ourpump.com blog

The vacuum pump is a genius invention that plays a role in many parts of our lives. Vacuum pumps are used in our air conditioning units, in our cars, in our airplanes, and even in some of the medical processes used today. Though it was a technology that took some time to develop, comparatively speaking, it is a technology that was well worth waiting for.

The initial vacuum pump was designed in the 1650’s by a man named Otto van Guericke. This pump created a vacuum by pulling gas molecules from a sealed space. Otto Guericke’s theory lay in the belief that if two pieces of a whole, say a sphere, were connected and the air was sucked out of the sphere, nothing would be able to cause the two halves to separate. His theory was proven correct and, initially the response was good, with more tests and demonstrations being performed throughout the 1650’s. Over time things trickled off, however. Vacuum pumps were still tested but not widely used because they did not produce enough suction.

In the late 1690’s a vacuum pump was patented in England. This pump was known as the Thomas Savery pump. Many modern pumps have been designed after this one pump.

Experimentation and testing with vacuum technology continued until 1855 when Heinrich Geissler created the mercury displacement pump, which was even better than the Guericke’s invention.

Fast forward a few hundred years to where vacuum pumps are a part of our everyday lives. As mentioned before, the technology took time to develop properly, nearly three hundred years, but it was well worth the wait. You’ll find vacuum pumps being used by firefighters in their rescue missions, by doctors administering radiotherapy, in freeze drying processes, and throughout sewage systems.

You’ll also find a bunch of different types of pumps, ranging from low and medium, to high pressure pumps. Low and medium pumps are more simply made. Medium pumps are used in aircraft as part of the heading and altitude systems while low pressure pumps are often part of the air conditioning units. High pressure pumps are usually those used in hydraulic systems. They are more complex than low and medium pressure and are usually made custom for each job they are required for.

Most of the history of the vacuum pump centers on testing and perfecting the science, building upon the discoveries of earlier inventors. Three hundred years is a long time to master the art of creating a vacuum pump, and the time has been put to good use. The pumps have been altered and perfected, and are now being put to good use.