Introduction
The steam engine was the most important discovery for the development of America from a farming country to a country which could produce goods in factories. The Industrial Revolution which started in Europe happened in America in the middle of the nineteenth century. The use of steam engine powered boats, ships, railways and factories is how the industrial revolution is how America was able become more productive and powerful country with a high standard of living.
Steam Engine Discovery and Technology
Who discovered the steam engine
The idea of using steam as source of power had been around for a very long time. It was Thomas Newcomen, an English blacksmith, invented the Atmospheric Steam Engine in 1712 with the help of John Calley. Newcomen started with a steam engine invented by Thomas Savery. Newcomen’s steam engine was different because it combined a steam cylinder with a piston, surface condensation, boiler and pumps.
How James Watt Improved Steam Engines
During the Industrial Revolution the Newcomen steam engine was improved by James Watt. James Watt was a Scottish inventor who made huge improvement to the Newcomen steam engine when he was trying to repair one while working for the University of Glasgow. Watt's 1769 patent for a separate condenser connected to a cylinder by a valve was the big change that he made which made the steam engine much more efficient. Watt's engine was how steam engines began to be built for various uses and was what helped bring about the Industrial Revolution.
How do steam engines work
Steam engines use steam to move a ship or a train. The force of the steam is created by boiling water fueled by either wood or coal. The power of steam is converted into mechanical force. When water becomes steam its volume increases by a huge amount and that expansion is what is the source of energy that moves vehicles like trains.
The steam engine in a train has a