The Mariana Trench, the deepest trench in the world, resembles an upside-down mountain on the ocean floor, with the maximum depth of the "Challenger Abyss" equivalent to the elevation of Mount Everest superimposed on a Xiyuehua Mountain, the deepest known ocean. On November 10, 2020, the "Strivers" sat at the bottom of the "Challenger Abyss", creating a new record for manned deep diving in China, and for the first time in the world, three people were taken to the deepest part of the ocean at the same time. From the "Jiaolong", the "Deep Sea Warrior" to the "Strivers", China's deep divers have been chopping the wind and waves for decades, committed to innovation, challenging the commanding heights of deep-sea technology again and again, and writing a deep-sea legend.
How many twists and turns has the "Jiaolong" gone through in its birth? What are some memorable moments in the development of the Deep Sea Warrior? What is the value and significance of the never-ending exploration of the deep sea? Hu Zhen, the deputy chief designer of the "Jiaolong", the chief designer of the "Deep Sea Warrior", the deputy chief designer of the "Strivers", and the researcher of the 702nd Research Institute of China Shipbuilding, told the "deep blue dream" that will never fade from the perspective of the witnesses.
Hu Zhen tells the story of the "Jiaolong"
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="8" > spanning decades</h1>
"7062 meters", breaking the world record for diving by a manned submersible in service at that time. What created this miracle was the "Jiaolong" manned submersible designed and independently integrated by China. At the beginning of its establishment, China has developed a submersible with a maximum depth of up to 600 meters, from 600 meters to 7000 meters, which is an extraordinary technological leap, and it is also a thick accumulation of Chinese deep divers with decades of perseverance.
As a developing country with an exclusive marine economic zone of more than 3 million square kilometers, the development of deep-sea technology is particularly important for China to develop marine resources and enhance the significance of the national economy. Since the 1980s, a group of domestic experts have begun to turn their attention to the research of deep-sea equipment technology, and the 702 Institute is no exception.
At the end of the 1980s, with the technical advantages in the field of deep-sea equipment, the 702 Institute has successively developed single atmospheric pressure submersibles and dual-function atmospheric pressure submersibles. With a passion for serving the country, from 1992 to 1993, the Institute of 702 proposed to the former State Science and Technology Commission (now the Ministry of Science and Technology) to develop a 6,000-meter-class large-depth manned submersible. However, the application has not been approved for various reasons.
At the end of the 20th century, with the deepening of the china Oceanic Association's research work on the international seabed, the demand for manned submersible applications became more and more urgent. The bell of the new century has just sounded, and the China Oceanic Association has organized academicians and experts from the fields and departments of marine geology, marine mineral resources, and marine living resources throughout the country to hold a demonstration meeting on the demand for deep-sea carrier equipment, and formed a preliminary demonstration report. In January 2001, 10 academicians and 15 professor-level experts from the domestic marine community, as well as relevant leaders of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gathered together to conduct in-depth discussions and reach a consensus on the development of manned submersibles.
In June 2001, Xu Guanhua, former minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, personally inspected the 702 Institute and listened to the technical report on the development of manned submersibles. The Department of High-tech of the Ministry of Science and Technology immediately began to carry out the relevant work of project establishment and demonstration. In December 2001, experts from the China Oceanic Association, the 702nd Institute of Shipbuilding, the Shenyang Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Acoustics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the 701th Institute of China Shipbuilding completed the "Demonstration Report on the Overall Plan of the 7000-Meter Manned Submersible"; in April 2002, the State Oceanic Administration submitted the "Request for Instructions on Launching the Major Special Project of the 7000-Meter Manned Submersible" to the Ministry of Science and Technology. On June 11, 2002, the Ministry of Science and Technology approved the project.
