He
made a very valuable contribution to power generation by inventing
the atmospheric pressure steam engine around 1712. He did this by
connecting theory with experiment, through the use of scientific
knowledge, especially the Royal Society's investigation into
atmospheric pressure. First cold water was poured on a cylinder in
which a piston could move up and down. This caused steam inside
the cylinder to cool and condense into water. The vacuum created
inside the cylinder under the piston caused atmospheric pressure
on top of the piston to push the piston down. The piston was
attached by a rod to the end of a beam which end then swung down
from a point on a vertical stand to which it was attached. When
the beam swung, its other end, which was attached to a rod
connected to a pump, rose, thus working the pump. Then steam from
water heated in a boiler under and communicating with the cylinder
was allowed into the cylinder under the piston. This decreased the
atmospheric pressure on the piston from above and allowed the
piston to rise by a counterweight on the rod over and connecting
to the pump. Boys opened and closed the steam valve, which let
steam into the cylinder from below, and the water valve, which let
cold water pour on the cylinder from above. Then the boys were
replaced by the valves being connected to the oscillating beam
which caused them to open and close at perfectly regular
intervals.
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