Hu Zhen: "Struggle is the duty of scientific researchers"

With no light, no oxygen, and no waves, for humanity, it is still a mysterious place – the deep sea below a kilometer. The "Deep Sea Warrior" manned operation submersible led by Hu Zhen (see picture, data photo) is to allow Chinese to dive freely on the deep seabed of more than 4500 meters. On March 20, the "Deep Sea Warrior" submersible departed from Sanya, Hainan Province, and began to perform application voyage missions in the South China Sea.

Hu Zhen is a researcher at the 702 Institute of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation and the chief designer of the "Deep Sea Warrior". In addition to a row of secrecy cabinets against the wall, the most eye-catching thing in his office is the model of the "Jiaolong" manned submersible.

Many people may remember that deep-sea and deep-space conversation. On June 24, 2012, China's "Jiaolong" manned operation submersible successfully sat at a depth of 7020 meters in the Mariana Trench, and 3 submariners reported to the test ship, wishing Jing Haipeng and other 3 astronauts a smooth docking with tiangong-1! The news spread to space, after the successful hand-controlled rendezvous and docking of "Tiangong-1", the 3 astronauts also congratulated the 3 deep divers, "I wish China's manned deep diving cause brilliant achievements!" ”

"Jiaolong" is a 7000-meter manned submersible independently designed and integrated in China, and Hu Zhen is the deputy chief designer of power and equipment.

"Why is the 7,000-meter class solved, and the 4,500-meter manned submersible is still made?"

"The average depth of the ocean is 3,700 meters, and the hot spots for deep-sea expeditions are mainly above 4,500 meters." Hu Zhen said that using a 7,000-meter submersible to work is a big horse-drawn cart and is not practical. "More importantly, 'Jiaolong' is the integration of advanced technology and equipment in the world, while 'Deep Sea Warrior' is localized from technology to equipment, which is a real independent innovation."

Since the 20th century, the deep ocean has successively appeared in the United States, Russians, French and Japanese, and China has started less than 50 years ago. In 2009, the "Jiaolong" had just completed its development and had not yet conducted sea tests, and the Ministry of Science and Technology launched the key technology research of the 4500-meter manned submersible. "During that time, the problems were one after another, and the office building was lit up every night." Hu Zhen smiled and said.

Subject to the level of China's industrial development, from technology to equipment, it is necessary to cross a huge gap. For example, the most critical manned ball shell is a titanium alloy ball with an inner diameter of 2.1 meters, which is stamped in two hemispheres, with a width of more than 3 meters and a thickness of up to 90 mm, and the samples are as many as thousands of times. From the establishment of the project to the finished product, it took a full 6 years. "I'd rather be slower than have a firm grasp of technology." Hu Zhen said proudly, "Now our technology is absolutely internationally leading." ”

"Jiaolong" 10 years of project approval, 10 years of development. It took less than 8 years from the establishment of the project to the completion of all sea trials last year. Ye Cong, deputy chief designer of the "Deep Sea Warrior", believes that Hu Zhen's painstaking efforts and personal efforts are also an important reason for speeding up, "The general chief division is mainly in charge of the decision-making level, and we call Hu always 'the chief division that has always been online'. ”

The iron absorbing stone used in the sampling basket only needs a few pieces, but the technical content is not low: the iron will rust, the sea water is corrosive, and the iron absorbing stone must be resistant to corrosion... Hu Zhen found out more than 60 related manufacturers in China, and called one by one. Finally found a manufacturer in Shanghai, he personally went to talk. In a year and a half, for this small part of a few thousand yuan, I went to Shanghai for more than a dozen trips.

"You are the chief engineer, why did such a small part also come out personally?"

"Because the product concept and standards are in my head, others don't necessarily know as much as I do." Hu Zhen smiled slightly.

If the "jiaolong" is like a "hurdle", the "deep-sea warrior" is a "squat", and the next step in the development of a full-sea deep manned operation submersible is a powerful "take-off" after the "squat", marking that China's field has fully realized the leap from following to leading in the international community. "It's not just the design level that goes up the ladder, there's the talent team." Hu Zhen said happily that the team of only 30 people at the beginning of the project is now 60 people, "the development of full-sea deep submersibles is also this team." The experts who come to communicate from abroad are all white-haired, and the average age of our team is only 33 years old. ”

Ye Cong is now the chief designer of the all-sea deep manned submersible, and the reporter asked: Born in 1979, 39 years old this year.

Hu Zhen struggled unremittingly for this situation for more than a decade: after graduating from the Shenyang Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to the 702 Institute in 1991, he followed Academician Xu Qiannan, who later served as the chief designer of the "Jiaolong", to develop unmanned submersibles. At that time, the state spent little on scientific research, and sometimes even wages were in arrears. A relative "dug" him into his own company as a department manager, responsible for computer systems, with an annual salary of millions, and promised to send him a company after 5 years. Hu Zhen took a leave of absence to try for a week and then returned to the institute. "I always feel that sooner or later our country will develop in this regard, and the development of the ocean must rely on itself, and it is impossible to always rely on foreign technology."

On your own, you must be willing to aggrieved yourself and willing to toss yourself. In the words of Hu Zhen: "Struggle is the duty of scientific researchers. The "Jiaolong" test took half a year, and the "Deep Sea Warrior" took a whole year. Last year, the "Deep Sea Warrior" submarine test dive 28 times, and hu Zhen did not deny that two of them were unsuccessful. "We are not afraid of problems, we solved the problem overnight to ensure that we can dive normally the next day." Hu Zhen said, "Engaging in scientific research can not try to be vain, our submersible is running for commercial applications, and high reliability is the most important." ”

Strivers Be Confident (Reporter's Note)

Hu Zhen is not good at words, always smiling and answering briefly, but in his smile and concise words, he exudes a sense of self-confidence.

I think this is probably the self-confidence of the strivers. From "Jiaolong" to "Deep Sea Warrior", for more than 20 years, he has been busy, struggling and happy. His self-confidence comes from his common progress with China's manned deep diving cause. Struggle is a powerful support for faith.

The new era is the era of strivers, and self-confidence is an important temperament of this era. As long as we persevere in our struggle, establish self-confidence in overcoming difficulties, and gain self-confidence in the ever-changing development and progress, we will certainly be able to firmly and calmly take the "key journey" of the road of rejuvenation! (People's Daily reporter Fei Weiwei)