What pump did Leonardo da Vinci design that used centrifugal force to move water?

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Leonardo da Vinci designed a centrifugal pump that used rotating motion to move water outward and through a system.

A centrifugal pump raises or moves liquid by spinning an impeller. Rotation gives the liquid kinetic energy, and the surrounding casing helps convert that motion into pressure and flow. Leonardo's studies of water included devices for lifting, directing, and controlling it, making this pump part of a larger program of hydraulic engineering.

The surviving design is important as an early attempt to apply rotating machinery to fluid movement. It should not be confused with the modern industrial centrifugal pumps that use precisely manufactured impellers, seals, and motors. Leonardo's drawing is a Renaissance mechanical concept, and its exact practical performance depends on how the proposed parts were built.

A screw pump moves water through the action of a rotating helical surface, while a reciprocating pump uses repeated back-and-forth motion. A centrifugal pump instead depends on continuous rotation and outward acceleration of the liquid.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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