This is the first pump in the world: the Archimedes screw pump.
The pump consists of a helical screw rotating inside a cylindrical tube. As the screw turns, water is lifted upwards along the spiral. The contact surface between the screw and the tube does not need to be sealed; it only needs to ensure that the amount of water pumped up with each turn is greater than the amount leaking out. If water flows from a higher cross-section to a lower one, it will be lifted again on the next rotation.
Over time, the application range of the Archimedes screw pump has expanded, with the ability to transport solid materials such as grains or gravel.
If water flows downwards, it will cause the screw to rotate, allowing the central shaft to operate a generator. Using this principle, the first reverse screw hydroelectric plant in the world was built in the United States in 2017.
