|
| |
The Story of Iron, Coal and Steam
This is the story of cheaper iron and coal, and the story of steam
power.
Steam engines use coal to heat water and create steam. The pressure of that
steam is used to move a piston.
 |
In 1766, a Scottish engineer called James Watt made large improvements in
the design of steam engines so that they would be more powerful but at the
same time burn less coal, making them more economically friendly. |
Because of these new developments steam engines could now be used in
factories instead of water wheels.
The steam engine was made possible because of 2 large developments:
| Development
1: New ways of making iron |
Development
2: A new role for coal |
| In 1709, a man called Abraham Darby found a way
of making cast-iron using coke. Coke is made from coal. This was a big
breakthrough, because iron had always been made from charcoal. But, by
the 18th century, charcoal was becoming scarce and expensive. In 1784,
Henry Cort invented a new way of making wrought-iron in a huge coal-fired
furnace. Therefore it became cheaper to make iron. Well-made iron machinery was
essential for the machinery used in the factories. |
The new factories depended on coal. It was coal
that fuelled the steam engines and the iron foundries. |
|
|
Iron
makes coal more important |
|
Coal
makes iron more important |
This was
all very helpful to Samuel Greg and his family. it meant a powerful supply of
power...running more and more economically!
These materials were all vital to
mills and factories like Quarry Bank Mill because:
- Textile
mills needed coal to power their steam engines.
- Textile
mills needed iron to make the steam engines.
The
Links Between Iron, Coal and Steam in a DIAGRAM!
So now you can see how each
different material had an effect on the other one! Clever, eh?
| |
|
