Richard Trevithick
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Richard Trevithick: pressurized steam required courage of conviction
In his early years, James Watt had considered ways to use pressurized (“strong”) steam, as opposed to vacuum-inducing, condensing steam, to develop power. But the mechanical difficulties of constructing a boiler to withstand the pressures could not be overcome. This obstacle tainted Watt’s thinking, resulting in his outright rejection of any steam-engine involving steam-pressures greater… Continue reading
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The Newcomen Engine
[The Newcomen engine] belongs to that small but select group of inventions that have decisively change the course of history.” – D. S. L. Cardwell [1] The path to Sadi Carnot led through Denis Papin’s pioneering work with the piston (click here) and into Thomas Newcomen’s (1664-1729) invention of the first commercial steam engine in… Continue reading
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About Me
Hi! I’m Bob Hanlon. After earning my Sc.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and enjoying a long career in both industry and academia, I’ve returned to school, my own self-guided school, seeking to better understand the world of thermodynamics. Please join me on my journey.