Who invented the steam engine?
THE steam engine was one of the greatest inventions of the 18th century, establishing Britain as the leader of the Industrial Revolution.
Although many are credited with aiding the development of the steam engine, here we look at the main contributors of this powerful invention.
Who invented the steam engine?
Although early prototypes of steam-powered devices were around as early as the first century AD, Thomas Savery is said to have invented the first commercially-used steam engine in 1698.
Savery's device was used to pump water from mines, an issue that 17th century Europeans were largely struggling with, as digging for coal meant mines would often get flooded by underground water sources.
But Savery's engine could only draw water from shallow mines, and was therefore not too useful when miners started digging deeper.
In 1712, another Englishman, Thomas Newcomen, came to the rescue with his "atmospheric" engine, called so because its level of steam pressure was close to atmospheric pressure.
Newcomen's engine became a staple for more than 50 years, not only greatly improving the mining industry, but also helping to drain wetlands, supplying water to towns and even powering factories and mills.
But it had its flaws - it required a constant source of energy to run it.
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Scottish inventor James Watt noticed these faults and took it upon himself to create a more efficient device.
In 1765, Watt made a critical improvement to Newcomen's design, by adding a separate condenser to eliminate the need for constant heating and cooling.
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By the 19th century, Watt's improved steam engines were rapidly adopted across the UK and eventually the US, driving the Industrial Revolution.
Steam engines were also adopted for travel, replacing sails for ships and powering steam locomotives in trains, propelling people into the 20th century.
Who was Thomas Newcomen?
Thomas Newcomen was an English inventor and engineer, who created the atmospheric engine, the first practical steam engine in 1712.
He was born in Dartmouth, Devon, and was baptised in February 28, 1664.
As an ironmonger by profession, he wanted to find a cheaper way to pump water out of the tin mines.
He experimented for years, trying to improve on Thomas Savery's device.
With his assistant John Calley, Newcomen invented a pump where the intensity of pressure was not limited by the pressure of the steam.
The first improved version was manufactured in 1712, as a partnership between Newcomen and Savery - Savery's patent from 1698 was so broad, that it still covered the new engine.
The machine was highly inefficient, because it required a constant flow of cold water to cool the steam cylinder - the part where steam pressure is converted into motion, as well as a constant energy source to reheat the cylinder.
Who was James Watt?
James Watt was an 18th-century inventor, chemic and instrument maker, largely credited with inventing an improved version of Newcomen's "atmospheric" engine, a crucial component of the Industrial Revolution.
Born on January 19, 1736, in Greenock, Scotland, he worked as an instrument maker at the University of Glasgow.
Watt observed a huge flaw in Newcomen's engine - its huge inefficiency and waste of steam.
He figured out the waste resulted from the steam engine’s single-cylinder design, and in 1765 decided to add a separate condenser.
This improvement significantly reduced the waste of energy and radically advanced the power, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of steam engine.
The device was patented in 1769 and reached a commercial success, after Watt partnered with manufacturer Matthew Boulton in 1775.
Watt’s steam engine hugely impacted the 18th century industrial society.
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The new version of the engine allowed it to replace the water wheel and horses as the main sources of power for many sectors of the British industry, making the country the leader of the Industrial Revolution.
History of the steam engine
- 1st century AD: Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria describes the aeolipile, the first device using the power of steam
- Late 15th century AD: Leonardo Da Vinci describes the architonnerre, a steam-powered cannon.
- 1606: Spanish inventor Jerónimo de Ayanz y Beaumont creates a steam-powered device for pumping water out of mines
- 1629: Italian engineer Giovanni Branca suggests using an early steam turbine to power a series of pestles working in mortars.
- 1663: Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquis of Worcester, publishes a selection of his inventions, one of which is a new sort of steam pump, with added cooling around the containers to force the steam to condense.
- 1698: Thomas Savery introduces a steam pump, almost a direct copy of Somerset's design but replacing the cold water flow on the outside of the cylinder with a spray directly inside it.
- 1705: Thomas Newcomen develops the atmospheric engine, which improves on the Savery pump, by employing a piston in a cylinder
- 1707: Denis Papin publishes a study on steam power and proposes using a Savery-like engine to lift water onto a water wheel for rotary power
- 1712: Newcomen installs his first commercial engine.
- 1720: Leupold designs an engine based on expansion, in which two cylinders alternate in receiving steam and then venting it out.
- 1755: Josiah Hornblower installs the first commercial Newcomen engine in the USA
- 1765: James Watt invents the separate condenser, relocating the water jet in a small additional vessel, greatly increasing the efficiency
- 1765: Ivan Polzunov builds a two-cylinder Newcomen engine for powering mine ventilation in Barnaul, Russia.
- 1776: First commercial Boulton and Watt engine built.
- 1781: Jonathan Hornblower patents a two-cylinder "compound" engine, in which the steam pushes on one piston
- 1788: Watt builds the first steam engine to use a centrifugal governor
- 1790: Nathan Read invents the tubular boiler, devising the high-pressure steam engine.
- 1795: Boulton and Watt open their Soho Foundry, for the manufacture of steam engines
- 1804: Richard Trevithick builds and runs a single-cylinder flywheel locomotive on the 9-mile Pen-y-Darran tramway.
- 1849: George Henry Corliss develops and markets the four-valve counterflow engine with separate steam admission and exhaust valves, which greatly exceed in efficiency other engines of the period
- 1865: Auguste Mouchout invents the first device to convert solar energy into mechanical steam power
- 1884: Charles Algernon Parsons develops the steam turbine.
- 1893: Nikola Tesla patents a steam powered electro-mechanical generator.
- 1897: Stanley Brothers begin selling lightweight steam cars, over 200 being made.
- 1933: George and William Besler become the first and only aviators to successfully fly on steam power
- 2009: On August 25, 2009, Team Inspiration of the British Steam Car Challenge breaks the long-standing record for a steam vehicle, setting a new speed record of 148.308 mph (238.679 km/h)