James Watt FRS FRSE (30 January 1736 (19 January 1736 OS) – 25 August 1819) was a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist who improved on Thomas Newcomen’s 1712 Newcomen steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1781, which was fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.
While working as an instrument maker at the University of Glasgow, Watt became interested in the technology of steam engines. He realized that contemporary engine designs wasted a great deal of energy by repeatedly cooling and reheating the cylinder. Watt introduced a design enhancement, the separate condenser, which avoided this waste of energy and radically improved the power, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of steam engines. Eventually he adapted his engine to produce rotary motion, greatly broadening its use beyond pumping water.
Watt attempted to commercialize his invention, but experienced great financial difficulties until he entered a partnership with Matthew Boulton in 1775. The new firm of Boulton and Watt was eventually highly successful and Watt became a wealthy man. In his retirement, Watt continued to develop new inventions though none was as significant as his steam engine work. He died in 1819 aged 83.
He developed the concept of horsepower, and the SI unit of power, the watt, was named after him.
More at: James Watt – Wikipedia
Additional Articles associated with this person’s firsts:
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Name(s):
James Watt
Occupation:
Inventor
Designer
Birth:
January 30th 1736,
Greenock, United Kingdom
Death:
August 25th 1819
Handsworth, West Midlands, United Kingdom
Spouse:
Ann MacGregor
(m. 1777–1819),
Margaret Miller
(m. 1764–1772)
Children:
Gregory Watt,
James Watt Junior,
Janet Watt,
Margaret Watt
Additional Information:
- Watt steam engine – Wikipedia
The Watt steam engine (alternatively known as the Boulton and Watt steam engine) was the first type of steam engine to make use of a separate condenser. - James Watt – Wikipedia
James Watt was born on 19 January 1736 in Greenock, Renfrewshire, a seaport on the Firth of Clyde - James Watt | Scottish inventor | Britannica.com
James Watt, (born January 19, 1736, Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland—died August 25, 1819, Heathfield Hall, near Birmingham, Warwick, England), Scottish instrument maker and inventor whose steam engine contributed substantially to the Industrial Revolution. He was elected fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1785. - BBC – History – James Watt
Watt was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer, renowned for his improvements in steam engine technology. - Steam Engine History
One of the most significant industrial challenges of the 1700’s was the removal of water from mines. Steam was used to pump the water from the mines. - James Watt and the Invention of the Steam Engine – The Baldwin Project
UNTIL a little more than one hundred years ago, the chief power used in the production of food, clothing, and shelter was hand power. - Watt Steam Engine – YouTube