Which Leonardo da Vinci design used a spiral screw to lift water?

Leonardo da Vinci studied and designed versions of the Archimedes’ screw to lift water.

An Archimedes’ screw consists of a helical surface inside a tube or around a shaft. When it rotates, water caught between the turns moves upward. Leonardo examined the device as part of his investigations into hydraulics, canals, drainage, and mechanical power, and his notebooks contain detailed studies of screws and water-lifting machinery.

The basic invention is traditionally associated with Archimedes of Syracuse, who lived in the third century BCE. Leonardo therefore did not originate the ancient water-lifting principle, but he redesigned and analyzed mechanical devices using it. This distinction prevents a common mix-up between Leonardo’s engineering studies and inventions created by him from scratch.

Archimedes’ screws remain useful today for moving water, wastewater, grain, and other materials. Their low-speed operation and ability to handle debris make them valuable in pumping stations.