Thomas Savery and his Steam Pump
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Thomas Savery and his Steam Pump
Scene depicting the moment in 1690 when Thomas Savery (1650-1715)supposedly conceived the principle of a steam powered machine to pump water out of coal mines. Savery, after finishing his wine, threw the nearly empty bottle into the fireplace. As he noticed that the wine was turning to steam, he plunged the mouth of the flask into a bowl of water and as it cooled, it sucked up the water. Available pumps were incapable of dealing with problem of flooding in coal mines. Savery, a military engineer, drew on the work on steam power of the French physicist Denis Papin in designing his "fire pump" patented in 1698. First used in the Cornish tin mines, it was limited in that it could only raise water 6 metres, but it was the first commercial steam engine. This was followed by the more efficient engines of Thomas Newcomen from 1712, and later by the separate-condenser engines of James Watt
Science Photo Library features Science and Medical images including photos and illustrations
Media ID 9273683
© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Cornwall Design Engineer Flooding History Of Science History Of Technology Steam Engine Coal Mines Newcomen Papin Thomas Savery Tin Mines
EDITORS COMMENTS
The print captures a pivotal moment in history when Thomas Savery, the brilliant engineer, conceived the principle of a steam-powered machine to combat flooding in coal mines. In 1690, as legend has it, Savery finished his wine and absentmindedly tossed the nearly empty bottle into the fireplace. To his astonishment, he observed that the wine turned into steam. Curiosity sparked within him, he swiftly immersed the mouth of the flask into a bowl of water. As it cooled down, an incredible phenomenon occurred – it sucked up the water. Driven by this revelation and drawing inspiration from French physicist Denis Papin's work on steam power, Savery designed his groundbreaking "fire pump". Patented in 1698 and initially employed in Cornish tin mines, this invention became known as the first commercial steam engine. Although limited to raising water only six meters at a time, its significance cannot be overstated. Savery's pioneering creation paved the way for subsequent advancements in steam engines by engineers like Thomas Newcomen and James Watt. These innovations revolutionized industries worldwide and shaped our modern world. This image transports us back to that fateful moment when Savery's ingenuity merged with scientific curiosity. It serves as a testament to human innovation and reminds us of how one man's observation forever changed technology and propelled humanity forward amidst challenges faced by coal miners battling relentless floods deep underground.
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