His inventiveness was perhaps stimulated by his knowledge of tin‐ and copper‐mining in his native Devon.
Deep mines required drainage: pumping was initially by hand or man engine until horse whims were introduced. Savery was aware of the urgent need for an improved method of pumping water out of tin and copper mine shafts.
In 1698 he built a steam-pump called 'The Engine for Raising Water by Fire' for which he obtained a patent (No. 356) which was to last, in one form or another, until 1733. Savery invented a steam pump which worked by drawing water up into a vessel through the condensation of steam and then forced it to a height using steam pressure.
His engine had a number of deficiencies - it was capable of lifting water only modest heights and when in operation there was a high risk of explosion.
However, this early steam engine design helped other engineers and inventors to develop more successful engines in the future.
Of all places in England the tin-mines of Cornwall stood most in need of hydraulic assistance; and Savery was much engaged in projects for draining them by his steam-engine. This made its construction and principles well known among the machinists and engineers of that neighborhood. Among these was a Newcomen, an ironmonger.
Savery patent was adapted by Thomas Newcomen in his much more successful atmospheric engine of 1712.
The first engine built by Newcomen (erected at Dudley Colliery in Staffordshire in 1712) took six years to build and was capable of lifting 110 gallons (500 liters) of water every minute from a maximum depth of 165 feet (50 meters).
First steam engine by Thomas Savery
