Talk:Vacuum engine

History

This sounds like a variation on Christiaan Huygens' gunpowder engine. Biscuittin (talk) 18:48, 9 October 2009 (UTC)

Uses

Does the "concept engine" have any practical applications? I suppose it might compete with a hot air engine where only a small power output is required and thermal efficiency is not important. Biscuittin (talk) 20:42, 9 October 2009 (UTC)

Inventor

I believe invented by one Henry Wood in 1758. Can't find a definitive reference though. 109.156.49.202 (talk) 18:09, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

That is close, but not definitive:

Page 136, Wood 25th May 1759: [1]

https://archive.org/stream/chronologicalin1617grea_0/chronologicalin1617grea_0_djvu.txt

739. A grant unto Henry Wood, of High Hercall, in the county of Salop,

clerk, of his invented fire engine upon a new principal, different to any method

heretofore used  ; to hold to him, his execrs, admrs, & assigns, within England,

Wales, & town of Berwick-upon-Tweed for the term of 14 years pursuant

to the statute  ; with a clause to inroll the same within 4 kalendar months

from the date hereof. Witness His Matie at Westm1, the 25th day of May, in

the year above. By writ, &c.

Sadly, british patents of that era are lacking in details.

https://books.google.de/books?id=cI5fAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=Henry+Wood+fire+engine+%22High++Hercall%22&source=bl&ots=pPY7CQCpIf&sig=ACfU3U0SNCS4ZxosFnEDAy8PPeX_xnvfvg&hl=de&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTrsDqy4b1AhUKgP0HHStsBegQ6AF6BAgFEAM#v=onepage&q=Henry%20Wood%20fire%20engine%20%22High%20%20Hercall%22&f=false

"and at less then half the expense of coals [by hot air]"

https://books.google.de/books?id=CRVcAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA130&lpg=RA1-PA130&dq=%22Henry+Wood%22+%22by+hot+air%22&source=bl&ots=g5PoEz3CpR&sig=ACfU3U0fFHwEr2pNzDK3dCKrY4V1UrOn9w&hl=de&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjPpcXZzIb1AhXih_0HHYpEAYkQ6AF6BAgOEAM#v=onepage&q=%22Henry%20Wood%22%20%22by%20hot%20air%22&f=false

There are some sources that are specifically naming Henry Wood has the inventor of this specific engine, but that could be false attribution "verified" by cross referencing other sites without proper source.

-- MichaelFrey (talk) 19:37, 31 December 2021 (UTC)