Force pump and fire engine (Ctesibius)
Bomba de pistón y bomba contra incendios (sipho)
- Date
- c. 270 BCE · confidence medium
- Place
- Alexandria, Egypt
- Credited to
- Ctesibius of Alexandria
- Field
- Tools
What it is
A force pump with two bronze cylinders, pistons and flap valves that drives water under pressure in a continuous jet. The first fluid-pressure machine, the basis of ancient pneumatics.
Roman bronze and wooden pumps survive (Bolsena, Silchester) that follow Ctesibius's design.
What it led to
- Roman fire brigades (vigiles) with fire-fighting pumps
- Pumping out mines and ships, and ornamental fountains
- Pneumatics and hydraulics as disciplines (Heron, Philo)
- The piston-cylinder-valve concept inherited by the steam engine
Built on
- Archimedes' screwc. 250 BCE
- Bronze casting
- Windlass
- Valve
Made possible
- Aeolipile and Heron's automatac. 60 CE
- Greek firec. 672 CE
- Fire engine with hose1518 (Platner) / 1672 (Van der Heyden) / 1721 (Newsham)
- hydraulic organ
- Roman mine pump
- Hero's aeolipile