Air Pumps

A manual air pumpset is used by someone to use his or her hands or feet to move air through the pump and into items that require air. Which type of air pump is needed for a given task should be based on a person's decision to use it for what purpose.

Automatic air pumpset usually run on an external power source. Most of the time, the power source is electricity. Some automatic air pumps can drain the battery. However, they are not as powerful as plugging into a power outlet.

Types of air pumps

Let’s have a look at the types of air pumps available.

• Air compressor - An air compressor converts power (gasoline or electric motor) into potential energy. This potential energy is stored in the tank and forces air into the tank, creating a positive pressure. Generally, when a hose is connected to a fuel tank and then opened with a valve or switch, air is ejected from the hose at high speed.
• Bicycle pump - By using a piston in the cylinder, the pump generates pressure by using a check valve and a piston controlled by a handle. A bicycle pump is a vertical manual pump that is used to inflate a bicycle tire. These pumps are very common and can be used to inflate many things.
• Reciprocating pumps - A simple reciprocating pump usually consists of a cylinder block with an inlet, an outlet and a piston. The inlet and outlet are used to direct the airflow, while the piston is used to generate the airflow. When the piston is pulled up, air is drawn into the pump through the inlet. The pump chamber is depressurized when it is full of air. When the piston is depressed, the air is compressed and closes the air intake. The air then flows from the outlet.
• Diaphragm pumps - For air pumps, diaphragm pumps are considered a type of pump that uses positive displacement. A simple diaphragm pump contains a chamber like an elastic diaphragm. After compression, the air in the diaphragm is expelled. When the diaphragm is decompressed, the chamber is refilled with air. A simple example of a diaphragm pump is a foot pump that requires the user to constantly move up and down on the pump to inflate.
• Double-Acting pumps - Reciprocating pumps require a lot of movement to run. To pump a gas-filled cylinder, the user must pull the plunger up and down. Double-acting pumps work more efficiently by using two or more cylinders. When the plunger is pushed down on the double-acting pump, it compresses a cylinder to expel air. At the same time, the other cylinder is pulled apart and sucks air from the outside. When the plunger is pulled backward, the opened cylinder is compressed, and the compressed cylinder is pulled upward.

However, there is a big misconception between a pump and a compressor.

Misconception between a pumpset and compressor

A pump moves a liquid that moves a liquid or a fluid from one place to another. Whereas a compressor is a machine that squeezes a gas into a smaller volume and pumps it.

Although pumps can operate on liquids or gases, compressors usually operate on gas only. That's because the liquid is difficult to compress. The atoms and molecules that make up a liquid are so tightly packed together that you can't really squeeze them tightly together (this is important scientific knowledge that is very useful in hydraulic machinery). High-pressure cleaners produce a powerful stream of water to clean objects, with one exception: they work by squeezing liquids to higher pressures and speeds.

The coffee machine also pressurizes the water to high pressure to make a richer, more delicious drink. When you compress a gas into a smaller space, it increases its pressure and stores energy in it, and you can use it later. We call it potential energy because it has the ability to do something useful in the future. For example, by opening the valve, the compressed gas is allowed to expand and flow again after being stored in a sealed container. This is what happens when you blow up the balloon and tie it around your neck: pressurize the air and store it inside. When you open a balloon, it's like opening a valve. The pressurized gas inside is released and flows out under its own pressure. The pressure of the compressed gas and the stored potential energy allow it to flow completely without any assistance from the pump. In other words, compressed gas is a bit like a gas with a built-in pump.

Comparison between rotary and reciprocating. Which is the best?

A rotary pump is much faster than a reciprocating pump because the fluid is continually entering and leaving; in a reciprocating pump, it's entering half the time and leaving the other half of the time. It's also easier to power with an electric motor than a reciprocating pump because the motor is rotating as well; it's easy to drive one rotating machine with another, and somewhat harder to use a rotating machine (a motor) to drive a reciprocating one (a pump that needs moving back and forth). Generally, rotary pumps are mechanically simpler and more reliable than reciprocating ones because they don't have moving valves that will gradually wear out.