| A pump is a device used to move gases, | | | | air conditioning systems, refrigeration |
| liquids, or slurries. A pump moves | | | | (usually called a compressor), chemical |
| liquids or gases from lower pressure to | | | | movement, sewage movement, flood |
| higher pressure, and overcomes this | | | | control, marine services, etc. |
| difference in pressure by adding energy | | | | Because of the wide variety of |
| to the system (such as a water system). | | | | applications, pumps have a plethora of |
| A gas pump is generally called a | | | | shapes and sizes: from very large to |
| compressor, except in very low | | | | very small, from handling gas to |
| pressure-rise applications, such as in | | | | handling liquid, from high pressure to |
| heating, ventilating, and | | | | low pressure, and from high volume to |
| air-conditioning, the equipment is known | | | | low volume. |
| as fans or blowers. | | | | Power source |
| The earliest pump was described by | | | | 19th century Dutch diesel pump in |
| Archimedes in the 3rd century BC and is | | | | Rijswijk, Netherlands Domestic Central |
| known as the Archimedes screw pump. | | | | Heating PumpPumps may be powered by an |
| Pumps work by using mechanical forces to | | | | internal combustion engine, electric |
| push the material, either by physically | | | | motor, manually (as with the hand pump |
| lifting, or by the force of compression. | | | | used for pumping groundwater, called |
| Pumps fall into three categories: | | | | walking beam pump), or by wind power |
| positive displacement, kinetic | | | | (common for irrigation). Solar power has |
| (centrifugal), and jet (eductor). Their | | | | been used to power an electric motor, |
| names describe the method for moving a | | | | for remote locations |
| liquid, such as water. | | | | Eductor-jet pumps are useful for |
| A positive displacement pump causes a | | | | draining areas which may contain |
| fluid to move by trapping a fixed volume | | | | combustible fluids (which could ignite |
| of water and then forcing (displacement) | | | | if exposed to the workings of a standard |
| that trapped volume into the receiving | | | | electric or internal combustion powered |
| pipe. Positive displacement pumps can be | | | | pump) or high levels of debris (which |
| further classified as either rotary-type | | | | could damage screws or blades in |
| (for example the rotary vane pump) or | | | | conventional pump designs). |
| reciprocating-type (for example the | | | | A source of pressurized fluid (e.g. a |
| diaphragm pump). | | | | firehose) is connected to a chamber |
| A centrifugal pump causes a fluid to | | | | which is open on one end, and leads to |
| move by transferring the kinetic | | | | an exhaust hose on the other end. The |
| (rotational) energy from a motor | | | | pressurized fluid is forced through |
| (through an impeller) into water | | | | nozzles (called eductor jets) mounted |
| pressure (potential energy). | | | | axially on the inside of the pump |
| A eductor-jet pump is special type of | | | | chamber, pointed in the direction of the |
| pump without moving parts that uses the | | | | exhaust hose. The passage of the |
| kinetic energy of a fluid to increase | | | | pressurized fluid through the chamber |
| the pressure of a second fluid. | | | | and into the exhaust hose creates a |
| Application | | | | suction on the open end of the chamber |
| Pumps are used throughout society for a | | | | (Venturi effect), such that any fluid |
| variety of purposes. Early applications | | | | the pump chamber has been submerged in |
| includes the use of the windmill or | | | | will be drawn into the chamber and |
| watermill to pump water. Today, the pump | | | | thence into the exhaust hose along with |
| is used for irrigation, water supply, | | | | the fluid from the eductor jet nozzles. |