How pumps work


Pumps overview

A pump is a device used to move gases,irrigation, water supply, air conditioning
liquids, or slurries. A pump moves liquids orsystems, refrigeration (usually called a
gases from lower pressure to higher pressure,compressor), chemical movement, sewage
and overcomes this difference in pressure bymovement, flood control, marine services,
adding energy to the system (such as a wateretc.
system). A gas pump is generally called a
compressor, except in very low pressure-riseBecause of the wide variety of applications,
applications, such as in heating,pumps have a plethora of shapes and sizes:
ventilating, and air-conditioning, thefrom very large to very small, from handling
equipment  is  known  as  fans  or  blowers.gas to handling liquid, from high pressure to
low pressure, and from high volume to low
The earliest pump was described by Archimedesvolume.
in the 3rd century BC and is known as the
Archimedes screw pump. Pumps work by usingPower  source
mechanical forces to push the material,
either by physically lifting, or by the force19th century Dutch diesel pump in Rijswijk,
of  compression.Netherlands Domestic Central Heating
PumpPumps may be powered by an internal
Pumps fall into three categories: positivecombustion engine, electric motor, manually
displacement, kinetic (centrifugal), and jet(as with the hand pump used for pumping
(eductor). Their names describe the methodgroundwater, called walking beam pump), or by
for  moving  a  liquid,  such  as  water.wind power (common for irrigation). Solar
power has been used to power an electric
A positive displacement pump causes a fluidmotor,  for  remote  locations
to move by trapping a fixed volume of water
and then forcing (displacement) that trappedEductor-jet pumps are useful for draining
volume into the receiving pipe. Positiveareas which may contain combustible fluids
displacement pumps can be further classified(which could ignite if exposed to the
as either rotary-type (for example the rotaryworkings of a standard electric or internal
vane pump) or reciprocating-type (for examplecombustion powered pump) or high levels of
the  diaphragm  pump).debris (which could damage screws or blades
in  conventional  pump  designs).
A centrifugal pump causes a fluid to move by
transferring the kinetic (rotational) energyA source of pressurized fluid (e.g. a
from a motor (through an impeller) into waterfirehose) is connected to a chamber which is
pressure  (potential  energy).open on one end, and leads to an exhaust hose
on the other end. The pressurized fluid is
A eductor-jet pump is special type of pumpforced through nozzles (called eductor jets)
without moving parts that uses the kineticmounted axially on the inside of the pump
energy of a fluid to increase the pressure ofchamber, pointed in the direction of the
a  second  fluid.exhaust hose. The passage of the pressurized
fluid through the chamber and into the
Applicationexhaust hose creates a suction on the open
end of the chamber (Venturi effect), such
Pumps are used throughout society for athat any fluid the pump chamber has been
variety of purposes. Early applicationssubmerged in will be drawn into the chamber
includes the use of the windmill or watermilland thence into the exhaust hose along with
to pump water. Today, the pump is used forthe fluid from the eductor jet nozzles.



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