramm swiftly loosened the clamps with a wrench, then directed his assistant to use a lever to lift the pressing plate, finally hoisting a 20-centimeter-thick "yellow cake" from the iron container.
The "yellow cake" landed on the ground with a thud. Just as Mirabeau had described, it was as hard as a wooden board.
Schramm continued to explain, "To help it solidify, a small amount of clay was mixed in..."
Joseph, already nauseated by the stench, regretted coming here. He hastily mumbled, "Thank you for the demonstration," and turned to make his escape.
But just as he reached the door, the "round wooden board" on the ground overlapped with something else in his mind.
He instinctively stopped and turned back.
Liquid was still dripping from beneath the iron container into a nearby collection bucket. Coupled with the "yellow cake," Joseph realized what it was: 'Soybean meal. Oil pressing.'
"Huh?" Mirabeau, Carnot, and the others all turned their heads.
Joseph recalled the mechanical pressing process from later eras and excitedly told Schramm, "You have truly invented something remarkable."
"If you put peanuts or soybeans into this iron container, you could very quickly press out most of their oil."
"The remaining residue could then be conveniently transported to the countryside to be fed to livestock as fodder."
Those present took a long time to grasp the concept; indeed, it was difficult to connect a manure press with oil extraction.
Carnot was the first to nod. "Yes, Your Highness, exactly! This machine can extract over ten kilograms of oil in less than a minute."
"Using traditional methods, that would take at least an hour."
Mirabeau immediately added, "And it presses more thoroughly."
Joseph then instructed Schramm, "Clean this place up immediately... No, actually, let's switch to a different workshop, and then build a new 'compressor.' Oh, from now on, it will be called an 'Oil Press.'"
"Also, increase the sealing and boost the pressure as much as possible."
"If you complete this exceptionally well, I will personally award you a 'Medal for Distinguished Service'!"
Indeed, mechanical oil pressing might seem insignificant, but it was actually an enormous industry, and its inventor was certainly qualified to receive France's highest medal in the field of public welfare.
While oil extraction had existed for thousands of years, both the pounding method and the rolling method could only be used for small-scale production.
This was because the oil extracted by these traditional methods was difficult to preserve for long periods.
Firstly, insufficient preheating of the raw materials meant that the extracted oil easily hydrolyzed and turned acidic. Steam pressing, however, allowed for arbitrary heating, and the high-pressure conditions naturally generated significant heat, ensuring stable oil quality.
Secondly, traditional pressing techniques struggled to eliminate impurities; large amounts of protein, sugars, and plant fiber fragments from the raw materials would mix into the oil, further accelerating spoilage. Steam pressing, in contrast, yielded almost pure oil, which was easy to preserve for extended periods.. rα. It ÑøβéЅ
Lastly, there was the pressing speed. Traditional pressing was slow, requiring the oil to be exposed to air for extended periods, leading to oxidation. Steam pressing was extremely quick, allowing the extracted oil to be immediately sealed and stored.
In summary, Schramm's machine transformed oil extraction into an industrial production process, and the resulting oil could be sold as a commodity to very distant places.
And of course, there was the immense cost advantage of steam pressing.
Moving forward, high-quality, inexpensive French olive oil and soybean oil would swiftly overcome all traditional oil mills, capturing the entire European edible oil market.
This industry could easily reach a scale of tens of millions of francs!
Furthermore, the widespread availability of inexpensive oil would significantly improve the living standards of the French populace, and even enhance their physical well-being.
Schramm's voice trembled with excitement as he bowed deeply. "Yes, Your Highness, I can assemble a new machine in just one month—no, half a month. I will certainly satisfy you!"
Joseph waited for him to change out of his stained clothes, then invited him to Carnot's office and instructed, "Oil pressing will also require a pulverizer. You can have Mr. Carnot provide you with one."
"Ideally, it should also be fitted with an automatic loading pulley system..."
By lunchtime, Schramm, with Carnot's assistance, had already finalized the plans for a complete set of steam oil pressing equipment.
Louis XVI sent someone to call Joseph for lunch. Mirabeau, walking behind Joseph, expressed great self-reproach: "Your Highness, as soon as I return, I will immediately re-evaluate all projects. I will certainly not allow an invention like the oil press to be overlooked again..."
Joseph waved a hand. "You can't be blamed for this. Most of the projects you canceled were correctly identified. Mr. Schramm's machine... is a special case."
As he spoke, he felt that something was still amiss.
Logically, the review of scientific research projects should be handled by specialized departments like a "Ministry of Science and Technology" or a "Natural Sciences Committee." However, France's scientific education system was managed by the church, which was why it had to be handed over to the Ministry of Industry.
But the Ministry of Industry itself had numerous responsibilities managing national industries, and at the same time, it lacked understanding of advanced technologies, necessitating reviews by professionals from universities.
Joseph narrowed his eyes. It seemed church reform could no longer be delayed. If they could reclaim the vast amounts of land held by the church, it would be even more beneficial for France's development.
He then recalled the Pope, whom he had left at Notre-Dame de Paris, and thought to himself, 'This might be a leverage point I can use.'
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