Compressor vs. Pump — What's the Difference?

Utilizes pressure to operate.

Used in both industrial and residential settings.

Often involves heat exchange.

Designs vary from centrifugal to diaphragm.

A machine that compresses gases.

A device that moves fluids through mechanical action.

Varies in type (reciprocating, rotary).

Can handle various fluid viscosities.

Essential for gas transport and storage.

Integral to fluid management systems.

A compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. An air compressor is a specific type of gas compressor.

A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they use to move the fluid: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps.Pumps operate by some mechanism (typically reciprocating or rotary), and consume energy to perform mechanical work moving the fluid.

A pump or other machine that increases the pressure of a gas.

A machine or device for raising, compressing, or transferring fluids.

An instrument or device that compresses, such as a forceps or clamp.

(Physiology)A molecular mechanism for the active transport of ions or molecules across a cell membrane.

A muscle that causes compression of a body part.

(Physics)Electromagnetic radiation used to raise atoms or molecules to a higher energy level.

A device that produces pressure, such as a gas compressor that produces pressurized gas.

(Informal)The heart.

A device that squeezes (compresses).

(Informal)The place where consumers purchase gasoline. Used with the:gas prices rising at the pump.

An instrument for compressing an artery (especially the femoral artery) or other part.

A shoe that has a closed back and is cut low around the toes, usually with heels and no fastenings.

An apparatus for confining or flattening between glass plates an object to be examined with the microscope; a compressorium.

To draw, deliver, or pour forth:a writer who pumped out a new novel every year.

A machine for compressing gases, especially an air compressor.

To propel, eject, or insert:pumped new life into the economy.

(audio) A device that reduces the dynamic range of an audio signal.

To cause to move with an up-and-down or back-and-forth motion:a bicyclist pumping the pedals; a piston pumping a shaft.

(anatomy) A muscle that compresses certain parts.

To push or pull (a brake or lever, for instance) rapidly:a driver pumping the brakes.

(computing) A program or algorithm for compressing data.

(Physics)To raise (atoms or molecules) to a higher energy level by exposing them to electromagnetic radiation at a resonant frequency.

Anything which serves to compress

(Physiology)To transport (ions or molecules) against a concentration gradient by the expenditure of chemically stored energy.

A mechanical device that compresses gasses

To invest (money) repeatedly or persistently in something.

To question closely or persistently:pump a witness for secret information.

(Informal)To promote or publicize vigorously:The company pumped its new product on its website.

To operate a pump.

To move gas or liquid with a pump or a pumplike organ or device.

(Sports)To fake a throw, pass, or shot by moving the arm or arms without releasing the ball.

A device for moving or compressing a liquid or gas.

An instance of the action of a pump; one stroke of a pump; any action similar to pumping

A device for dispensing liquid or gas to be sold, particularly fuel.

(colloquial) A ride on a bicycle given to a passenger, usually on the handlebars or fender.

The heart.

(British) A low-top shoe with a rubber sole and a canvas upper; a low-top canvas sneaker.

A type of women's shoe which leaves the instep uncovered and has a relatively high heel, especially a stiletto (with a very high and thin heel)

A dancing shoe.

A type of shoe without a heel.en

To use a pump; to move (water or other liquid) by means of a pump.

(obsolete) To put (a person or part of the body) under a stream of water from a pump, as a punishment or as a form of medical treatment; to force a pump of water upon or on someone.

(transitive) To gain information from (a person) by persistent questioning.

(British slang) To copulate.

To fill with air by means of a pump; to inflate.

(transitive) To move rhythmically, as the motion of a pump.

(bodybuilding) To enlarge the body by means of weightlifting or steroid use.

(transitive) To shake (a person's hand) vigorously.

Of music: to be loud, to have strong bass and rhythms; by extension to be full of energy.

(sports) To kick, throw, or hit the ball far and high.

To pass gas; to fart quietly.

(computing) To pass (messages) into a program so that it can obey them.

2005 and the .NET 2.0 Platform

(colloquial) To inject silicone into the body in order to try to achieve a fuller or curvier look.

A low shoe with a thin sole.

An hydraulic machine, variously constructed, for raising or transferring fluids, consisting essentially of a moving piece or piston working in a hollow cylinder or other cavity, with valves properly placed for admitting or retaining the fluid as it is drawn or driven through them by the action of the piston.

To raise with a pump, as water or other liquid.

To draw water, or the like, from; to from water by means of a pump; as, they pumped the well dry; to pump a ship.

Figuratively, to draw out or obtain, as secrets or money, by persistent questioning or plying; to question or ply persistently in order to elicit something, as information, money, etc.

To work, or raise water, a pump.

A mechanical device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction

A low-cut shoe without fastenings

Operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal

Deliver forth;

Draw or pour with a pump

Supply in great quantities;

Flow intermittently

Move up and down;

Raise (gases oor fluids) with a pump

Question persistently;

No, compressors are designed to work with gases only.

In air conditioning, refrigeration, and industrial gas compression.

To increase the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.

Centrifugal, diaphragm, and piston.

To move fluids from one place to another.

Yes, some pumps are capable of moving gases, although they are primarily used for liquids.

Through regular checks on seals, valves, and cooling systems.

Type of fluid, flow rate, and pressure requirements.

In water supply, oil transport, and chemical processing.

Compressor efficiency depends on the type and gas properties, while pump efficiency depends on the pump design and fluid properties.

Reciprocating, rotary, and centrifugal.

Type of gas, required pressure, and application.

By monitoring seals, impellers, and motors.

No, because compressors are not designed to handle liquids.

Depends on the specific application and design of each machine.