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By the end of the 17th century, the mine companies strongly needed new powerful pumps to extract water out of the mines. Many engineers managed to persuade prosperous company owners in favor of their projects, which were often unrealistic and unrealizable. The distrust in such engineers grew, and in 1702 Thomas Savery had serious problems when he published a script in which he described the advantages and the mode of operation of an engine that would transport water out of mines easier. He called his script The Miners Friend. His goal was not to make unrealistic promises. He wanted to explicate to people how his engine worked. Society would then decide whether or not his engine is worth building. You can study the mode of operation of his engine with the following java animation. Of course the power of the engine, which can be seen in the height of the maximum lift of water, depending on the pressure of the boiler. Although Savery had promised commendable results, the engine was not able to be used for pumping purposes. The mines were too deep; engineers were not capable of building boilers that could bear such a high pressure. Another problem was bad efficiency. The steam was always in touch with the cool water of the mine. Further, the same space had to be cooled and heated up again. The boilers were to diminutive, so more than just one boiler was needed to transport the water out of the mines. The largest engine was used in the waterworks of London.
An interesting detail: Savery was the first who used the unit "horsepower". He compared the power of his engine to the power of about 10 horses. Quellen: Conrad Matschoss - Die Entwicklung der Dampfmaschine Robert H. Thurston - The growth of the steam-engine (online) F.Calcagno & S.M. Calizzano - Steam engines (online) Search...
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