
To learn more about Archimedes and his contributions, check out the following websites: Can you explain how an Archimedes screw works?.What are some modern uses of the Archimedes screw?.What areas of science did Archimedes study?.What other inventions did Archimedes develop?.Have fun and remember that Archimedes loved solving difficult problems! Design the most-efficient pump using the materials listed in the Materials and Equipment list below. In this science project, step into Archimedes' shoes. The pitch or period is the length of one cycle of the blade. But there are other parameters that are utilized to optimize the efficiency of the screw for instance, the inner radius (the distance from the center of the core to the inner wall of the hollow cylinder), the number of blades, and the pitch of the blades (Rorres, 2000). The site of the fluid to be moved and the amount of fluid to be moved determine the outer radius of the Archimedes screw (the distance from the center of the core to the outer wall of the hollow cylinder), the length of the tool, and how much the tool has to be tilted (the slope). The screw is turned and water is scooped up from the river and makes its way up the screw pockets to the canal. Here is an inside view of an Archimedes screw pump. This motion continues until finally the first scoop of water comes out at the other end.įigure 2. On the next turn of the screw, the first pocket of water moves to the second pocket, and a new scoop of water enters the first pocket. As the screw moves, it scoops up a small amount of water into the first pocket. To use this device as a pump, one end is placed in a low-lying fluid source and then tilted up into a discharge tank. The helical blades create pockets between the core and the inner wall of the hollow cylinder. Helical blades are wound around the core and are secured tightly against the hollow cylinder. The core sits inside of the hollow cylinder. The Archimedes screw is made up of a hollow cylinder and a cylindrical core. A positive-displacement pump traps an amount of fluid from a source and then forces the fluid to move to a discharge location. The Archimedes screw is a positive-displacement pump.

It's a tool that has never gone out of style. For instance, it is used to lift wastewater in treatment plants and even to lift water at the Shipwreck Rapids water ride at Sea World in San Diego, California. The design is so effective that it is still being used in many modern-day applications. The Archimedes screw was also used to transport water from low-lying areas up to irrigation ditches. The screw was very effective because it got rid of the water and only required one person to operate it. This ship proved to be leaky and Archimedes had to design a device to rid the hull of bilge water. The King of Syracuse requested that Archimedes build the biggest luxury ship possible.
