Which option is a type of hydraulic pump?

Which option is a type of hydraulic pump?

• A. Shuttle valve
• B. Piston pump
• C. Pilot valve
• D. Accumulator

Answer: (B)

Hydraulic pumps turn mechanical energy into hydraulic energy by moving fluid. The piston pump fits this role because it uses a piston sliding in a cylinder to trap a fixed amount of fluid and force it out with each stroke, creating flow and pressure. This is the defining feature of a pump: generating flow by displacing fluid. The other items are not pumps. A shuttle valve is a device that selects the higher-pressure source and routes flow, functioning as a valve. A pilot valve is a control valve that uses hydraulic pressure to actuate other components, not a pump. An accumulator stores hydraulic energy by pressing fluid with a gas or spring, but it does not produce flow itself.

Hydraulic pumps turn mechanical energy into hydraulic energy by moving fluid. The piston pump fits this role because it uses a piston sliding in a cylinder to trap a fixed amount of fluid and force it out with each stroke, creating flow and pressure. This is the defining feature of a pump: generating flow by displacing fluid.

The other items are not pumps. A shuttle valve is a device that selects the higher-pressure source and routes flow, functioning as a valve. A pilot valve is a control valve that uses hydraulic pressure to actuate other components, not a pump. An accumulator stores hydraulic energy by pressing fluid with a gas or spring, but it does not produce flow itself.