Hunan's Best — Technology Transfer and Industry Support (Part 1)
Section 1: Industrial Economy and Innovation Achievements. China's First Trial-Produced Aero Engine — the AM Aero Engine. On October 1, 1950, Factory 331 (now the South Aero Engine Corporation), one of China's first six major aviation plants, broke ground in a valley in the southern suburbs of Zhuzhou. On April 1, 1954, the Second Machinery...
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section One
Industrial Economy and Innovation Achievements
China's first trial-produced aero engine — the M-11 aero engine
On October 1, 1950, Factory 331 (now Southern Aviation Power Machinery Company), one of China's first six major aviation factories, held its foundation-laying ceremony in a valley in the southern suburbs of Zhuzhou. On April 1, 1954, the Second Ministry of Machine Building issued an order: trial-produce the M-11 aircraft engine, with a deadline of 180 days. In order to complete the task on time and with quality, the factory established a production technology command center under the factory chief engineer known as the 'four engineers and one director' (chief designer, chief process engineer, chief metallurgist, chief inspector, and production director). Former Provincial Party Secretary Zhou Xiaozhou personally came to the factory to solve difficult problems. On July 29, 1954, the first three assembled engines were completed, and on August 12, inspection and test runs ended. On October 25, 1954, Chairman Mao Zedong sent a congratulatory telegram: 'Congratulations on your victory in trial-producing the first batch of M-11 aircraft engines. This is a good beginning for establishing our country's aircraft manufacturing industry and strengthening national defense. We hope you will continue to work hard, and under the guidance of Soviet experts, further master technology and improve quality, and ensure completion of the formal production task.'
China's first air-to-air missile — PL-1
In 1958, China introduced the K-5M air-to-air missile from the former Soviet Union for imitation production, later named the PL-1 air-to-air missile. The Fourth Bureau of the First Ministry of Machine Building (General Administration of Aviation Industry) assigned this task to Factory 331 in Zhuzhou, Hunan. In early 1959, the First Ministry of Machine Building appointed Zhu Chuangan as chief designer of the PL-1 air-to-air missile. Factory 331 was responsible for overall missile technical coordination, final assembly, debugging, missile body and rocket engine manufacturing, unit testing, packaging, and delivery. With the active cooperation of collaborating factories, China's first air-to-air missile was successfully trial-produced on March 15, 1960. Due to the difficult national economy at the time and the withdrawal of Soviet experts, the trial production work was forced to stop, and it was not resumed until October 1962. In November 1963, comprehensive testing at the proving ground succeeded, and an attack on a target drone hit the target. In March 1964, the State Council approved the finalization of China's first air-to-air missile and its entry into small-batch production. Marshal Ye Jianying once inspected the factory and wrote an inscription in his own hand: 'A bright future, soaring ten thousand li, advancing to the cutting edge, progressing without cease.' Factory 331 (now renamed China Southern Aviation Power Machinery Company) was China's first air-to-air missile development and production base, and later also developed and produced the PL-2, PL-3, and PL-7 missiles, as well as training missiles, ground testing equipment mobile stations, and other supporting products.
China's first maglev train — single-bogie maglev train
China's first single-bogie maglev train was officially developed in May 1995 by researchers at the National University of Defense Technology after more than two years of strenuous effort. Its advent made China the sixth country in the world capable of independently developing maglev trains, marking that China's maglev technology had entered the world's advanced ranks. This single-bogie maglev train is 3.36 meters long and 3 meters wide, equipped with 4 sets of 8 levitation and guidance electromagnets, controlled by 4 control systems. Its levitation weight at rest is 6 tons, with a levitation gap of 10 millimeters and an operating gap of 10 millimeters, and it can carry more than 20 passengers. The development of the single-bogie maglev train received great attention from leading comrades of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. On May 11, 1995, China's first single-bogie maglev train was officially opened at the laboratory of the National University of Defense Technology, and the Chinese people formally realized their dream of a maglev train.
