Boulton & Watt engine: pre-visit exhibition slideshow

The Boulton and Watt enginePre-visit exhibition walkthrough

Go on a journey to discover this amazing steam engine,engineer James Watt, entrepreneur Matthew Boulton,and the world in the late 1700s. Galleries behind the engine Boulton & Watt engine

Exhibition entrance Boulton & WattThis exhibition walkthrough provides an overview of the:• Physical layout and exhibition sections• Key objects• Audiovisual and interactive• Relevant online teaching and learning resources

Boulton and Watt engineThe oldest surviving rotative engine in the world.• See it in action (live or on screen) – work out how the parts act together using energy in steam to turn the drive wheel, which can turn other machines• Find out how this 1785 engine got here from London’s Whitbread brewery• Find out how engines such as this transformed the way people lived and worked

Boulton and Watt engine beam/rocking arm piston rod connecting rodcylinder planet gear drive wheel condenser sun gear (in tank) fly wheel

1. the separateInnovations that Boulton and condenser - Watt introduced: reducing fuel use by 85% 2. the parallel motion 2 mechanism - 3 allowing the piston to push the beam up as well as pulling it down 3. the governor - automatically 4 controlling the speed of the engine 4. the sun and planet 1 gears - turning the up-and-down motion of the beam into rotative motion

James Watt was also the first to surround the cylinder with wood to keep it hotthe ‘original’ piston and piston rod

What’s behind the Boulton and Watt engine? Visit the galleries behind the engine.

Gallery 1: Explore the lives of Boulton and Watt Making money with steam Boulton applied steam power to coin making, one example was the Imperial Bank Mint at St Petersburg

Octant Some of the original Boulton and Watt engine partsJames Watt: the Scottish instrument maker who was the creative genius behind the engine

Samuel Whitbread: the progressive brewer who used the steam engine to revolutionise the brewing industry Medals, tokens, plaques and coins made in mints such as Boulton’s Soho Mint, Birmingham, EnglandMatthew Boulton: the entrepreneur who saw the potential of the engine andsupplied the finance and manufacturing know-how

Discover more about Boulton, Watt andtheir world in the levels above, using the Gallery 4stairway next to the Strasburg Clock Gallery 3 Gallery 2

Gallery 2: Explore the lives of Boulton and Watt Engine indicator This is another invention of James Watt. Learn more about it on your way down from the galleries above using the other stairway The governor interactive Boulton saw a governor in a grain mill and asked Watt to apply the idea to control engine speed

The governor interactiveSee how the governor works

Gallery 3: Find out why Boulton, Watt and their friends wereknown as ‘lunatics’

Jasperware jewellerymade by Matthew Boultonand Josiah Wedgwood

The Soho Soho SohoManufactory Foundry Insurance Co

Union Birminghamcertificate riot 1792 Birmingham

Coffee potThis belonged to Joseph Banks, the botanist who sailed toAustralia with Captain Cook. Banks met Boulton and Watt atmeetings of the Lunar Society

Gallery 4: Experiment with more of Watt’s inventions and catcha glimpse of life in the 1700s. The sun and planet gear interactive The parallel motion mechanism interactive

From single acting to double acting interactiveSee how the parallel motion mechanism (right) allows the top of the cylinder tobe sealed while letting the piston push the end of the beam up as well as pullingit down (double acting)

Bear baiting The cockpit Gin lane

The blacksmith’s Bird in an Discussing shop air pump an orrery

From up and down to round and round interactive• See how the planet gear drive the sun gear and the flywheel as you move the beam up and down• To move the beam, you will need to give the flywheel a little push if one of the gears is directly above the other• Count the number of turns the sun gear and flywheel make for every stroke of the beam

The engine indicatoranother of James Watt’s inventionYou can see this on theway down the other stairs

Online resources:-• Boulton and Watt engine at the Powerhouse Museum - this includes an 11-min illustrated talk by curator, Debbie Rudder, and panorama view of the engine• Boulton and Watt engine, Powerhouse Museum online collection database• 225th Birthday of our Boulton and Watt engine, Object of the week blog of the Powerhouse Museum• Science Museum’s online animation showing the motion of the Boulton and Watt engine• The Boulton and Watt collection, Birmingham City Council• Matthew Boulton: Bicentenary celebrations 2009, Birmingham City CouncilRelevant Museum programs:-• Steam revolution exhibition• Locomotive No 1 exhibition• Transport exhibition• Marvellous Machine Drawing Adventure, a self guided program for yrs 3-5 Image credit: All images used are from the Powerhouse Museum -: Powerhouse Museum Learning :-

Boulton & Watt engine: pre-visit exhibition slideshow

by Powerhouse Museum on Jan 10, 2011

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