How was the steam engine invented?

Question 1: Who invented the steam engine? The world's first steam engine was the steam ball invented by the ancient Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria in the 1st century. Watt was not a steam engine. Before him, there was a steam valve engine, the Newcomen steam engine, but it consumed a lot of coal and had low efficiency. Watt was an improver

Question 2: Who invented the steam engine? James Watt Scottish inventor James Watt, often called the inventor of the steam engine, was a key figure in the Industrial Revolution. In fact, Watt was not the first person to invent the steam engine. In the first century AD, Alexander Hero designed a similar machine. In 1698, Thomas Savery obtained a patent for pumping water with a steam engine. In 1712, the Englishman Thomas Cowman obtained the patent for a slightly improved steam engine. The Niukaomen steam engine was very inefficient and could only be used for coal mine drainage. In 1764, Watt became interested in this kind of machine when he was repairing a Cowman steam engine. Although Watt only had one year of training in mechanical manufacturing, he had extraordinary inventive genius. The improvements he made to the Niukaomen engine were so important that he is credited with inventing the first practical steam engine. The first major innovation made by Watt was the addition of an independent condenser chamber, which was patented in 1769. He also insulated the steam cylinder from the outside world and invented the double-action engine in 1782. Together with a number of smaller innovations, these inventions made the steam engine at least four times more efficient. In fact, increased efficiency can mean the difference between a flashy device and a piece of machinery with huge industrial value. In 1781, Watt also invented a set of gears that converted the reciprocating motion of the steam engine into rotational motion. This set of gears made the steam engine more versatile. Watt also invented the centrifugal governor (1788), the pressure gauge (1790), the counter, the dynamometer, the throttle valve and many other instruments that automatically adjusted the operating speed of the steam engine. Watt himself did not have a good business acumen. But in 1775 he formed a partnership with a very capable businessman and engineer, Marlowe Boulton, to form the Watt-Bulton Company. The company produced a large number of steam engines, and both shareholders became rich. The importance of the steam engine cannot be overestimated. Of course, there were many other inventions during the Industrial Revolution, such as mining, smelting, and many industrial machines. Several of the inventions, such as the pulley shuttle (John Kay, 1733) and the Leni spinning machine (James Hargraves method, 1764), all preceded Watt's work. Most of the other inventions represented minor improvements, and no single one individually played a decisive role in the Industrial Revolution. However, the steam engine is different. It plays a key role. Without it, the Industrial Revolution would be completely different. Before it, although windmills and water wheels had certain uses, the main source of power had always been the human body. This factor severely limited industrial productivity. With the invention of the steam engine, this restriction was removed. Now that there is huge energy available for production, there is a huge increase in production. The oil embargo of 1973 made us realize how seriously a lack of energy would hinder the development of industry. This experience will give us a superficial understanding of the importance of Watt's invention to the industrial revolution. In addition to being a source of power for factories, steam engines had many other important applications. In 1783, Marquez Giufferoy Darbans successfully used a steam engine to drive a ship. In 1804 Richard Trevithick built the first steam locomotive. However, neither model was financially successful. Within a few decades, however, steamships and railroads revolutionized transportation by land and water. Historically, the Industrial Revolution appeared at almost the same time as the American Revolution and the French Revolution. Although people seemed to have unclear understanding of the Industrial Revolution at the time, today we can see that its role in human daily life is obviously much more important than those two great political revolutions. Therefore, James Watt is one of the most influential figures in history.

