What limited the capacity of Thomas Savery's engine patented in 1698?
Answer
It was prone to failure when lifting water to great heights.
Thomas Savery's earlier steam-powered pumping engine utilized steam pressure directly to force water upwards. This reliance on internal steam pressure inherently posed safety risks related to the strength limits of the boilers and pipes. More critically for deep mine drainage, this mechanism faced severe capacity restrictions; specifically, the engine was limited in how high it could reliably lift water. Because Newcomen's design circumvented high-pressure risks by using atmospheric weight for the working stroke, it could achieve the necessary lift height required for deeper mining operations where Savery's engine struggled or failed.
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