Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
pump
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Figure 1: External gear pump Figure 2: Internal gear pump Figure 3: Vane pump Figure 4: Volute centrifugal pump Figure 5: Axial flow centrifugal pump Figure 6: Air, or gas, lift pump Labeled diagram of a torque converter for an automatic transmission, showing internal parts like the impeller, turbine, stator, and fluid flow, with arrows indicating how engine power is transferred to the transmission input shaft using automatic transmission fluid.
At a Glance
default image
pump summary
Related Questions
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Figure 1: External gear pump
Figure 1: External gear pump

pump

engineering
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

pump, a device that expends energy in order to raise, transport, or compress fluids. The earliest pumps were devices for raising water, such as the Persian and Roman waterwheels and the more sophisticated Archimedes screw (q.v.). The mining operations of the Middle Ages led to development of the suction (piston) pump, many types of which are described by Georgius Agricola in De re metallica (1556). A suction pump works by atmospheric pressure; when the piston...

Discover the world with Britannica

Subscribe to Continue Reading

Free Trial | No Ads | Exclusive Content
Explore Subscriptions
DNA
Right
Mobile