Comparison of pumps
      
This article lists different types of pump and provides a comparison of certain key design features. Different types of pumps are suitable for different applications, for example: a pump's maximum lift height also determines the applications it can be used for. Low-lift pumps are only suitable for the pumping of surface water (e.g., irrigation, drainage of lands, ...), while high-lift pumps allow deep water pumping (e.g., potable water pumping from wells).[1]
Direct lift devices
|  Pump type | 
 Cyclic/continuous ? | 
 Maximum lift height | 
 Production cost | 
 Efficiency | 
 Output | 
 Size of device | 
 Fabrication requirements | 
 Difficulty of production | 
 Durability | 
 Difficulty of repair | 
 Suction lift ? | 
|  Continuous bucket pump | 
 continuous | 
 5m-50m | 
 low-medium | 
 medium | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Counterpoise lift or Shadoof | 
 cyclic | 
 1m-4m | 
 low-medium | 
 low-medium | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Mohte | 
 cyclic | 
 3m-8m | 
 low-medium | 
 low | 
 medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Persian wheel "Tablia" | 
 continuous | 
 3m-10m | 
 low-medium | 
 medium | 
 medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Persian wheel "Zawaffa" | 
 continuous | 
 3m-15m | 
 medium | 
 medium-high | 
 medium-high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Pivoting gutters and "dhones" | 
 cyclic | 
 1m-1,5m | 
 low-medium | 
 low-medium | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Reciprocating bucket hoist | 
 cyclic | 
 100m-500m | 
 medium-high | 
 medium | 
 medium-high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Rope & bucket and windlass | 
 cyclic | 
 5m-50m | 
 very low | 
 very low | 
 very low | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 basic | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Scoops and bailers | 
 cyclic | 
 >1m | 
 very low | 
 very low | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 basic | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Scoop wheel "Sakia" | 
 continuous | 
 >2m | 
 medium-high | 
 medium-high | 
 medium-high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Swing basket | 
 cyclic | 
 >1m | 
 very low | 
 very low | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 basic | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Waterwheels or noria | 
 continuous | 
 >5m | 
 low-medium | 
 low-medium | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Watering car | 
 cyclic | 
 >3m | 
 very low | 
 very low | 
 very low | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 basic | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
Displacement pumps
|  Pump type | 
 Cyclic/continuous ? | 
 Maximum lift height | 
 Production cost | 
 Efficiency | 
 Output | 
 Size of device | 
 Fabrication requirements | 
 Difficulty of production | 
 Durability | 
 Difficulty of repair | 
 Suction lift ? | 
|  Archimedean screw | 
 continuous | 
 >2m | 
 medium | 
 medium | 
 medium-high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Chain (or rope) and washer pump | 
 continuous | 
 3m-20m | 
 medium-high | 
 medium-high | 
 medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Coil pump and spiral pump | 
 continuous | 
 >6m | 
 medium | 
 medium | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Diaphragm pump | 
 cyclic | 
 5m-10m | 
 medium | 
 medium-high | 
 medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Flash wheel and treadmill | 
 >2m | 
 low-medium | 
 low-medium | 
 medium-high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional/industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Flexible vane pump | 
 continuous | 
 10m-20m | 
 medium-high | 
 medium | 
 medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Gas or vapour displacement pump | 
 cyclic | 
 5m-50m | 
 medium | 
 medium | 
 medium-high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no/yes | 
|  Gear and lobe pump | 
 continuous | 
 10m-20m | 
 medium | 
 low-medium | 
 very low | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Open screw pump | 
 continuous | 
 >6m | 
 high | 
 medium-high | 
 medium-high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Peristaltic pump | 
 continuous | 
 >3m | 
 medium | 
 medium | 
 very low | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Petropump | 
 continuous | 
 10m-100m | 
 medium-high | 
 high | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
|  Porous rope | 
 continuous | 
 3m-10m | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Progressive cavity pump (Moyno) | 
 continuous | 
 10m-100m | 
 medium-high | 
 medium-high | 
 medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Piston pump, bucket pump | 
 cyclic | 
 2m-200m | 
 medium-high | 
 high | 
 medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional/industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Plunger pump | 
 cyclic | 
 100m-500m | 
 high | 
 medium-high | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Pulser Pump | 
 cyclic | 
 1-300m | 
 low-medium | 
 low | 
 low-medium | 
 small-huge | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 very high | 
 easy | 
 no | 
|  Semi-rotary pump | 
 cyclic | 
 5m-10m | 
 low-medium | 
 low-medium | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Water ladder | 
 cyclic | 
 >2m | 
 medium | 
 medium | 
 medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
Velocity pumps
|  Pump type | 
 Cyclic/continuous ? | 
 Maximum lift height | 
 Production cost | 
 Efficiency | 
 Output | 
 Size of device | 
 Fabrication requirements | 
 Difficulty of production | 
 Durability | 
 Difficulty of repair | 
 Suction lift ? | 
|  Centrifugal (regenerative) pump | 
 continuous | 
 10m-30m | 
 medium-high | 
 medium | 
 medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Centrifugal (turbine) pump | 
 continuous | 
 3m-200m | 
 medium-high | 
 medium-high | 
 high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Centrifugal (volute) pump | 
 continuous | 
 3m-20m | 
 medium | 
 medium-high | 
 high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Flap valve pump | 
 ? | 
 2m-4m | 
 very low | 
 low-medium | 
 very low | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 basic/traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Inertia pump, joggle pump | 
 cyclic | 
 2m-4m | 
 low-medium | 
 medium-high | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional, industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Jet pump (water, air or stream) | 
 continuous | 
 2m-20m | 
 medium | 
 low-medium | 
 low-medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Mixed flow pump | 
 continuous | 
 2m-10m | 
 medium-high | 
 medium-high | 
 high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Propeller (axial flow) pump | 
 continuous | 
 5m-30m | 
 medium-high | 
 medium-high | 
 high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
|  Rebound inertia | 
 cyclic | 
 2m-60m | 
 medium | 
 medium-high | 
 very low | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 yes | 
|  Resonating joggle pump | 
 cyclic | 
 2m-10m | 
 medium | 
 medium-high | 
 medium-high | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 traditional | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
Buoyancy pumps
|  Pump type | 
 Cyclic/continuous | 
 Maximum lift height | 
 Production cost | 
 Efficiency | 
 Output | 
 Size of device | 
 Fabrication requirements | 
 Difficulty of production | 
 Durability | 
 Difficulty of repair | 
 Suction lift ? | 
|  Air lift | 
 Continuous
 (with collector)  | 
 5m-50m | 
 medium-high | 
 low-medium | 
 medium | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 industrial | 
 ? | 
 ? | 
 no | 
Impulse pumps
|  Pump type | 
 Cyclic/continuous ? | 
 Maximum lift height | 
 Production cost | 
 Efficiency | 
 Output | 
 Size of device | 
 Fabrication requirements | 
 Difficulty of production | 
 Durability | 
 Difficulty of repair | 
 Suction lift ? | 
|  Hydraulic ram | 
 cyclic | 
 10m-100m | 
 medium | 
 low-medium | 
 low | 
 ? | 
 requires flowing water as power source (e.g. river) | 
 industrial | 
 high | 
 ? | 
 no | 
Note:  reciprocating pumps are cyclic, rotary pumps are typically continuous.
References