Hunan's first batch of independently developed light aircraft — AURORA, Airship, and Flying Eagle
On October 30, 2008, Hunan's first batch of independently developed light aircraft rolled off the production line smoothly in Changsha. This batch included three models of light aircraft — AURORA, Airship, and Flying Eagle — all independently developed and manufactured by Hunan Sunward Technology Co., Ltd. It was another major achievement in Hunan's independent innovation in manufacturing and was exhibited on November 4, 2008 at the 7th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition held in Zhuhai, Guangdong.
China's first mining electric-wheel dump truck with completely independent intellectual property rights — the 220-ton electric-wheel dump truck
On October 28, 2008, China's first 220-ton AC-drive electric-wheel dump truck with completely independent intellectual property rights rolled off the production line successfully at Xiangtan Electric Manufacturing Group, marking that China's large open-pit mine transport equipment manufacturing industry had reached the international leading level and marking a major breakthrough in the six key fields of major technical equipment established by the State Council. Xiangtan Electric Manufacturing Group is the only domestic manufacturer of mining electric-wheel dump trucks, with leading domestic technical level and development capability. This model was developed by the company on the basis of 108-ton and 154-ton electric-drive dump trucks, successively overcoming three major technical difficulties: integrated vehicle optimization technology, AC variable-frequency technology, and hydraulic system development. It broke the situation in which China's 220-ton electric-wheel dump trucks were completely dependent on imports and laid a solid foundation for the comprehensive localization of large electric-wheel dump trucks.
China's first independently developed mining truck — the SRT55 mining truck
On October 8, 2008, a mining truck with a payload of 55 tons independently developed, designed, and manufactured by Hunan Sany Group rolled off the production line successfully. This was China's first mining truck independently developed and produced without relying on foreign technical support. The truck's suspension system, electro-hydraulic system, and lubrication system ensure the advanced nature of the equipment, enabling the vehicle to maintain good impact resistance and relatively good comfort. It uses digital signal communication, with reliable data transmission and strong anti-interference capability. Various instruments have centralized display and self-diagnosis capabilities, making maintenance convenient. It adopts a centralized lubrication system, greatly reducing manual maintenance workload.
China's first independently industrialized Type A metro vehicle — Type A metro vehicle
On the morning of September 13, 2008, the first train for Shenzhen Metro Line 1 rolled off the production line at CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. This was the first Type A metro vehicle project with independent intellectual property rights in which a Chinese enterprise independently bid, independently designed, independently manufactured, independently procured, and independently managed, marking that China had successfully achieved independent industrialization of the world's most advanced metro vehicle technology. CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. was the first in China to develop Type A metro vehicles and industrialize them, breaking the monopoly position of Western multinational corporations in this field and becoming the first domestic urban rail transit equipment manufacturing enterprise to master the world's most advanced Type A metro vehicle design technology. It laid a solid foundation for the upgrading of China's urban rail vehicle industry and became a milestone in the localization of China's urban rail transit equipment.
A domestically pioneering new sewage treatment technology — the new combined technology of submerged microfiltration membrane and oxidation ditch
After three years of tackling key problems, scientific and technical personnel from Hunan University and the Changsha Second Sewage Purification Center successfully introduced in May 2004 the new urban sewage reuse treatment technology of 'submerged microfiltration membrane combined with oxidation ditch.' This process method was the first of its kind in China. Hunan University was the first in the country to successfully replace the traditional secondary sedimentation tank with microfiltration membranes from the chemical engineering field, which not only simplified the process but also had the advantages of small investment, small land occupation, and high sewage treatment efficiency. This achievement is especially suitable for small sewage treatment plants treating less than 5,000 tons per day. If applied in urban residential communities, it can completely solve the problem of water pollution.
China's first automatic photographic material processor — the ZC-106 automatic photographic material processor
In 1987, the Zhuzhou Municipal Institute of Mechanical Industry designed and manufactured China's first ZC-106 automatic photographic material processor. The machine features adjustable speed, automatic temperature control, automatic circulation and replenishment of chemicals, and broad adaptability to photographic materials. It can process various color and black-and-white resin-coated photographic papers and films.
