The Age of Steam - Power for Progress (1965)

[Music] power is the rate of energy available for work in ancient times when the farmer tilled his soil work was performed by his own muscles and by The Animals he had tamed but these energies are limited for additional sources of power to lighten his burden primitive man used windmills and water wheels as Prime movers he knew that a blowing wind and a flowing river any moving Mass possessed energy and therefore power but the knowledge of power did not progress Beyond this fundamental concept mankind remained dependent on wind and water for thousands of years in the 18th century water was still the prime source of energy water wheels turned the mechanism of simple machines they were generally made of wood and operated in small workshops in the home when metal machinery was first introduced in England's textile industry factories were built to house the new machines the Industrial Revolution started with the change from hand labor to machine work this progress was achieved because discoveries in Metallurgy enabled man to manufacture better tools for thousands of years mechanical skill had Advanced as little as man's knowledge of power and then in the late 18th century roll sheet iron rolled iron rods and bars came into use iron was no longer a material for the Craftsman it became the very substance of Industry now the cheat iron was available man could build metal tanks for water storage pressure tanks for the generation of steam pipes to carry water and steam and boilers in which steam was made by heating water valves were designed to regulate the driving force of steam and to control its speed and pressure this new technical knowledge led to the building of steam engines they were a simple mechanism for pumping water steam raised a piston which operated the pump the knowledge that the pressure of boiling water generate steam was old new was the technical knoow of combining the engine the boiler and the furnace which was heated by coal man had made the vital discovery of transforming the heat of fuel into mechanical energy history was made when James Watt so greatly improved the steam engine that it was no longer a simple up and down pumping mechanism his engine performed rotary motion it could be adapted to any type of work and was soon utilized in England's and America's industries better machines were needed to speed up Factory operations when Eli Whitney invented the system of interchangeable parts he eliminated slow and costly handwork the new machines produced work cheaper and faster than manual labor they were driven by Steam one industry after another utilized the newly discovered power the era of science research and Technology was here inventors improved the mechanism which increased the efficiency of the steam engine scientists worked out physical theories on steam pressure and expansion Engineers built boilers for higher pressure obtaining faster piston [Music] speeds metal Uris improve the strength and workability of metal mechanics designed machine tools for greater accuracy technicians replaced old measuring devices with new Precision Instruments discoveries in the laborator often provided new methods of transforming heat energy by physical means progress was achieved because Experts of many countries had learned to unite their efforts the stationary steam engine which powered industry was soon geared to Wheels since ancient man had invented the wheel and tamed animals no major improvements have been made in transportation now steam revolutionized transport this is the first long distance London bath steam carriage it accomplished in 1829 a 200m round trip at 15 miles [Music] hour travel increased in speed safety and comfort so did the enthusiasm of the people the steam locomotive the laying of the tracks what spectacular proof of man's new technical abilities trade broadened and Railroad Road speeded the growing industrial wealth coal was the chief source of energy during this phase of the steam age the locomotives run by coal in turn transported more coal to the factories next to the clanging of railroads due to the surging Industries Smoke Stack factories were built in growing cities the entire conditions of Life were changing a new working class and a new industrial society evolved from peasant occupations to City living and from the small Workshop in the home to the factory system with an Ever growing production it was the most important economic revolution in history the steam engine was the Supreme source of power for about a 100 years on land steam was the prime mover of the Industrial Revolution coupled to the factory system it brought about the Machine age and the industrialization of all countries which utilize the new Power on water it started with Robert fton Steamboat navigation on inland waterways in 1807 and progressed to large scale transport of Industrial Products by ocean [Music] LS by rail the growth of industry was paralleled by the progress achieved in transport the railroads largely contributed in making the 19th century the age of steam our 20th century has discovered vast new sources of energy electricity transmitted by wire brings power right into the homes huge power stations are using atomic energy as the latest source for steam nearly 34 of all electrical energy in the United States is generated by steam steam is also used for the refining of oil for the production of chemicals for international trade and travel by steam ships where large turbines generate the power and steam heats the buildings of Industry our modern world began with steam for thousands of years man had remained dependent on wind and water until he discovered steam a source of power that could be utilized anywhere at any time