On this day, 327 years ago, on July 2, 1698 (May 25, 1698, the lunar calendar), Thomas Saveri patented the steam engine. Thomas Saveri obtained the patent for the steam engine on July 2, 1698! Thomas Savery was a British military engineer and one of the world's first inventors of steam engines. In 1698, he obtained a British patent titled "Friends of the Miners". He filled an egg-shaped container with steam, then closed the steam inlet valve, and sprayed cold water on the outside of the container to condense the steam in the container to form a vacuum. Open the water inlet valve, and water at the bottom of the mine is sucked into the container through the water inlet pipe under the influence of atmospheric pressure; close the water inlet valve, reopen the steam inlet valve, and press the water in the container out of the drain valve by means of steam pressure. When the water in the container is emptied and filled with steam, close the steam inlet valve and drain valve, and spray water again to condense the steam. Repeatedly cycling in this way, two egg-shaped containers are used to work alternately to continuously drain water. Safri's water pumps rely on the suction of vacuum to draw water, and the water can not be drawn more than six meters deep. In order to draw water from a mine dozens of meters deep, a water lifter had to be installed deep in the mine, and high steam pressure could be used to raise the water pressure to the ground, which was undoubtedly difficult and dangerous at that time. Later, more improved steam engines appeared, the most famous of which was Watt. These improved engines made great contributions to the European Industrial Revolution. In fact, this is the case for many inventions. The patentee is not known to future generations, while the person who makes the improvement has a prominent reputation. Anyway, this invention was named one of the best inventions ever made by the judges of Time magazine in the United States.