Ten years of persistence, 702 ushered in a sacred and arduous mission. Under the leadership of the State Oceanic Administration and the organization of the Oceanic Association, as the chief division unit of manned submersibles, the 702 Institute, together with the Shenyang Automation Institute, the Institute of Acoustics and other units, is responsible for the development of the main body of the manned submersible, and at the same time undertakes the assembly and integration of the manned submersible. A tough battle in the field of deep-sea technology has begun.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="94" > "jiaolong" into the sea long ethnography</h1>
The heavy weapon of a big country, condensing China's wisdom, there are countless figures of hard work behind them, and Hu Zhen is one of them.
After graduating from the Shenyang Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1993, Hu Zhen entered the 702 Institute and followed Academician Xu Qiannan, who later served as the chief designer of the Jiaolong, to develop unmanned submersibles. The national scientific research funds are small, the conditions are poor, and sometimes the salary cannot be paid, and many colleagues around him have left one after another, but Hu Zhen has chosen to stick to it. "At that time, the institute carried out reforms, requiring everyone to ask the market for projects and funds. After the submersible is developed, we will run the market everywhere, although the money is small, but we have done a lot of things, and our technology has been tested in practical engineering applications. The development of the ocean cannot always rely on foreign technology, it must rely on itself, and I always feel that the country will develop in this regard sooner or later. "Despite the difficulties, Hu Zhen is always full of confidence in the future.
From the development and use of ROV (unmanned cable submersible) and AUV (unmanned cableless self-controlled submersible) to the development of manned cabled submersibles and manned cableless submersibles, step by step, In practice, Hu Zhen has grown rapidly and gradually become one of the leaders in the high-tech field of manned submersibles carried in 702.
Ten years of perseverance, young people become mature. In 2002, with the approval of the major special project of the 7,000-meter manned submersible, Hu Zhen finally ushered in the first "national brand" major project in his life - the research of the "Jiaolong" manned submersible, and served as the deputy chief designer.
"Because many old scientists often tell us that they have done marine research all their lives and have never encountered such a big project." It felt like this opportunity was rare, so I was very excited at the time. Hu Zhen said.
It's an area Chinese never set foot in. Hu Zhen and the team members started almost from scratch, and many unprecedented problems were in front of them.
A difficult and protracted offensive battle first requires a strong research and development team. At this time, some of the talents in the field of underwater engineering in the 702 Institute have long retired, some have changed their positions, and the existing young scientific researchers have sharp but lack experience. In the face of this team of alternating old and new, how to arrange troops is a difficult problem. At a critical juncture, Xu Qiannan, a researcher who had retired and was ready to take his grandson, was ordered to take up the burden of the chief designer and inject a booster into this young team. Young people have strong learning ability, accept new things quickly, and grow up rapidly under the leadership of old comrades.
There was no model to refer to, did not understand the relevant process and technology, did not know where to find manufacturing materials, even if it was a small component such as cable, plug or water tank, there was no research and development in China at that time, and everything was a huge challenge for this team.
Many people think that the deputy chief designer only needs to make overall decisions, but this is not the case. Hu Zhen, who does everything himself, is called "the chief teacher who is always online" by his colleagues. The electromagnetic iron of the "Jiaolong" ejection device requires pressure resistance, watertightness and corrosion resistance, in order to find the most suitable material, he will find out more than 60 related manufacturers in China, and call one by one. For this small part, he went to Shanghai more than a decade and a half, and finally improved the design with the manufacturer's electromagnet as the prototype, and finally ensured its safety and reliability.
Hu Zhen's meticulous scientific spirit and rigorous and serious work attitude infected the whole team, and everyone united to overcome difficulties. Breakthroughs have been made in technologies such as ultra-large depth pressure resistance, sealing, safety technology, deep-sea communication and navigation technology, and fine operation in deep-sea complex environments. At the end of August 2007, the submersible that had been seen countless times on the drawings, in the mind, and in dreams was finally assembled and formed. Through the research and development of jiaolong, Hu Zhen led the team to prove to the world that China has the core capabilities of independent design and integrated innovation of deep-sea manned submersibles.
