Leonardo da Vinci proposed a screw pump for raising water using a rotating screw.
A screw pump moves water along the inside of a helical surface as the screw turns. Leonardo studied screw-shaped mechanisms in the context of hydraulics and practical engineering. Such a machine could lift water from a lower level to a higher one for drainage, irrigation, or construction.
The underlying principle was not Leonardo’s invention. The Archimedes screw had been described in antiquity and was already a well-known water-raising device. Leonardo’s notebooks nevertheless contain detailed mechanical studies and adaptations of screw mechanisms, showing how he analyzed established technologies and explored new applications.
A screw pump differs from a water wheel, which uses flowing water to produce rotation rather than using rotation to lift water. It also differs from a force pump, which uses a piston and valves. The screw’s helical form is the defining feature of Leonardo’s water-raising design.