How a gas pump hose knows when to stop
It’s amazing how all around us, simple physics to be used in complex ways that we really take for granted, especially when it comes to cars. A famous Youtuber and science author has come up with a really fascinating way to teach a bit about fluid dynamics of an air pump. Turns out, the whole construction is a bit of a genius.
It is a topics we have covered beforebut this video in particular did a great job in terms of visuals explain the incident. Steve Mold may look like the most tired man in Britain, but he has a great way of describing the complex interplay of physics. He uses neat cutouts and a subdivided fuel pump to illustrate how it all works. I’m a confirmed libertarian, and even my cream cheese brain can follow suit.
The entire operation of the fuel pump is based on simple fluid dynamics and the exchange of pressure causing the gas to flow as well as stop when the gas reaches the top of the tank. I could try and parse it for you here, but it’s probably safer to just watch Mold’s videos and engaging visual examples of the concepts involved.
What I am qualified to tell you is the gas pump credited to the immensely popular Sylvanus Freelove Bowser, who sold his first one to an Indiana grocery store in 1885. Originally intended. kerosene pump, Bowser soon realized the pump would match gasoline for the latest invention; car. What are these Driving a car Zimmerman museum to talk about the first pumps, not using physics to stop the flow of fuel, but the forte of the staff:
Although his pump was not originally designed to serve automobiles, in the 1890s Bowser realized that his invention of the kerosene pump could accommodate horseless carriages. He added a hose to his pump, and finally a hose. Staff will count the number of cranks (pumps) they have made with the handle to determine how many gallons have been transferred into the customer’s tank (one crank will equal one gallon).
In general, employees will also put their ears on the car’s gas tank to listen to the sound of refueling. Some employees look down the hole to see how high the gas level is, determining when a customer’s tank is full. These methods proved to be ineffective and dangerous.
By 1910, a dial (to measure the amount of gasoline pumped) was added to the newly manufactured pumps. Retailers opposed to investing in a new pump have outfitted their old, raw pumps with accessory dials. The need for a more precise way to measure what was purchased led to the design of a visible air pump.
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By the 1920s, the pressure valve style seen in the video become popularalong with electric gasoline pumps, although many retain a “vision glass” that allows the driver to see the quality of the gas and the amount of gasoline that has been pumped. These gradually faded as consumer confidence in gas stations increased.