Thomas SaveryDied 15 May 1715 (born c. 1650).English engineer and inventor of a steam-powered water pumpwhich he patented (1698). His pump used a vessel first filled with steam When externally cooled with water, the resulting vacuum lifted water to be pumped from a lower sump. Then more high-pressure steam filled the vessel to force the water to a higher level. High fuel consumption and failures, due to construction materials unable to contain the pressure, meant the design was unsuccessful for use in mines. However, it provided a basis for Thomas Newcomen to improve for his pumps. His other patents included a method for polishing glass plate (1649), and an idea for capstan-driven paddle-wheels for becalmed ships.«[Note: Year of birth, and date of death are known only approximately.] |
