What was the core concept realized by James Watt in 1765 regarding steam condensation?

Answer

Condensation did not need to happen inside the main working cylinder

James Watt's crucial insight, conceived around 1765, addressed the primary thermal defect of the Newcomen machine. He recognized that forcing the main cylinder to cool down and then immediately reheat itself for every stroke was the source of massive heat loss, calculated to waste up to 75 percent of the supplied heat energy. His solution was to isolate the condensation process entirely. By diverting the used steam into a separate, cooler chamber—the separate condenser—the main working cylinder could maintain its high temperature continuously, allowing subsequent pulses of steam to work against the piston immediately and effectively without spending energy reheating the cylinder walls.

What was the core concept realized by James Watt in 1765 regarding steam condensation?

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inventionHistoryimprovementsteam engineJames Watt