From the Crystal Palace to the Pump Room

This article discusses centrifugal pumps and compressors that have reached efficiency levels above 90 percent and are built in sizes ranging from a few watts to megawatts. As machines have evolved to handle a wider range of liquids and gases at higher pressures and temperatures, whole industries have become dependent on them. The centrifugal impellers in these pumps and compressors make them among the most complex fluid machines ever built. The development of the centrifugal impeller has been helped because the device can be used in both pumps and compressors. The earliest development occurred in pumps, which were more advanced than compressors until early in the 20th century.