As the technical leader of the "Jiaolong" manned submersible, Hu Zhen has been serving as the commander of the submarine test deck, and with his professionalism and dedication, he has led the technical support department to eliminate the difficult and complicated diseases of the "Jiaolong" submersible in a timely manner, overcome one bumpy and difficult obstacle after another, and completed the tasks of technical support, diving test and fault handling with excellence, which has played an important role in the smooth completion of the sea test. From 2009 to 2012, Jiaolong successfully conducted 1,000-meter, 3,000-meter, 5,000-meter and 7,000-meter sea trials. Among them, in June 2012, the "Jiaolong" successfully dived 7062 meters, which created a new world record for manned submersibles in the operation class, and announced that China's deep-sea submersibles have become one of the frontiers and commanding heights of marine scientific investigations.
In Hu Zhen's mind, the "Jiaolong" with the ability to carry manned to more than 99.8% of the world's ocean depths for operations is of special significance to China's development and utilization of deep-sea resources. Because it is not only a deep-sea equipment, but also represents a spirit, a spirit that is not afraid of hardships and dangers, and catches up with the world. As an important milestone in the development of China's manned deep diving, it is precisely it that has sounded the loud clarion call of the Chinese nation to enter the deep sea.
Celebrate the triumph of the 4500-meter deep dive of the test pilots
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="95" > "squat" is to jump higher</h1>
After the success of the "Jiaolong", Hu Zhen did not stop the pace of exploration, but combined with the demand for manned submersibles in China's deep-sea scientific research, he continued to develop a 4500-meter manned submersible, which is the "Deep Sea Warrior" that was later known to the public. Someone once asked him: "The 'Jiaolong' has successfully divened 7,000 meters, so why should we develop the 'Deep Sea Warrior' with a diving depth of only 4,500 meters?" ”
In fact, when the "Jiaolong" was still conducting sea tests, the idea of developing a manned submersible with independent design and self-production was brought up. The average depth of the ocean is 3700 meters, and the 4500 meter submersible is more practical. The more important significance is that the "Deep Sea Warrior" should strive for localization from design to equipment and truly achieve independent innovation. "It can be said that the 'Jiaolong' that dived 7,000 meters made us 'stand up' in the field of deep-sea equipment, and the 'Deep-Sea Warrior' at 4,500 meters made us 'crouch down'." Squatting down' is to do better technology accumulation and prepare for the future to jump higher. Hu Zhen said.
From deputy to "commander-in-chief", the burden on Hu Zhen's shoulders as the chief designer is heavier. "From 2009 to 2014, the key technical research stage of the 'Deep Sea Warrior', the manned cabin shell, buoyancy material and propeller on the submersible were all independently developed. We originally envisioned spending three to four years tackling key technologies, but in reality it took five or six years, and there were many difficulties and challenges in between. Hu Zhen said.
The titanium alloy manned capsule shell is the most core component of the submersible, subject to the level of equipment technology, the shell of the "Jiaolong" is made in Russia, this time it has to rely on itself. At that time, there were no relevant specifications of materials in China, and there was no related production process, and the initial idea was to learn the "Jiaolong" set of process routes. It took 3 years to form a process plan, conduct some verification, and finally found that this process route is still relatively backward and unworkable. After that, Hu Zhen led the team to change their thinking and move closer to the most advanced international craft route. Each of these steps was difficult, subject to repeated validation, and thousands of test samples were made. In the end, the "Deep Sea Warrior" manned ball shell was designed as a titanium alloy ball with an inner diameter of 2.1 meters, which was pressed into two hemispheres by a titanium alloy plate with a thickness of 91 mm, and then welded, and it took a full 6 years from the project to the finished product, realizing a new breakthrough in titanium alloy from material to process.
The development of ultra-high pressure seawater pumps for manned submersibles also took great efforts. In the deep sea to achieve sealing, to efficiently pressurize, with the increase of depth of the structure can not be deformed, this fine control is difficult. Hu Zhen led the team to test hundreds of formulas before and after, ceramics, metals, polymers and other materials have been tried, and it took 5 years to finally solve the problem.