Question 3: How was the steam engine invented? Air pressure

Question 4: Who invented the steam engine? A steam engine is a reciprocating power machine that converts the energy of steam into mechanical work. The emergence of the steam engine caused the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, it remained the most important prime mover in the world, and later gradually gave way to internal combustion engines and steam turbines. From the end of the 16th century to the late 17th century, the British mining industry, especially coal mines, had developed to a considerable scale. Manpower and animal power alone could no longer meet the requirements for removing groundwater from mines, and there was abundant and cheap coal on site as fuel. Realistic needs have prompted many people, such as Papin, Savery, and Newcomen in the UK, to devote themselves to the exploration and experiment of "lifting water with firepower". Savery made the world's first practical steam water lift, and obtained a British patent titled "Miner's Friend" in 1698. He first filled an egg-shaped container with steam, then closed the steam inlet valve and sprayed cold water outside the container to condense the steam inside the container to form a vacuum. Open the water inlet valve, and the water at the bottom of the mine will be sucked into the container through the water inlet pipe under the action of atmospheric pressure; close the water inlet valve, reopen the steam inlet valve, and rely on steam pressure to force the water in the container out through the drainage valve. When the water in the container is drained and filled with steam, close the steam inlet valve and drain valve, and spray water again to condense the steam. Repeat this cycle and use two egg-shaped containers to work alternately to achieve continuous drainage.

Question 5: When was the steam engine invented? The world’s first steam engine was the Aeolipile invented by the ancient Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria in the 1st century. The prototype of the steam engine.

Around 1679 French physicist Denis Papen built a working model of the first steam engine after observing steam escaping his pressure cooker. About the same time Samuel Moran also came up with the idea of ??James Watt's steam engine.

Thomas Seville in 1698, Thomas Newcomen in 1712 and James Watt in 1769 built early industrial steam engines. They all made their own contributions to the development of steam engines. In 1807, Robert Fulton was the first to successfully use a steam engine to drive a ship. Watt used scientific theory to gradually discover the problem with this steam engine. From 1765 to 1790, he made a series of inventions, such as the separate condenser, the insulation layer outside the cylinder, the piston lubricated with oil, the planetary gear, the parallel motion linkage mechanism, the centrifugal governor, the throttle valve, Pressure gauges, etc., increased the efficiency of the steam engine to more than three times that of the original Newcomen engine, and finally invented the steam engine in the modern sense.

From the end of the 16th century to the late 17th century, the British mining industry, especially coal mines, had developed to a considerable scale. Manpower and animal power alone could no longer meet the requirements for removing underground water from mines, and there were abundant and abundant underground water on site. Cheap coal as fuel. Realistic needs prompted many people, such as Papin, Savery, and Newcomen in the UK, to devote themselves to the exploration and experiment of using firepower to lift water.

The original vacuum steam engines were used to pump water out of mines. Newcomen's steam engine introduced steam into a cylinder and the valves were closed. Cold water was then poured into the cylinder, creating a vacuum as the steam condensed. Air pressure on the other side of the piston pushes the piston. In a mine, a rod is connected deep into the shaft to drive a pump. The motion of the steam engine's piston is transmitted through this rod to the pump's piston to draw water out of the well.

The first big improvement was to separate the cylinder from the condensation cylinder by a valve. Watt invented this improvement in Birmingham. This improvement increased the efficiency of the steam engine. The next improvement was to automate the operation of the valve.

These early vacuum steam engines had limited efficiency, but they were safer because their pressure was lower and the machines contracted inward rather than exploding outward in the event of material damage. Their efficiency is limited by external air pressure, cylinder deformation, efficiency of combustion and boiling, and condensation capacity. The theoretical maximum efficiency is limited by the relatively low boiling temperature of water at ordinary atmospheric pressure. The use of high-temperature and high-pressure steam greatly improves the efficiency of steam engines. But this type of steam engine is much more dangerous than a vacuum steam engine. Explosions of boilers and machinery caused many major accidents. The safety valve brings a big improvement here, and the safety valve relieves the pressure when the pressure is too high. But the real guarantee of safety can only rely on experience and safety rules in construction, operation and maintenance.

Savery made the world's first practical steam water lift, which was patented in 1698 as the Miner's Friend.

He first filled an egg-shaped container with steam, then closed the steam inlet valve and sprayed cold water outside the container to condense the steam inside the container to form a vacuum. Open the water inlet valve, and the water at the bottom of the mine will be sucked into the container through the water inlet pipe under the action of atmospheric pressure; close the water inlet valve, reopen the steam inlet valve, and rely on steam pressure to force the water in the container out through the drainage valve. When the water in the container is drained and filled with steam, close the steam inlet valve and drain valve, and spray water again to condense the steam. Repeat this cycle and use two egg-shaped containers to work alternately to achieve continuous drainage.

