ebookland Chapter 1127
Chapter 1127
Inside the mothership's command center, the metal bulkheads reflected a layer of anxious light from the 46° seawater outside the windows.
The air conditioning system was running at full capacity, but it still couldn't mask the stuffy atmosphere in the air.
Captain Chen stood in front of the main control console, gazing out at the main island.
He had just finished inspecting the construction area on the island, his combat boots, stained with sea salt, leaving faint marks on the floor.
Inside the command center, fourteen high-ranking officials sat around an oval conference table, their faces as somber as the sea outside.
"Tell us all," Captain Chen turned around, his voice hoarse but deep. "We can't hide the truth about the seawater temperature for long. Ordinary survivors might not think of this, but we can't afford to be oblivious."
His gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on Old Lin, the maintenance team leader of the mothership: "Old Lin, you've been leading your team in the maintenance of the mothership's hull. Tell me, how much longer can the hulls of the mothership and those civilian ships hold up?"
Old Lin shook his head: "Captain, everyone, according to yesterday's measurements, the surface seawater temperature has stabilized at 46°C, which is 1.2°C higher than before. This rate of warming has exceeded our initial estimates."
He paused, then continued, "Let's talk about the ordinary ships first. Most of them are civilian cargo ships and cruise ships from before the apocalypse. The hulls of these ships are mainly made of ordinary carbon steel, and the welding is done using conventional processes. The insulation layer is mostly polyurethane foam. It is estimated that the maximum temperature that these ships can withstand is 50°C. Once this threshold is exceeded, the first problem to occur will be the hull structure."
"In high-temperature seawater, the corrosion rate of carbon steel increases exponentially. For every 10°C increase, the corrosion rate almost doubles. More critically, there is the issue of strength. At a water temperature of 46°C, the strength of the ship's steel structure has already decreased by 15%. Currently, micro-cracks have appeared at the stress concentration points of the welds. Yesterday, we found a total of 17 micro-cracks on the bottom of three civilian ships, the longest of which is 3 centimeters. If the temperature rises further, these cracks will expand rapidly, and within a week, the hull may leak."
The atmosphere inside was somber as people faced the stark reality of the data.
Old Lin looked up, his eyes filled with helplessness: "And then there's the insulation layer. Polyurethane foam starts to soften and deform above 50°C, and its thermal conductivity increases dramatically. At that point, the temperature inside the cabin will skyrocket like a rocket, and even with homemade ventilation equipment, it can only be maintained above 60°C. Delicate electronic equipment will also be damaged, and the risk of short circuits will increase at least threefold."
"What about the propulsion system?" Captain Ma couldn't help but interject, his voice booming but tinged with anxiety: "Can the diesel engines on those ships hold up?"
“It can’t withstand it.” Old Lin shook his head, his tone resolute: “The maximum operating temperature of the diesel engine room is 55°C. Several ships have already reported that the engine room temperature often exceeds 50°C, resulting in a 20% drop in power output and frequent engine shutdowns. Once the seawater temperature exceeds 50°C, the engine room temperature will quickly exceed the critical value, at which point the power systems of all civilian ships will be paralyzed.”
Without motivation, one is nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter in this vast, scorching sea.
A brief silence fell over the command cabin, broken only by the hum of the air conditioning and the sound of waves crashing against the ship's side outside the window.
Captain Chen's eyes were sharp: "So, in other words, time is running out for those ordinary ships?"
"At most half a month." Lin Feng gave a harsh answer: "If the rate of warming does not change, the seawater temperature may exceed 50°C within half a month. At that time, most civilian ships will be scrapped, either because they disintegrate and sink, or because they are paralyzed by power and swept away by ocean currents."
Captain Chen frowned even more as he walked to the porthole and gazed at the scattered civilian ships on the distant sea.
"What about our mothership?" another high-ranking officer asked. "The mothership is a military-grade modified ship; it should be able to withstand higher temperatures, right?"
Old Lin sighed and continued, "The mothership is indeed in a better condition, but not by much. Our hull is made of corrosion-resistant alloy steel, and the insulation layer is a composite structure of ceramic wool and rock wool, which can theoretically withstand temperatures between 70-80°C. But this is only in an ideal state. After so many years in the apocalypse, we lack professional maintenance equipment, and the hull has aged to varying degrees, with the anti-corrosion coating in some areas peeling off."
"Based on simulations and calculations conducted in collaboration with researchers, the actual tolerance limit of the mothership should be around 75°C."
“Once the temperature exceeds this level, the ceramic-based composite pipes in the hull will begin to corrode and leak. Even more dangerous is that the steam turbines in the engine room will experience lubrication failure due to the high temperature. Even if the emergency cooling system is activated, it can only delay the failure, not completely prevent it.”
"Moreover, high temperatures accelerate the fatigue of the ship's metal. The paint on the deck will soften and peel off, leaving the ship's equipment unprotected. Over time, the ship's structure will gradually collapse. At that point, even if you want to repair it, there won't be enough materials and equipment, and the damage will be irreversible."
Captain Chen listened to the report and looked out the window.
At this moment, on the main island and a nearby small island, hundreds of survivors are busy under the scorching sun.
The alloy steel reflected a dazzling light under the sun, and the sparks generated during welding fell onto the scorching ground and were extinguished instantly.
Is it really a choice between the two?
Abandon the ship and transfer all survivors to the mid-air fortress.
Even if the seawater temperature exceeds 50°C and all civilian ships are scrapped, they can at least save their lives and continue to survive on the island.
But what if we abandon the ship?
The mothership was their source of confidence when sailing at sea, and their only reliance for exploring new islands and searching for resources.
If the sea temperature drops in the future, or the island's resources are exhausted, they will be trapped on these five islands without ships, waiting to die.
Moreover, "the seawater desalination equipment, power generation system, and weapons carried on the mothership are all indispensable for survival on the island."
Without these, even if you live in a half-sky fortress, life will be extremely difficult.
Currently, the steel structure of the fortress has taken shape, standing like a series of huge steel skeletons on the scorching earth.
His heart felt like it was being scorched by burning coals. On one side was the immediate life-or-death situation, and on the other was the long-term hope of survival. This was yet another difficult choice.
Captain Ma remained silent, his head bowed, his fingers tracing the outline of the island's terrain on the table.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he abruptly raised his head: "Wait, everyone, have you ever considered that as seawater temperatures rise, sea levels will drop!"
Everyone was stunned.
Captain Ma continued, "The sea temperature is now 46°C, and the evaporation rate is several times faster than before. Previously, the sea level rose due to glacial melting, but under the extreme high temperatures to come, the evaporation rate will far exceed the replenishment from the previous glacial melting. Therefore, a drop in sea level is inevitable."