Hu Zhen remembered that when he first took over the "Shuai Seal" of the chief division, a leader of the Ministry of Science and Technology once said to him: "Don't underestimate the 'Deep Sea Warrior', from the perspective of the breakthrough of deep-sea technology, it is more difficult than the 'Jiaolong', and we must make preparations for hardships." "Although there was a lot of pressure at that time, Hu Zhen was very confident.
Because, through the years of tempering of the "Jiaolong", from the processing and construction of actual equipment, the testing and debugging of the system, the final assembly construction to the sea test, the team has accumulated a large amount of practical experience and technical foundation. At the same time, through the cooperative research of the "Jiaolong" for many years, the ability of all parties in the cooperation is also constantly improving. In addition, the key research and basic research deployed by relevant ministries and commissions in China have also made great progress in marine equipment technology. On these basis, combined with the support of other domestic forces, it should be fully certain that the independent research and development of equipment on the "Deep Sea Warrior" should be fully grasped.
Leading the team, unswervingly taking the road of independent innovation of deep-sea technology, adhering to the collaborative innovation of production, education and research, Hu Zhen's team worked overtime, and worked together to break through a series of key technologies such as submersible optimization design technology, cabin layout optimization design technology, titanium alloy manned cabin material and manufacturing process research, ultra-high pressure seawater pump, oil-filled lithium battery pack, propeller, deep-sea lighting and high-definition shooting, established a multidisciplinary optimization design method and manufacturing technology for deep-sea manned submersibles, and formed a manned cabin layout optimization design method. It has established the design and calculation method of the ultimate bearing capacity of the manned cabin ball shell and broken through the manufacturing process and detection technology, and successfully developed the ultra-high pressure seawater pump and the large-depth high-capacity oil-filled lithium battery and battery management system for the first time in China.
In the design and integration stage, Hu Zhen led the team to strictly control the quality and progress, and through the repeated tests of the submersible land joint commissioning and the pool test, it ensured that the "Deep Sea Warrior" manned submersible dived 28 times in 49 days, and successfully completed all the sea trial tasks. On December 1, 2017, the "Deep Sea Warrior" submersible project successfully passed the acceptance of the expert group and was delivered to the user.
After the test of sea tests, the overall performance of the "Deep Sea Warrior" is excellent, the localization equipment is stable and reliable, and the "core technology autonomy and key equipment localization" of the submersible have been realized, which has effectively promoted the historic leap of deep-sea equipment technology from integrated innovation to independent innovation.
Hu Zhen said: "The 'Deep Sea Warrior' manned operation submersible is an important link in the entire deep-sea operation system, and China is realizing the genealogy of submersibles, including manned and unmanned submersibles, each focusing on and cooperating with each other to carry out deep-sea operations, complementing each other." With the help of these deep-sea equipment to explore the ocean, develop the ocean, and protect the ocean, it will accelerate China's more solid steps on the road of building a marine power. ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="96" continues the deep-sea legend > 10,000 meters deep</h1>
In order to ensure the safety of the sea test, Hu Zhen did not dive with the "Jiaolong", but stayed on the surface to control all the technical states during the submersible. On the "Deep Sea Warrior", he fulfilled his dream of diving, diving for more than ten hours, and it seemed that the time was not very long in Hu Zhen's eyes, and his attention was completely attracted by the spectacles around him. Although it is not as fantastic as described in "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", he is fascinated by the luminous creatures around him, the strange patterns on the seabed, and even the desolation and tranquility of this different world. Because he always maintains a curiosity, advancing into the deep sea has always been the direction of Hu Zhen's persistence.
Since joining the 702 Institute in 1993, the years have turned Qingsi into white hair, but Hu Zhen's heart to pursue the dream of "deep blue" is still hot. After the development of the "Deep Sea Warrior" was completed, Hu Zhen, who had passed the year of knowing his destiny, was still writing the legend of the deep sea - the development of a 11,000-meter manned submersible.