Savery's water lift relies on vacuum suction to draw water, and the water depth cannot exceed six meters. In order to draw water from a mine that is tens of meters deep, a water lift must be installed deep in the mine, and high steam pressure can be used to press the water to the surface. This was undoubtedly difficult and dangerous at the time.

Newcomen and his assistant Calley invented the atmospheric steam engine in 1705 to drive an independent water pump, which was called the Newcomen atmospheric steam engine. This steam engine was rapidly promoted first in Britain and later in continental Europe, and its modified products were still manufactured until the early 19th century. The thermal efficiency of the Newcomen atmospheric steam engine is very low. This is mainly because when the steam enters the cylinder, it condenses on the cylinder wall that has just been cooled by water and loses a lot of heat. It is only popularized in coal-producing areas with low coal prices. Steam engine locomotive In 1764, British instrument repairman James Watt noticed this shortcoming when he was repairing the Newcomen steam engine model for the University of Glasgow, and invented the device in 1765... >>

Question 6: Who invented the steam engine? The steam engine was invented by James Watt, a famous British inventor. He was an important figure during the Industrial Revolution. Member of the Royal Society and foreign academician of the French Academy of Sciences.

Question 7: Who invented the steam engine, Inventor: Hero

Improver: James Watt

Question 8: Who invented the steam engine One summer morning, the weather was fine, and the thrush was singing sweet songs in the trees. On the campus of the University of Glasgow, England, a man was walking. He walked slowly up and down the green lawn. Sometimes he looked at the vast sky, sometimes at Hutan's playground, sometimes he frowned... Suddenly, a smile appeared on his face, and his mood suddenly brightened. He figured it out and came up with an effective solution to the steam engine. He ran happily, his steps flying into the air. In an instant, his figure appeared on the console that had been with him for many years. He was Watt, the inventor of the steam engine. Someone once said: Watt invented the steam engine because he had superhuman genius and wisdom. Not really. In order to illustrate this problem, let’s tell a story about Watt’s diligent study, hard work, and inventions. The Enlightenment of Water Vapor With the development of intellectual education, Watt developed a strong interest in some objectively existing things, and developed curiosity and a desire to study. This laid a good foundation for his future invention of the steam engine. In the small town of Greenock, Watt's hometown, every household lit a fire to boil water for cooking. Who has ever paid attention to such a common thing? Watt paid attention. There is Huai? He is in the kitchen watching his grandmother cooking. There is a pot of boiling water sitting on the stove. The water is boiling. The lid of the pot made a snapping sound and kept jumping up. Watt observed it for a long time and felt very strange. He couldn't figure out the reason, so he asked his grandmother: "What kind of thing makes the lid of the pot jump?" Grandma replied: "The water is boiling, that's it." Watt was not satisfied and asked again: Why does the water jump when the lid is opened? Is something driving it? Maybe my grandmother was too busy to answer him correctly, so she said impatiently: I don't know. The children asked inquiringly what the meaning of this was. Watt not only failed to find the answer from his grandmother, but was unjustly criticized. He felt very uncomfortable, but he was not discouraged. For several days, whenever he was cooking, he would squat next to the stove and watch carefully. At first, the lid of the pot was very stable. After a while, the water started to boil and made a gurgling sound. Suddenly, the water steam in the pot came out, and the lid of the pot jumped. Steam kept rising, and the lid kept beating, as if there was a magician hiding inside, doing tricks. Watt was so happy that he almost screamed. He opened and closed the lid of the pot, closed it and opened it again, and verified it repeatedly. He also covered the cup and spoon where the steam came out. Watt finally figured out that it was the water vapor that pushed the kettle lid to beat. The power of this water vapor was really quite big.

