By Kate H and Yurou L.W.
What is engineering?
What is engineering? Engineering at its core is the application of mathematics, sciences, technical knowledge, and creativity to solve issues or improve the efficiency of a process. Whether it be a singular machine, tools to perform an action or a large-scale process. Unlike scientists, engineers are responsible for the practical application of the scientific principles – discovered by scientists – to benefit our species.
Engine’er: engineer
The word engineer originates from the 14th century, from the term “engine’er” or the French word engigneor, which both referred to a “constructor of military engines”. However, in modern days, this term encompasses a much wider range of responsibilities, with it becoming more of a broadened position, applied across various fields. Nevertheless, across diverse fields and through the ages, the core of engineering remains the same.
Aeolipile
Before we delve into the modern forms of the steam engine, this ancient steam contraption called the Aeolipile (also known as a wind ball) was invented in the 1st century AD by Heron, inventor of Alexandria. It is a hollow sphere with two hollow tubes mounted on a basin over a heat source. The heat source caused the water to evaporate into steam which rose into the sphere and escaped via two outlet pipes allowing the ball to revolve. The Aeolipile was the first machine to make steam do a motor function but was seen as a toy at the time.
Newcomen Atmospheric Engine
Followed thousands of years later, the first successful well-known steam engine was developed by Thomas Newcomen in 1712 known as the Newcomen Atmospheric Engine.
This steam engine was created to find an alternative to the expensive method of pumping water out of the mines via horses. So, with an experienced plumber called John Calley, they spent 10 years experimenting and tinkering with various types of pumps. Eventually, they designed an engine where a piston worked with an open-topped cylinder, which was connected by chains to a rocking beam attached to the pumps in the mine by a rod. The cylinder is filled with steam and then cold water is injected to change the steam into water creating a vacuum. This vacuum and the atmospheric pressure (the intensity of the pressure was not limited to the pressure of the steam) push the piston down, which down, which into the water pump. This allowed a cost-effective way for miners to go deeper into the mines as it pumped the water out.
Watt Steam Engine
The Watt steam engine was invented in 1769 by Scottish engineer James Watt. It was the first efficient steam engine, having improved upon the crucial flaws of its predecessor.
Watt realised the grave inefficiency of the Newcomen model: water was sprayed into the cylinder where the steam was heated, and as a result, energy was lost. Consequently, it required a lot of steam and energy to heat the cylinder back, where steam would not immediately condense and would allow for the next power stroke. As such, the Newcomen engine used steam that was 4 times its own volume for each stroke.
In Watt’s new model, steam was directed to a separate condensation chamber, so that the main chamber remained hot for continuous strokes. A steam jacket around the main cylinder reduced heat lost to the environment.
Additionally, Watt pioneered the first successful application of the use of rotary motion in engines, using a crank and flywheel. The piston pushed the crank attached to a flywheel, which converted this reciprocating motion into rotational motion.
In later years, Watt improved his model into a double-acting engine. There are two pipes through which steam can pass through. As heated steam enters one side, pushing the piston out, doing work and simultaneously pushing steam out as exhaust on the other side. The rotating motion of the flywheel blocks and opens the pipes to allow steam to enter and to allow steam to escape in sequential order. This meant that strokes could occur continuously and faster. The work done by one side pushes the steam out, creating vacuum pressure, which in return increases the rate at which the piston moves.
Locomotive No. 1
On the 18th of September 1825, the first passenger railway opened between Darlington and Stockton which was 40km (25 miles long) using a steam train called Locomotive No.1 created by George and Robert Stephenson.
The locomotion used high-pressure steam which was generated in a centre-frue boiler to drive two identical cylinders, which were inside the boiler, which then held a blast pipe which went into the chimney. A couple of yokes above transmitted the power into the coupling rods causing it to move, making use of the loose eccentric valve gear. This caused it to move at a rate of 15mph.
However, Locomotive No.1 had many flaws, many evolving around the centre-frue boiler as it had lower heating to surface area ratio, which led it to have a poorer heating surface area. Additionally, with a faulty valve arm, which was tied down, caused the boiler pressure to rise killing the driver in 1828. As a result of this situation, it was rebuilt and ran until 1850.
Over time, modifications were made to improve on its flaws, including changing the spoked wheels into two-piece centre wheels and changing the boiler into a multi-frue boiler. Even with these changes, it was still out-of-date with the rapidly moving development of steam trains, so it was converted into a stationary engine and then was later retired and preserved.
Locomotive No. 1 had many impacts and innovations both with transportation and engineering. It was the first steam-powered train to transport passengers on a public railway and was the first to use coupling rods to join together its driving wheels which heavily reduced the chance of the wheels slipping off the rails.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the discovery of the steam engine laid the groundwork for many modern-day procedures and machinery, enabling England to become one of the strongest nations and ushering in the age of mechanization in our civilization. With time, new prototypes of steam engines were released, each improving upon their predecessors. They played a key role in enhancing productivity in many different areas of work ranging from agriculture to mining to transportation to automotive vehicles. As a result, the steam engine became a symbol for engineering development as a perfect illustration of engineering: applying scientific knowledge and creativity to advance human progress.
Bibliography
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Image Sources
Aeolipile Example
collection.science museum group.org.uk. (n.d.). Working model of Hero’s Aeolipile | Science Museum Group Collection. [online]
Available at: https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co50879/working-model-of-heros-aeolipile-steam-turbines.
Newcomen Atmospheric Engine example
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2018). Thomas Newcomen | British engineer and inventor. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online]
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Newcomen.
Cartwright, M. (2023). Watt Steam Engine. [online] World History Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/Watt_Steam_Engine/.
Rotary Machine example
Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Flywheel. [online] Wikipedia.
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flywheel.
A Double-Acting Piston diagram
Sachin Thorat (2024). Top Branches of Mechanical Engineering. [online] Mechanical Engineering blog.
Available at:
https://learnmech.com/double-acting-cylind [Accessed 3 Aug. 2024].
Locomotive No.1 example
Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Locomotion No. 1. [online] Wikipedia.
Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotion_No._1#/media/File:Stephenson-No.1-engine.jpg [Accessed 3 Aug. 2024].
Elliot Aniekwilo 