Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How does a piston pump force fluid through its outlet valve?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
pump
Figure 1: External gear pump
A piston pump forces fluid through its outlet valve by utilizing a reciprocating motion within a cylinder. As the piston moves inward, the volume available inside the cylinder decreases. This reduction in volume causes the pressure of the fluid to increase, which subsequently forces the fluid out through the outlet valve.1