The Effect Of The Steam Engine On

The Industrial R Essay, Research Paper

The steam engine, how did it effect the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution, which was started in England around 1770, would result in some of the greatest technological advancements in history. One of the major and most popular inventions during the Industrial Revolution was the steam engine. The invention of the steam engine dates way back to even before the Industrial Revolution, the earliest date being around 1698. It wasn t until the late 17th century and early 18th century that the steam engine crabbed interest in many inventors. This strong interest in the improvement of the steam engine would change the outcome of the Industrial Revolution forever.Thomas Savery, of England, built the first crude steam powered machine in 1698. Savery built his machine to help pump water out of coalmines. This machine was so simple that it had no moving parts. It also used up lots and lots of coal just to pump a small quantity of water. The first steam engine that had significant use was that of Thomas Newcomen known as The Newcomen Engine. The Newcomen engine, invented independently of that of Savery, constitutes unquestionably the greatest revolutionary advance in the whole history of mechanical power. This engine was used in the Cornish mining shafts as a mean to pump water out of the shaft. The Newcomen engine is probably one of the simplest steam engines invented compared to the modern steam engines not including Savery s engine. The engine consists of a large vertical cylinder that is fitted with a piston that is connected to a chain to one end of a beam. The beam is pivoted and connected at the other end to the pump. The steam is supplied by a large boiler, which has a valve where the steam is forced through. Once the steam builds up pressure, it is force through the valve pushing the piston down and bringing the beam along with it. So as you can see, it is very simply machine with probably very little purpose.It is not until a man by the name of James Watt comes along, that the steam engine gains a more useful status in the Industrial world. Although Watt did not invent the steam engine, but rather improve vastly on The Newcomen engine, he is basically referred to as the inventor of the modern steam engine. Watt s greatest discovery came in 1765 when came up with the theory of separate condensation. The made the steam engine a much more useful and economic source of power and for almost hundred years after, there were variations or improvement made on it. Now that Watt had his newly developed steam engine, it was only a matter of time before he would capitalize on it. It wasn t until Watt meets a man by the name of Boulton, that he forms a firm by the name of Boulton & Watt. This firm would become the leader in Steam engine production with Watt s newly improved steam engine. Since the capital needed to produce the steam engines was high, it was Boulton s money that was used in the production of the steam engine, but there were many difficulties in trying to raise the capital. Many banks were suspicious about them and did not lend them money because it was considered a risky business venture. It wasn t until 1784 when Lowe, Vere & Co., and Matthews took over the banking of Boulton & Watt. Now that they had a secure source of financing behind them, the business took off. This is when the steam engine comes to change the Industrial Revolution forever. The first important use of the steam engine came in 1776 when Boulton & Watt decided to build one steam engine free of charge so that that could show the Cornish miners how successful it could be in removing the water from the mine shafts. This proved to be of great interest to the Cornish because one of their biggest problems was the flooding of the mining shafts. Once Boulton & Watt proved that their engine was of great use to the Cornish, the Cornish miners flooded them with orders, which actually started the great interest of the steam engine and expanding the interest of the Boulton & Watt firm to entrepreneurs and the public. For the next 3 years this was the major use of the steam engine in Europe.A great invention that would effect the industrial revolution greatly was the Steamboat. In May 1804, A man by the name of Fulton went to France to study new ideas such as the steam engine. Fulton had already written to Boulton & Watt, ordering an engine to be built from plans, which he furnished them; but he had not informed them of the purpose to which it was to be applied. This engine was to have a steam- cylinder 2 feet in diameter and of 4 feet stroke. In the spring of 1807, the “Claremont”, as the new boat was christened, was launched from the shipyard of Charles Brown, on the East River, New York. In August the machinery was on board and in successful operation. The hull of this boat was 133 feet long, 18 wide, and 9 deep. The boat soon made trip to Albany, running the distance of 150 miles in 32 hours running time, and returning in 30 hours. The sails were not used on either occasion. Even though the boat was launched the US, it soon caught interest quickly in Europe. This early steamboat was a major invention during the industrial revolution because it opened up a whole way of traveling by water. Now countries could import and export with each other much quicker then before. The steamboat grew so much interest that almost every year a new faster and impro