As deputy chief designer, Hu Zhen is aware of the challenge: "At a depth of 11,000 meters, the water pressure will be greater, and the relevant components of the submersible need to use better materials." For example, its manned capsule spherical shell would require a complete re-development of a set of materials. New depths also place new demands on sealing and construction technology. The original sealing mode and structural form may not be up to 10,000 meters, and the functions of other devices will also be affected by deep changes, such as communication, safety control, high pressure and low temperature may lead to changes in material properties. How to overcome the impact of these changes needs to be tackled one by one. ”
With the support of the "13th Five-Year Plan" National Key Research and Development Plan "Deep Sea Key Technologies and Equipment" key special projects, the scientific research team based on the research and development strength of the "Jiaolong" and "Deep Sea Warrior" manned submersibles has undertaken the heavy responsibility of tackling key problems. Blending the fine pedigree of the previous two generations of deep diving equipment, the Strivers not only adopt a safe, stable, and powerful energy system, but also have advanced control systems and positioning systems, as well as safe and pressure-resistant manned ball cabins and buoyancy materials. In the preparation and welding of titanium alloy materials, acoustic communication positioning and other aspects to achieve a number of major technological breakthroughs, successfully completed the submersible design, assembly construction, land joint commissioning, pool test and sea test collection, with the full sea depth entry, detection and operation capabilities, officially transferred to the experimental application stage. Following the new Chinese manned deep diving record of 10,909 meters on November 10, 2020, the Strivers manned submersible completed three 10,000-meter deep dives on the 13th, 16th and 19th. A batch of sediment, rock and seabed biological samples obtained during the sea trials provided first-hand information for further research on the abyss.
If the "Jiaolong" marks China's entry into the world manned deep diving club, and the "Deep Sea Warrior" represents that The Chinese submersible can run with the world's advanced submersibles, then the "Strivers" is a transcendence, marking that China's manned deep diving technology level can reach the world's leading level and lead the development of international submersibles.
Hu Zhen said: "In the entire evolution of the earth, the abyss of 10,000 meters on the seabed is an area that has not been widely set footed by humans and has not been invaded for a long time, where there are a large number of chemicals, sediments, rocks, etc., and many unknown information needs to be explored." In addition, there are more than 20 trenches in the world that are more than 6,000 meters deep, and these trenches are in seismic zones formed by the subduction of two plates, and visiting these areas will greatly help to understand the structural evolution of the Earth. Scientists are very interested in the formation of these mechanisms, as well as the ecosystems there. Our mission is to bring scientists to the nearest site. ”
The deep sea contains treasures that are far from being recognized and exploited on Earth, but to obtain these treasures, it is necessary to master key technologies in deep-sea entry, deep-sea exploration, and deep-sea development. Whether it is deep-sea exploration or ultimately to achieve deep-sea development, deep-sea access is the most critical link, and only deep-sea equipment technology can bring scientists to the deeper seabed and ensure the realization of the other two rings. The mystery of the deep-sea environment determines that there are more problems that will appear at each stage in the future, and what deep divers have to do is to be ready at any time to meet every challenge.
After the success of the 10,000-meter sea test, Hu Zhen had a new goal. He said: "The research and development of manned submersibles is fundamentally dependent on basic materials and technologies to break through. Combined with the development of new materials and new technologies, we will develop a manned submersible with a higher degree of customization and a clearer application goal. It will also combine new areas such as artificial intelligence to achieve new control modes, reduce labor intensity, and improve safety performance. In the future, as outlined in the Big Science Program of the Transparent Ocean, scientists will be able to know in the laboratory how the movement of the seawater is, how changes in sea temperature affect the climate, and how changes in fish stocks occur. At that time, the vast deep sea will no longer be mysterious, and the dark and boundless sea will become 'transparent' and measurable. ”
In order to realize this "deep blue dream", Hu Zhen once again stood on the starting line.