What type of machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to pump water in his canal projects?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a centrifugal pump to move water in connection with canal projects.

Leonardo’s notebooks contain studies of pumps, water wheels, screws, and other hydraulic machines. In a centrifugal-pump concept, rotating blades or a rotating vessel impart motion to water and direct it outward, allowing water to be lifted or transferred. The principle is central to many modern pumps.

Leonardo was not the first person to study water-lifting devices. Ancient engineers had already used devices such as the Archimedes screw, and Renaissance engineers developed several forms of pump. Leonardo’s importance comes from his detailed observation, mechanical drawings, and attempts to improve efficiency and control.

The drawings are design studies rather than proof that Leonardo built a modern industrial centrifugal pump. Some attributions in popular summaries are too broad, because Leonardo investigated multiple pump forms rather than one single finished machine.