jan 1, 1763 - Watt Steam Engine

Description:

After observing the Newcomen Steam engine, James Watt was determined to decrease the amount of steam that was wasted. His invention that solved this was the separate condenser in 1765. He realised that the loss of latent heat as it changes from one state to another was the biggest defect in the Newcomen engine. With Watt’s invention of parallel motion,(contained connected rods that guided the piston rod in a perpendicular motion) he managed to cut down the excess space for the steam to escape. Four years later he combined his centrifugal governor for automatic control with Boulton’s invention of a pressure gauge. This helped increase the speed, safety and mobility of the engine. This invention is by far the most important in the industrial revolution, being used as the main source of power in British industries because it was a lot more reliable than water and power. Steam engines are used in all sorts of applications including; factories, mines, locomotives, modern electrical plants, nuclear power plants and steamboats. This makes the Watt steam engine the most important invention in the Industrial Revolution.

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