Savery's Pumping Engine · AditNow Community

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spitfire
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

15 years ago

I think some time ago a discussion took place here with some doubts as to Savery's engine being applied to mining.
There is an unsupported claim that his engine was tried at Wheal Vor.
I always imagined his engine would be at surface but this drawing dis-proves that

🔗Personal-Album-1228-Image-54644[linkphoto]Personal-Album-1228-Image-54644[/linkphoto][/link]

spitfire

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Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

Looking at the drawings it looks like the bit with the suction and delivery valves would have to be within 25 feet of the water surface.

JR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

Spitfire,
I think it was probably I who cast doubt on any claim by Savery, or on his behalf to have installed a working pump engine in a mine. Thank you for the diagram but I still have doubts.
Now it's a long time since I did physics at school but (assuming I have the correct brain cell engaged) I seem to recall that a pure vacuum can support a column of water in the region of 25 ft or thereabouts depending on prevailing atmospheric pressure. I believe that this means that the pump would be able to pump a vertical distance of 25 foot. This, it should be noted would be in ideal conditions where a near total vacuum can be created and sustained. Given the technology of the age I think a vacuum of considerably less than 50% would be probable. Given this I still believe that Savery's pump was an ingenious invention but in mining it was a technological dead end.

sleep is a caffeine deficiency.

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

Under pefect vacuum conditions an atmospheric pressure of 29 inches Hg will support a column of about 33 feet of water. 🙂

JR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

"Morlock" wrote:
Under pefect vacuum conditions an atmospheric pressure of 29 inches Hg will support a column of about 33 feet of water. 🙂

:oops: wrong brain cell engaged. But my point remains.

Edit. Thank-you for the correction.

sleep is a caffeine deficiency.

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

"JR" wrote:

"Morlock" wrote:
Under pefect vacuum conditions an atmospheric pressure of 29 inches Hg will support a column of about 33 feet of water. 🙂

:oops: wrong brain cell engaged. But my point remains.

Edit. Thank-you for the correction.

No problem, I had to rummage through my old books to refresh my memory. 😉

JR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

Entirely co indecently I was watching the 'Who do you think You Are' BBC series, this one about Alexander Armstrong. It appears that he had an ancestor Edward Somerset 2nd Marquis of Worcester who, in the latter part of his life (he died 1667) invented what he described as his 'Water Commanding Engine'. The picture shown bears a striking resemblance to Savery's pump but pre-dates Savery's patent by some 30 years.

The link to iplayer is http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tl38l/Who_Do_You_Think_You_Are_Series_7_Alexander_Armstrong/ here and the relevant part of the program is around 45 minutes in.

sleep is a caffeine deficiency.

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

Interesting, if I've got it right two such units (off 1 boiler) would make a Savery type arrangement if the chambers operated alternately?