- device that moves fluids (liquids or gases) by mechanical action
- types: centrifugal, positive displacement (piston, gear, peristaltic), vacuum
- centrifugal: rotating impeller (wheel) converts kinetic energy to pressure
- positive displacement: traps fixed volume and forces it through outlet
- critical for irrigation, municipal water supply, industrial processes
- the heart is a biological pump: four-chamber positive displacement
- powered by engine or electric motor
- hydraulic systems use pumps to transmit force through confined fluid
- vacuum pumps enabled the discovery of semiconductor physics and space telescope optics
- energy cost of pumping is a major factor in agriculture and construction