China's first coal-to-olefins unit — shift converter equipment
On July 4, 2009, the shift converter equipment for the gasification unit of the Shenhua Baotou coal-to-olefins project, successfully manufactured by Hunan Xiangdong Chemical Machinery Co., Ltd., was shipped to Baotou, Inner Mongolia. This equipment is the key equipment of China's first and the world's largest coal-to-olefins unit. It is made of Japanese Kobe Steel SA387Cr11CL2 steel, with a length of 18.015 meters, a diameter of 3.1 meters, and a plate thickness of 125+5 millimeters. Due to the great thickness of the steel plate, one-time roll forming and rounding of the shell were quite difficult, and the manufacturing difficulty was great. The shell, nozzles, and heads of the entire equipment all adopted internal surface overlay welding technology, involving a very large workload and extremely high welding technical requirements. The one-time radiographic qualification rate of the longitudinal and circumferential welds of the heads and shell reached over 99%, and the ultrasonic flaw detection qualification rate of the butt weld between the head and skirt reached 100%.
A world-first new technology for reducing carbon anode overvoltage — lithium salt anode paste energy-saving technology
Aluminum electrolysis is a famous 'electricity tiger,' consuming more than 1.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity to produce 1 ton of aluminum. Reducing carbon anode overvoltage is a difficult problem in the international aluminum industry. Since 1983, Liu Yexiang of Central South University of Technology was the first to introduce the new international electrochemical achievement — electrocatalysis theory and technology — into the high-temperature molten salt aluminum electrolysis system in order to reduce carbon anode overvoltage. He systematically studied and guided graduate students in exploring dozens of dopants and various doping methods, conducted hundreds of electrochemical tests, and selected lithium carbonate as the dopant for self-baking anodes in industrial aluminum electrolysis cells and the corresponding doping method, overcoming this energy-saving technical difficulty. In May 1987, Central South University of Technology cooperated with several aluminum enterprises inside and outside the province in experiments, all achieving obvious energy-saving effects. In July 1989, the technical appraisal organized by China National Nonferrous Metals Industry Corporation held that this scientific and technological achievement was of great significance both in theory and in practice. Online searches showed that there had been no reports of industrial application of this technology, making it a world first. By 1992, this technology had been popularized and applied in more than 2,000 electrolysis cells in 16 electrolytic aluminum plants across the country, and in 1992 it won the first prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award.
Hunan's largest-selling micro rice mill — Shuangfeng household micro combined rice mill
After decades of development, small agricultural machinery represented by household micro combined rice mills in Shuangfeng County, Hunan Province, has formed a complete industrial chain integrating production, supply, marketing, research and development, and service, leading the way in rural areas across the country and Southeast Asia. Shuangfeng rice mills have become a highly competitive and famous brand nationwide due to their largest sales volume, steadily occupying more than 70% of the national market, the largest number of agricultural machinery dealers nationwide, and the lowest prices for small agricultural machinery parts. Shuangfeng County is therefore known as 'China's Hometown of Rice Mills' and 'China's Hometown of Small Agricultural Machinery.'
Section II
Top Enterprises in Agricultural Science and Technology
Hunan's first enterprise to independently develop concentrated feed — Hunan Zhenghong Technology
Hunan Zhenghong Technology is located in Yueyang and is a large enterprise group whose main business is the production and sale of feed products. In 1986, Wu Mingxia and others developed a new product capable of replacing famous foreign-brand feed—the "Zhenghong QF-O01" high-protein concentrated pig feed—and built Hunan's first concentrated feed enterprise that independently developed and produced a national brand at Hejishan, which is today's Zhenghong Technology. It ranks first among the "Top Ten Leading Enterprises in Agricultural Industrialization in Hunan Province." The "Zhenghong" trademark is the first "Well-Known Trademark" in China's feed industry; "Zhenghong" brand feed is a "National Inspection-Free Product," a "Trusted Product of the Feed Industry," and one of the "Top Ten Famous Brand Products of the Feed Industry," and its overall strength ranks among the leaders of the "National Top 30 Feed Enterprises."
