James Watt - Ideas & Career

The story of steam pushing the lid of a kettle upwards left a deep impression on the young boy, James Watt, who pondered this phenomenon extensively.

Watt thought: A little steam has such power; it must have great potential. If we can harness it, we could achieve monumental feats. For instance, we could lift heavy objects or pull something. Watt found this to be an intriguing and meaningful way of thinking.

The ideals of his youth drove young Watt to study harder. At that time, he learned that others had already considered using steam as a source of power… Not long before, in 1705, Thomas Newcomen had invented the Newcomen steam engine.

However, Watt was not satisfied with letting his ideals fade away; he continued to study diligently and research. He discovered that while the Newcomen steam engine was widely used, it had many areas that needed improvement.

Watt realized that the Newcomen steam engine was limited because steam was not being fully utilized.

How could the steam produced by the steam engine be used more effectively?

This question kept Watt awake at night.

One morning, while walking at a golf course, the sun slowly rose, casting a rosy glow on his face. Suddenly, a dark cloud obscured the sun, and in an instant, the sky turned gloomy. A breeze swept through, making the ground appear greener and the space feel remarkably expansive and pleasant.

He looked up at the sky, recalling the dark cloud that had just hidden the sun, and a new idea dawned on him: “Design a steam condenser, allowing the steam to revert directly to water right outside the cylinder. Wouldn’t that help maintain a relatively high temperature in the cylinder?”

To create a new type of steam engine, Watt and his assistants worked tirelessly day and night, but success eluded them. Moreover, they accumulated significant debts, making life extremely difficult, to the point where they sometimes had no money for food. Watt did not lose heart; he worked even harder, and eventually, in 1765, he successfully built a steam engine.

This new steam engine reduced coal consumption by three-quarters compared to the Newcomen engine, while significantly increasing efficiency. This success was a great encouragement for Watt, who aimed to make further improvements to reduce coal consumption even more and enhance efficiency.

In 1782, he unveiled a new steam engine that matched his vision: a machine that consumed less coal and had high operational efficiency. The success of this steam engine rendered the Newcomen engine outdated and obsolete.

Watt’s steam engine quickly found widespread use. Boats and locomotives powered by steam machinery began to emerge, and the global industry swiftly entered the “steam age.”