This article lists different types of pump and provides a comparison of certain key design features. Different types of pumps are suitable for different applications, for example: a pump's maximum lift height also determines the applications it can be used for. Low-lift pumps are only suitable for the pumping of surface water (e.g., irrigation, drainage of lands, ...), while high-lift pumps allow deep water pumping (e.g., potable water pumping from wells).[1]
Direct lift devices
[edit] Pump type | Cyclic/continuous ? | Maximum lift height | Production cost | Efficiency | Output | Size of device | Fabrication requirements | Difficulty of production | Durability | Difficulty of repair | Suction lift ? |
Continuous bucket pump | continuous | 5m-50m | low-medium | medium | low-medium | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Counterpoise lift or Shadoof | cyclic | 1m-4m | low-medium | low-medium | low-medium | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Mohte | cyclic | 3m-8m | low-medium | low | medium | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Persian wheel "Tablia" | continuous | 3m-10m | low-medium | medium | medium | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Persian wheel "Zawaffa" | continuous | 3m-15m | medium | medium-high | medium-high | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Pivoting gutters and "dhones" | cyclic | 1m-1,5m | low-medium | low-medium | low-medium | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Reciprocating bucket hoist | cyclic | 100m-500m | medium-high | medium | medium-high | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | no |
Rope & bucket and windlass | cyclic | 5m-50m | very low | very low | very low | ? | ? | basic | ? | ? | no |
Scoops and bailers | cyclic | >1m | very low | very low | low-medium | ? | ? | basic | ? | ? | no |
Scoop wheel "Sakia" | continuous | >2m | medium-high | medium-high | medium-high | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Swing basket | cyclic | >1m | very low | very low | low-medium | ? | ? | basic | ? | ? | no |
Waterwheels or noria | continuous | >5m | low-medium | low-medium | low-medium | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Watering car | cyclic | >3m | very low | very low | very low | ? | ? | basic | ? | ? | no |
Pump type | Cyclic/continuous ? | Maximum lift height | Production cost | Efficiency | Output | Size of device | Fabrication requirements | Difficulty of production | Durability | Difficulty of repair | Suction lift ? |
Archimedean screw | continuous | >2m | medium | medium | medium-high | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | no |
Chain (or rope) and washer pump | continuous | 3m-20m | medium-high | medium-high | medium | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Coil pump and spiral pump | continuous | >6m | medium | medium | low-medium | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Diaphragm pump | cyclic | 5m-10m | medium | medium-high | medium | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | yes |
Flash wheel and treadmill | >2m | low-medium | low-medium | medium-high | ? | ? | ? | traditional/industrial | ? | ? | no |
Flexible vane pump | continuous | 10m-20m | medium-high | medium | medium | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | yes |
Gas or vapour displacement pump | cyclic | 5m-50m | medium | medium | medium-high | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | no/yes |
Gear and lobe pump | continuous | 10m-20m | medium | low-medium | very low | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | yes |
Open screw pump | continuous | >6m | high | medium-high | medium-high | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | no |
Peristaltic pump | continuous | >3m | medium | medium | very low | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | yes |
Petropump | continuous | 10m-100m | medium-high | high | low-medium | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | ? |
Porous rope | continuous | 3m-10m | ? | ? | low-medium | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | no |
Progressive cavity pump (Moyno) | continuous | 10m-100m | medium-high | medium-high | medium | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | no |
Piston pump, bucket pump | cyclic | 2m-200m | medium-high | high | medium | ? | ? | traditional/industrial | ? | ? | yes |
Plunger pump | cyclic | 100m-500m | high | medium-high | low-medium | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | yes |
Pulser Pump | cyclic | 1-300m | low-medium | low | low-medium | small-huge | ? | traditional | very high | easy | no |
Semi-rotary pump | cyclic | 5m-10m | low-medium | low-medium | low-medium | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | yes |
Water ladder | cyclic | >2m | medium | medium | medium | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Pump type | Cyclic/continuous ? | Maximum lift height | Production cost | Efficiency | Output | Size of device | Fabrication requirements | Difficulty of production | Durability | Difficulty of repair | Suction lift ? |
Centrifugal (regenerative) pump | continuous | 10m-30m | medium-high | medium | medium | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | yes |
Centrifugal (turbine) pump | continuous | 3m-200m | medium-high | medium-high | high | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | yes |
Centrifugal (volute) pump | continuous | 3m-20m | medium | medium-high | high | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | yes |
Flap valve pump | ? | 2m-4m | very low | low-medium | very low | ? | ? | basic/traditional | ? | ? | no |
Inertia pump, joggle pump | cyclic | 2m-4m | low-medium | medium-high | low-medium | ? | ? | traditional, industrial | ? | ? | no |
Jet pump (water, air or stream) | continuous | 2m-20m | medium | low-medium | low-medium | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | no |
Mixed flow pump | continuous | 2m-10m | medium-high | medium-high | high | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | no |
Propeller (axial flow) pump | continuous | 5m-30m | medium-high | medium-high | high | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | no |
Rebound inertia | cyclic | 2m-60m | medium | medium-high | very low | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | yes |
Resonating joggle pump | cyclic | 2m-10m | medium | medium-high | medium-high | ? | ? | traditional | ? | ? | no |
Pump type | Cyclic/continuous | Maximum lift height | Production cost | Efficiency | Output | Size of device | Fabrication requirements | Difficulty of production | Durability | Difficulty of repair | Suction lift ? |
Airlift pump | Continuous (with collector) | 5m-50m | medium-high | low-medium | medium | ? | ? | industrial | ? | ? | no |
Pump type | Cyclic/continuous ? | Maximum lift height | Production cost | Efficiency | Output | Size of device | Fabrication requirements | Difficulty of production | Durability | Difficulty of repair | Suction lift ? |
Hydraulic ram | cyclic | 10m-100m | medium | low-medium | low | ? | requires flowing water as power source (e.g. river) | industrial | high | ? | no |
Note: reciprocating pumps are cyclic, rotary pumps are typically continuous.