China's No. 1 Stock in Freshwater Aquaculture—Dahu Aquaculture Co., Ltd.
Dahu Aquaculture Co., Ltd. was established in January 1999 and was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange on June 12, 2000. It is the only company in the country to be listed by capitalizing water-surface rights, and is known as "China's No. 1 Stock in Freshwater Aquaculture." The company now possesses the country's largest freshwater aquaculture base and aquatic improved-breed breeding base. The "base" covers 44 hectares and includes 18 hectares of high-standard fishery ponds and research ponds, as well as a high-quality aquatic improved-breed breeding factory, an aquatic science and technology building, an aquarium and pearl exhibition hall, and a multifunctional training and scientific exchange center. It has laboratories for hydrobiology, water chemistry, fish genetics, food testing, and others, equipped with modern digital equipment and facilities. The "base" integrates production and operation, scientific and technological training, seedling breeding, and recreational fishing, and is one of the country's largest freshwater fry production bases. The company also possesses the country's most cutting-edge aquaculture and processing technology, all at internationally advanced levels.
Hunan's Largest Poultry Farming Enterprise—Hunan Shuangjia Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Technology Co., Ltd.
Hunan Shuangjia Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Technology Co., Ltd. is located in the Shimen Economic Development Zone of Hunan. It is a poultry farming enterprise operating on a "company + base + farmers" model, with an integrated whole-industry-chain function covering breeding-poultry reproduction, feed processing, and commercial chicken raising, processing, sales, and technical services. It is the largest poultry farming enterprise in Hunan Province. The company has the most advanced domestic incubation production lines, feed production lines, and slaughtering, freezing, and cutting production lines. In 2004, it was awarded the title of "Leading Enterprise in Agricultural Industrialization in Hunan Province" by the Hunan Provincial People's Government.
Hunan's First Giant Salamander Imitative-Ecological Breeding Base—Longshan County Giant Salamander Imitative-Ecological Breeding Base
The Longshan County Giant Salamander Imitative-Ecological Breeding Base was established in 2007. It is currently the only giant salamander breeding base in Hunan Province with independent scientific research capability and imitative-ecological giant salamander breeding capability. At present, it already has a breeding capacity of 12,000 fry per year. Under the guidance of the Hunan Giant Salamander Protection Center, it has invested more than 4 million yuan in scientific research on giant salamander breeding and protection. In an imitative-ecological environment, breakthroughs have been achieved in large-scale breeding and multi-cell breeding from a single egg. The base has unique breeding techniques, using natural mountain spring water from the local Bijia Mountain, imitating
the natural ecology, adopting artificial insemination, supplementing multi-dimensional nutrition for the giant salamanders three times a year, and inducing labor 45 days in advance.
Hunan Selenium-Rich Kiwifruit Industrialization Base—Hunan Laodie Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd.
Hunan Laodie Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 1997 and is located in the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. In 2000, through shareholding reform, the company was upgraded to a joint-stock company approved by the Hunan Provincial People's Government and registered with the Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce. It is mainly engaged in kiwifruit development and has reached an annual production and processing capacity of 20,000 tons of kiwifruit series products. The company has been rated as a National Key Leading Enterprise in Agricultural Industrialization, a National Poverty Alleviation Leading Enterprise, a National Demonstration Enterprise for Agricultural Product Processing, a National Technological Innovation Institution for Agricultural Product Processing Enterprises, a National Key Leading Enterprise in Economic Forest Industrialization, a National Industrial Tourism Demonstration Site, a Key High-Tech Enterprise of Hunan Province, and a Hunan Province Double-Hundred Project Enterprise. With a 100,000-mu high-quality selenium-rich kiwifruit base, total company assets of 120 million yuan, and processed product sales exceeding 100 million yuan, it is the leading enterprise in China's kiwifruit industrialization management and one of Hunan Province's Top Ten Landmark Engineering Enterprises.