Steam Engines By: Michael May

Introduction A heat engine that uses steam to perform mechanical work Uses: –Stationary: rotary motion to power machinery in places such as factories –Transport: Steamboat, steam locomotive, steam tractor, steam car, steam shovel, etc.

History first practical steam-powered engine was a water pump –Thomas Savery 1698 first commercially successful engine –Atmospheric engine, Thomas Newcomen 1712 –Paved way for industrial revolution –Only pumped water, not efficient –Used to drain mines

Watts Engine James Watt 75% less coal than Newcomen’s engine Allowed factories to move away from rivers Accelerated the industrial revolution

Pressure Steam Engines 1800 by Richard Trevithick Much more powerful Relied on high-pressure steam rather than a vacuum. Dominant source of power well into the 20th century

Components Two major components Boiler –Pressure vessels that contain water to be boiled –Mechanisms to transfer heat to water Water tube boiler Fire tube boiler Motor –takes a supply of steam at high pressure and temperature and gives out a supply of steam at lower pressure and temperature –difference in steam energy to do mechanical work.

How They Work Fuel is burned in a firebox to obtain heat Heat is transferred to water in a pressurized boiler to produce steam Steam is transferred to the motor unit which drives pistons or turbines to power machinery or generators Used, cooler air is exhausted

Reference =steam+engine&gbv=2http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q =steam+engine&gbv=2 /blsteamengine.htmhttp://inventors.about.com/library/inventors /blsteamengine.htm

Questions? Michael May