At age 45, Watt developed his next great invention — a method to convert reciprocating motion of the piston to rotating motion. The invention was the sun and planet gear system, better than a crankshaft already patented. The sun and planet gear system permitted the rotative wheel to turn more than once per stroke of the piston.
Since the piston moved slowly, this was huge. An engine patented in by Boulton and Watt had another major improvement — the steam cylinder used valves above and below the piston to connect independently to the boiler or the condenser; the piston performed work on both the upward and downward stroke. This evened out the stroking of the piston, performing equal work on each movement. Other major contributions developed by Watt include the steam throttling valve and the mechanism to connect the throttle to the engine governor.
Used together, these devices regulated steam flow into the piston and kept a constant engine speed. In a British sawmill ordered an engine that was to replace 12 horses. Watt used data from a sawmill to determine that a horse could lift 33, pounds the distance of one foot in one minute and thus developed the units of hp to sell his engines. Watt calculated how much each company saved by using his engines rather than a team of horses. Buyers had to pay him one third of this figure every year, for the next twenty-five years.
He was a quick learner and mastered his craft in one year. Aged 19 he returned to Glasgow, where he set up his own business. Before long he was recognised as a high-quality engineer, and employed on the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Caledonian Canal.
He was also involved in the improvement of harbours and in the deepening of Scottish rivers, including the Forth and the Clyde. The men became friends, and Watt provided model engines for Black to use in his lectures on the properties of heat.
Walking in a park near the Clyde, he suddenly he realised how he could make the standard Newcomen steam engine more efficient. He could use a separate chamber to condense steam without cooling the rest of the engine. In , Watt started a business in Birmingham with investor Matthew Boulton to manufacture his improved steam engine. Watt and Boulton became leading figures in the Industrial Revolution. Watt continued to make improvements to steam engines, and patented other important inventions, such as the rotary engine and a steam locomotive.
His achievements were recognised by fellow scientists. Skip to content. January 4, November 21, Editor event , Events , Uncategorized. Watt died on August 25, , at his home in Handsworth, now part of Birmingham. He was Share this: Twitter Facebook Email Print. Like this: Like Loading Published by Editor. Join Friends at James Watt Supper. Malcolm awarded OBE.
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