1764, the school asked Watt to repair a Newgate steam engine. During the repair process, Watt became familiar with the structure and principle of the steam engine, and found two major shortcomings of this steam engine: discontinuous and slow piston movement, low steam utilization rate and waste of raw materials. Later, Watt began to think about ways to improve it. Until the spring of 1765, when I was walking, Watt thought. Watt came up with the original idea of using an independent condenser.
After having this idea, Watt designed a steam engine with an independent condenser in the same year. According to the design, there is a regulating valve between the condenser and the cylinder, so that they can be connected and separated. In this way, the steam after doing work can be introduced into the condenser outside the cylinder, and the same vacuum is generated in the cylinder, thus avoiding the heat consumption of the cylinder in the process of cooling and heating. According to Watt's theory, the thermal efficiency of this new steam engine will be that of newcomen steam engine. Three times. In theory, Watt's steam engine with separator and condenser is obviously superior to newcomen's steam engine. However, there is still a long way to go to turn theoretical things into practical things and the steam engine on the drawing into a real steam engine. Watt tried to build several steam engines, but the effect was not as good as that of newcomen. It even leaks air everywhere. It can't start. Although he is heavily in debt because of expensive experiments, he is not afraid of difficulties. Continue the experiment. When Blake knew Watt's goal and difficult situation, he introduced Watt to a very rich friend-roebuck, a chemical technician. At that time, roebuck was a very rich entrepreneur. He opened the first large-scale ironmaking plant in Caron, Scotland. Although roebuck was nearly 50 years old at that time, he still devoted great enthusiasm to the new inventions of science and technology. He admired Watt's new device very much, when he was only in his thirties. He signed a contract with Watt at once.
From 1766, in more than three years, Watt overcame the difficulties in materials and technology, and finally made the first prototype at 1769. In the same year, Watt got his first patent in the process of innovating newcomen steam engine because he invented the condenser. Although the first steam engine with condenser was successfully trial-produced, it was compared with newcomen's steam engine except for its remarkable thermal efficiency.
Sales of steam engines
Because Watt's steam engine is not ideal, the market is not wide. When Watt continued to explore, roebuck himself was on the verge of bankruptcy. He introduced Watt to his friend, engineer and entrepreneur Bolton, so that Watt could be sponsored to continue his research and development work. Bolton was an able engineer and entrepreneur in his forties. He appreciates Watt's innovative spirit and is willing to sponsor Watt Burton to participate in social activities frequently. At that time, he was one of the main members of Birmingham's famous scientific society [Moon Society]. Most of the participants in this society are local scientists, engineers, scholars and science lovers. After Bolton's introduction, Watt also joined the Moon Association. In the activities of the Lunar Society, Watt learned more about gas chemistry and thermochemistry that people were concerned about at that time, which laid the foundation for his later participation in the debate on the chemical composition of water.
Watt has received great support in terms of funds, equipment and materials since he cooperated with Burton. Watt also produced two steam engines with independent condensers. Because there is no obvious improvement, these two steam engines have not attracted the attention of society. These two steam engines cost so much that Bolton was on the verge of bankruptcy. Nevertheless, he generously sponsored Watt. With his support, Watt persevered in his research. He has tried it since 1769. After the prototype of steam engine with separated condenser, Watt saw that the low thermal efficiency was not the main shortcoming of his steam engine, but the fundamental limitation was that the piston could only do linear reciprocating motion. In 2008+078 1 year, Watt was still participating in the activities of the Full Moon Society. Perhaps at the party, the members mentioned that the circular motion of Uranus and planets around the sun discovered by astronomer Herschel inspired him. Maybe it's the gear in the clock. The circular motion of the piston inspired him. He believes that the reciprocating linear motion of the piston can be transformed into rotating circular motion, and the power can be transmitted to any working machine. In the same year, he developed a gear linkage device called "Sun and Planet". Finally, the reciprocating linear motion of the piston is converted into the rotary motion of the gear. In order to increase the inertia of the axle shaft, the circular motion is more uniform. Watt also installed a fire flywheel on the axle. Because of the weight of traditional mechanism, great innovation. Watt's steam engine has really become a power machine that can drive everything. At the end of 2000, Watt obtained the second patent for inventing the mechanical connection device of gear and pull rod. 38660 . 6868686866 1
Because this kind of steam engine is equipped with axle and flywheel, the steam engine at this time consumes a lot of energy when converting the reciprocating linear motion of piston into the rotary motion of axle. The efficiency of this steam engine is not very high, and the power is not very high. In order to further improve the efficiency of the steam engine and increase the efficiency of the steam engine, Watt studied the cylinder itself after inventing the gear-linkage mechanism. He found that although he changed the internal condensation of newcomen's steam engine into external condensation, he did it. The thermal efficiency of the steam engine has been significantly improved. However, the stroke process of the piston driven by steam in his steam engine is no different from that of newcomen's steam engine. The steam in both is a single movement. Steam enters at one end and comes out at the other. He believes that if steam can enter and exit from both ends, it can push the piston up and down. Then, his efficiency can be doubled. Watt follows this idea. 10438+0782. A new cylinder with two-way device was manufactured. Watt got his third patent. The original single cylinder device was transformed into a two-way cylinder, and the steam introduced into the cylinder was changed from low pressure steam to high pressure steam for the first time. This is Watt's third leap in improving newcomen's steam engine. Through these three technological leaps, newcomen steam engine completely evolved into Watt steam engine.
From the initial contact with steam technology to the successful development of Watt's steam engine, Watt has gone through a difficult course of more than 20 years. Although Watt was frustrated many times, he still persevered. Finally, he completed three innovations of newcomen's steam engine, which made the steam engine more widely used and became the driving force to transform the world.
1784, Watt obtained his fourth patent in the process of reforming newcomen steam engine by assembling high-pressure steam engine with flywheel, gear connecting rod and bidirectional device. 1788, watt invented the centrifugal governor and throttle valve, 1790, he invented the cylinder indicator. At this point, Watt completed the whole process of the invention of the steam engine.