Piston pump
device · 250 BC · Ancient world
Ctesibius’s pump: a piston draws in and pushes out liquid.
What it is made of
- Piston — has part. The piston draws in and pushes out liquid.
- Cylinder — has part. The piston moves in a cylinder.
- Check valve — has part. Check valves direct the flow.
Principles and materials it uses
- Pressure — uses. The pump creates a pressure difference.
Where it is used
- Fire pump — is part of. A fire pump is a piston pump.
- Newcomen engine — is part of. The beam drove a mine pump.
- Greek fire — is used in. It was projected by a siphon pump.
- Artificial heart — is part of. A pulsatile pump.
- Spray bottle — is part of. A hand pump.
- Concrete pump — is part of. A piston pump.
- Diving suit — is part of. Air was pumped from the surface.
- Jack — is part of. A hand plunger pump.
History: what it evolved from and what it influenced
- Watt steam engine — evolved into. The first steam engines (Newcomen’s) pumped water out of mines by driving pumps.
- Vacuum pump — evolved into. Guericke adapted the piston pump to pump out air.
Things built in a similar way
- Syringe — works like. A syringe is a hand-operated piston pump.