Just when Watt was in high spirits and ecstatic, his grandmother spoke again: You kid, you don’t know what is good, what fun is there in a kettle, go away! she said nonchalantly. His grandmother was too impatient and subjective, and her casual remarks almost dampened Watt's self-esteem and enthusiasm for exploring scientific knowledge. The old man doesn't understand Watt's heart at all. I wonder what a great revelation water vapor has to Watt! Isn't the physical phenomenon of water vapor pushing the kettle lid to beat the source of Watt's understanding of the invention of the steam engine? In 1769, Watt changed the steam engine into a single-action engine with greater power. Later, after many studies, the trial production of a new steam engine was completed in 1782. There was a linkage device on the machine, which changed the single-type to rotary motion, and the perfect steam engine was invented successfully. Due to the invention of the steam engine and the developed coal and iron industry in Britain at that time, Britain became the first country in the world to use steam to propel iron seagoing ships. In the 19th century, maritime transportation reform began, and some countries entered the so-called steamship era. Since then, ships have been sailing on the boundless ocean. Following this, steam engines were also used in coal mines, factories, and trains. Manual labor was liberated and the economy developed. This cannot but be said to be the result of the invention of the steam engine. Of course, it is also due to Watt, the inventor of the steam engine. Therefore, Watt is famous in the world. Watt's life was full of hardships and struggles, and the road he traveled was so bumpy and bumpy. He has benefited mankind in the midst of hardships and ups and downs, and has opened up a new milestone for mankind to move forward. Watt attaches great importance to learning and practice. Learning has enriched his wisdom; practice has yielded fruitful results.

Question 9: How was the steam engine invented?

Question 10: The invention process of the steam engine. In 1764, the school asked Watt to repair a Newcomen steam engine. , Watt became familiar with the structure and principles of the steam engine, and discovered two major shortcomings of this steam engine: the piston movement is discontinuous and slow; the steam utilization rate is low and raw materials are wasted. Later, Watt began to think about ways to improve it. Until the spring of 1765, while taking a walk, Watt thought that since the low thermal efficiency of the Newcomen steam engine was caused by the condensation of steam inside the cylinder, why couldn't the steam be condensed outside the cylinder? Watt came up with the original idea of ??using a split condenser. After having this idea, Watt designed a steam engine with a separate condenser in the same year. According to the design, there is a regulating valve connected between the condenser and the cylinder, so that they can be connected and separated. In this way, the steam after work can be introduced into the condenser outside the cylinder, and the same vacuum can be generated in the cylinder, avoiding the consumption of heat during the cooling and heating process of the cylinder. According to Watt's theoretical calculation, this new steam engine The thermal efficiency will be three times that of the Newcomen steam engine. Theoretically speaking, Watt's steam engine with a separator and condenser is obviously better than the Newcomen steam engine. However, it is necessary to turn theoretical things into practical things and turn the steam engine on the drawing into a real steam engine. , there is still a long way to go. Watt worked hard to build several steam engines, but the effect was not as good as the Newcomen steam engine. It even leaked everywhere and could not be started. Although the costly experiments left him heavily in debt, he did not shy away from the difficulties and continued the experiments. When Black learned about Watt's goal and difficult situation, he introduced Watt to a very wealthy friend of his - chemical technician Roebuck. Roebuck was a very wealthy entrepreneur at that time. He opened the first large-scale ironworks in Caron, Scotland. Although Roebuck was nearly 50 years old at the time, he still had great enthusiasm for new inventions in science and technology. He was very impressed with the new device of Watt, who was only in his thirties at the time, and immediately signed a contract with Watt to sponsor Watt in the trial production of a new steam engine. Starting in 1766, in more than three years, Watt overcame various difficulties in materials and processes, and finally produced the first prototype in 1769. That same year, Watt received his first patent in the process of revolutionizing the Newcomen steam engine for his invention of the condenser. Although the first steam engine with a condenser was successfully trial-produced, compared with the Newcomen steam engine, in addition to its significant improvement in thermal efficiency, it has not yet made substantial progress in its performance as a power machine to drive other working machines. That is to say, Watt's steam engine still cannot be used as a real power engine.