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- DictionarySteam pow·er
noun
- 1. power that is applied to an engine by the force of steam.
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steam power, the use of water in gaseous form to power mechanical devices. Steam power was first popularized in the 18th century and reached its peak importance in the late 19th century, when it became the main source of power for transportation.
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Feb 8, 2023 · The power of steam was first harnessed for a pump by Thomas Savery (c. 1650-1715), patented in 1698, but its power was limited. The first important principle is that heated water produces steam which is 1500 times more voluminous.
- Mark Cartwright
Overview. steam power. Quick Reference. The use of steam to power machinery, a major factor in the Industrial Revolution. The earliest steam engine, developed by Thomas Newcomen (1663–1729) by 1712, was used to pump water from Cornish tin mines.
Steam power during the Industrial Revolution. Improvements to the steam engine were some of the most important technologies of the Industrial Revolution, although steam did not replace water power in importance in Britain until after the Industrial Revolution. From Englishman Thomas Newcomen 's atmospheric engine, of 1712, through major ...
Jul 30, 2024 · Steam engine, machine using steam power to perform mechanical work through the agency of heat. In a steam engine, hot steam, usually supplied by a boiler, expands under pressure, and part of the heat energy is converted into work. Learn more about steam engines in this article.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Steam power has its beginnings in the British reliance on coal as a fuel and the flooding that occurred as increasingly deep coal seams were mined. The steam engine built by Thomas Newcomen (1663–1729) in 1712 was the first practical application of steam to the problem of pumping out flooded mines.
May 7, 2023 · The steam isn't a source of energy: it's an energy-transporting fluid that helps to convert the energy locked inside coal into mechanical energy that propels a train. Photo: The power of steam: a restored locomotive running on the Swanage Railway in England. Expanding steam releases energy that drives the engine's pistons.