Invention of the Steam Engine
Used to improve quality of life since 1698
Savery's Original Design
Savery was born 1650 in Shilston, England. As an adult, he moved to Worcester, a coal mining region prone to flooding.
Savery saw an opportunity here; if he could figure out a fast way to drain the mines, he would be the town hero (and increase coal production, bringing more money into the village.
The crude steam engine he created is the predecessor of almost all subsequent designs.
Newcomen's Improvements
Newcomen was born 1664 in Dartmouth, Devon, England. He grew up to be the eccentric blacksmith Thomas Savery hired to forge and improve upon the steam engine.
Newcomen worked long and hard on a new design that used pistons and atmospheric pressure to suck water out of the mines.
This piston/pressure system would be used to great effect in almost all subsequent designs.
Fulton's Innovation
Fulton was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1765. In 1802, now an adult, he was hired to build a fast, stable, steam-powered ferry by a New York transportation company.
Five years later, in 1807, he unveiled the Clermont: A ferry driven by two steam-powered paddlewheels on either side that could make a trip almost 4 times faster than a contemporary sailboat.
This new, powerful steam engine would be the spark to ignite the Industrial Revolution.
Legacy of the Steam Engine
Newcomen's improvements introduced the piston/pressure system, a vital contribution to its later success.
Fulton's innovation showed the world that steam power was viable, sparking the technological renaissance that was the Industrial Revolution.
How it Works
Bibliography
Works Cited
Bellis, Mary. "Steam Engine History." About.com Inventors. About.com, 05 Mar. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
"The Steam Engines of Thomas Newcomen." About.com Inventors. About.com, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
Steins, Richard. Transportation Milestones and Breakthroughs. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1995. Print.