315 years ago, Thomas Savery received a patent for the world’s first steam engine.2 张照片

315 years ago, Thomas Savery received a patent for the world’s first steam engine.

The first steam engine to be put into practical use in production was the “fire engine,” designed in 1698 by the English military engineer and inventor Thomas Savery (1650–1715). With the permission of King William III, the scientist was granted a patent for his device on July 2 of that year.

The patent application stated: “This new invention, which uses the power of fire to lift water and generate motion for various manufacturing processes, is of great significance for drying mines, supplying cities with water, and serving as a power source for factories that cannot utilize water or wind energy.”

However, this invention was not particularly efficient, as much heat was lost during the cooling process of the container. Moreover, the steam pump was quite dangerous to operate, as the high pressure inside the equipment could cause explosions.

Nevertheless, Thomas Savery’s steam engine found wide application in industry. It was used to pump water out of coal mines, and the inventor jokingly referred to it as “the miner’s friend.”

In 1707, Thomas Savery’s steam engine appeared in Russia. Tsar Peter I ordered it to be installed in the Summer Palace so that it could pump water from the Fontanka River into the garden fountains. The machine was capable of lifting water 3 meters above the ground surface, with a pumping capacity of 3 barrels per minute.