History of the Steam Engine additions.
He introduced the centrifugal
governor, a device that could control steam
The first steam-powered machine was built in output and engine speed. He made the engine
1698 by the English military engineer Thomas double-acting by allowing steam to enter
Savery (c. 1650-1715). His invention, designed alternately on either side of the piston. This
to pump water out of coal mines, was known as allowed the engine to work rapidly and deliver
the Miner's Friend. The machine, which had no power on the downward and upward piston
moving parts, consisted of a simple boiler - a stroke. Most important, he attached a flywheel to
steam chamber whose valves were located on the engine.
the surface - and a pipe leading to the water in
the mine below. Water was heated in the boiler Flywheels allow the engine to run more
chamber until its steam filled the chamber, smoothly by creating a more constant load, and
forcing out any remaining water or air. The they convert the conventional back-and-forth
valves were then closed and cold water was power stroke into a circular (rotary) motion that
sprayed over the chamber. This chilled and can be adapted more readily to power
condensed the steam inside to form a vacuum. machinery. By 1790, Watt's improved steam
When the valves were reopened, the vacuum engine offered a powerful, reliable power source
sucked up the water from the mine, and the that could be located almost anywhere. It was
process could then be repeated. used to pump bellows for blast furnaces, to
power huge hammers for shaping and
A few years later, an English engineer named strengthening forged metals, and to turn
Thomas Newcomen (1663-1729) improved the machinery at textile mills. More than anything, it
steam pump. He increased efficiency by setting was Watt's steam engine that speeded up the
a moving piston inside a cylinder, a technique Industrial Revolution both in England and the
still in use today. A cylinder - a long, thin, closed rest of the world.
chamber separate from the boiler - replaced the
large, open boiler chamber. A piston - a sliding Steam was successfully adapted to
piece that fits in the cylinder - was used to powerboats in 1802 and railways in 1829. Later,
create motion instead of a vacuum. Steam filled some of the first automobiles were powered by
the cylinder from an open valve. When filled, the steam. In the 1880s, the English engineer
cylinder was sprayed with water, causing the Charles A. Parsons (1854-1931) produced the
steam inside to condense into water and create first steam turbine, a new steam technology that
a partial vacuum. The pressure of the outside air was more efficient and which enabled the steam
then forced the piston down, producing a power engine to evolve into a highly sophisticated and
stroke. The piston was connected to a beam, powerful engine that propelled huge ships and
which was connected to a water pump at the ran turbo-generators that supplied electricity.
bottom of the mine by a pump-rod. Through
these connections, the movement of the piston Once the dominant power source, steam
caused the water pump to suck up the water. engines eventually declined in popularity as
other power sources became available.
The most important improvement in steam Although there were more than 60,000 steam
engine design was brought about by the Scottish cars made in the United States between 1897
engineer James Watt (1736-1819). He set out to and 1927, the steam engine eventually gave
improve the performance of Newcomen's engine way to the internal combustion engine as a
and by 1769 had arrived at the conclusion: if the power source for vehicles.
steam were condensed separately from the
cylinder, the cylinder could always be kept hot.
That year he introduced the design of a steam
engine that had a separate condenser and
sealed cylinders. Since this kept the heating and
cooling processes separate, his machine could
work constantly, without any long pause at each
cycle to reheat the cylinder. Watt's refined steam
engine design used one-third less fuel than a
comparable Newcomen engine.
Over the next 15 years, Watt continued to
improve his engine and made three significant
Questions 1-7
Match each statement with the correct person A-D.
A Thomas Savery
B Thomas Newcomen
C James Watt
D Charles A. Parsons
1) His invention was the first to use moving parts. B (moving piston)
2) His invention allowed steam power to be converted into electric power. D (supplied electric power)
3) His invention was the single biggest step in development. C (most important improvement)
4) His invention was a simple solution to an industrial problem. A (coal mines)
5) His invention was the first continuous power source. C (work constantly)
6) His invention first used a method people still use now. B (still in use today)
7) His invention allowed a much greater degree of control. C (control steam)
