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How gas pumps know when to turn themselves off

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  • Steve Mould
    Steve Mould  6 ай бұрын +5666

    If I've set things up right, the title of this video should say "gas" for US people, and "petrol" for UK people! If you're in one of those countries, can you confirm?
    The sponsor is 80,000 Hours: head to 80000hours.org/steve to start planning a career that is meaningful, fulfilling, and helps solve one of the world’s most pressing problems.

    • Mdu Shozi
      Mdu Shozi 12 сағат бұрын

      I’m in South Africa and it says Petrol thanks

    • Fadafacka McAlguien
      Fadafacka McAlguien 26 күн бұрын

      I'm in Netherlands and it says gas 🤔

    • Polish Gigachad
      Polish Gigachad Ай бұрын

      Petrol in poland

    • karl thunder axe
      karl thunder axe 2 ай бұрын

      i'm in canada and it says gas

    • hav3n
      hav3n 6 ай бұрын

      unfortunately for me, a fellow bri'ish person, it shows gas.

  • Mostly Insects
    Mostly Insects 6 ай бұрын +23331

    It’s brave of you to think I can afford to fill my tank until the pump stops Steve lol

    • Don Córdova
      Don Córdova 9 күн бұрын

      Jajajjajajjjajja

    • smart451cab
      smart451cab 18 күн бұрын

      Geo Metros, not so much. And, it should go without saying that the safety of driving a smart makes a Metro seem terrifying in comparison. There is no reasonable comparison between the two.

    • smart451cab
      smart451cab 18 күн бұрын +1

      @Goriller No, not really. A smart gets about 35 in city driving, low 40s on the highway. Those numbers are pretty easy to beat. But, buying a smart for gas mileage alone would be a mistake.
      The mileage isn't terrible, but it's not the king of gas mileage either. They're a kick to drive though.

    • Goriller
      Goriller 18 күн бұрын

      @smart451cab smart cars are the kings of gas mileage, or geo metros

    • smart451cab
      smart451cab 18 күн бұрын

      @Goriller Hmmm, my smart's tank holds 8 gallons, and that's good for 300 miles. I even pay extra for premium fuel, sometimes for ethanol free fuel for an extra kick, without taking out a loan.
      Plus, I get a roof over my head in rainy weather and air conditioning in hot weather.
      I consider it my four wheel motorcycle, with benefits. And, it's a kick to drive with its paddle shifters and Porche worthy handling. Taking it into the mountain twisties and I can outrun all but the sports bikes, who are dragging their feet to keep up.

  • Worlds Okayest Engineer
    Worlds Okayest Engineer 2 ай бұрын +57

    I’m a an engineer and I used to work for the company that originally created that design. Actually, I redesigned that ball bearing mechanism. I can confirm that you are correct in your assessment of how it works. Also, most gas nozzles have a second diaphragm or plunger (not membrane) that deflects when there is pressure in the fuel line. It is used for prepay fill up. When you hit the prepay amount the dispenser shuts off, the pressure in the nozzle drops and that second diaphragm which is spring biased up will move and shut the nozzle off. There is a third shutoff in some nozzles that is called an attitude device. When a … moron… pulls a flowing nozzle out of a car’s fill pipe, a ball bearing blocks the pickup tube and shuts the nozzle off.

    • Black Mesa
      Black Mesa Күн бұрын

      Anti-moron mechanism lol

    • CZRaS
      CZRaS Күн бұрын +1

      I'm the bearing and I can confirm this is a lie

    • Sleepy Joe Scumbag
      Sleepy Joe Scumbag 2 күн бұрын

      Cool story Mr "I am an Engineer"

    • Ritesh Dhakate
      Ritesh Dhakate 3 күн бұрын +1

      Please make a video about that too :P It's quite difficult to understand how prepay is hit and what happens when a moron pulls out a flowing nozzle out of the car.

  • JLAutoRepair
    JLAutoRepair 3 ай бұрын +480

    Excellent explanation. It was worth the effort you put into that illustration. Thanks to that I have understood perfectly how something that I always ask myself works. You have made all of that seem so easy now, and it really is, but to most of us it seems more complex than reality. Thanks and greetings from Tampa, Florida.

    • Kimberley Sanchez
      Kimberley Sanchez Ай бұрын

      I totally agree. I'm so impressed that he built the models & presented the effect so clearly. Very interesting - I'm a fan now.

    • Trevor Carlisle
      Trevor Carlisle Ай бұрын +1

      I know! I was thinking "wow, I actually understand this model that he made."😂 Give him much props for that 👌

  • M
    M 3 ай бұрын +323

    Pretty complex mechanism. I always thought it's somewhat simplier. Very good vid Steve.

    • The Muckler
      The Muckler Ай бұрын

      It is simple. Basic pipe fitter knowledge

    • Lord Zordid
      Lord Zordid 2 ай бұрын +6

      @Glum Reaper If it was so simple, in the old days they would have used the system to fill up their horses.

    • Glum Reaper
      Glum Reaper 2 ай бұрын +14

      Its very simple mechanically if you think of the two parts as a sensor and a signal not to mention whatever it takes to close the valve. These gas pumps basically take a three part problem and use two mechanisms to solve all three. The beauty of the design is that both operate with only fluid dynamics. Most other sensors require a bit of chemistry or some other physical property (to detect a chemical presence) and a bit of electricity (to transmit the signal) as well as moving parts to operate the valve.

  • BigMilk13
    BigMilk13 4 ай бұрын +61

    Many youtubers wouldn't have taken the time to craft the supplementary models that you made for this explanation, but I am SO GLAD you did. I'm a big visual learner and those models were excellent (and I can tell you had fun making them as well).Thanks for answering yet another question I didn't know I had!

  • durlav dhadumia
    durlav dhadumia 2 ай бұрын +128

    Thank you for explaining this! These old mechanical techniques of automation are fascinating!

  • Donald Sayers
    Donald Sayers 6 ай бұрын +2100

    As a (retired) technology teacher, I can respect the huge investment in time and energy needed to make and test those models. Also your perspex models are getting better as you learn. Good jobs all round.

    • Graham Wideman
      Graham Wideman Күн бұрын

      @ALakes Show us your data demonstrating that "teachers have to announce they are a teacher everywhere they go". How would you know all the times that teachers did not announce their professions? Sad (apparently).

    • John Andrew Cameron
      John Andrew Cameron 7 күн бұрын

      @ALakes It's enormously relevant here though isn't it.

    • ALakes
      ALakes 12 күн бұрын

      @Donald Sayers I never said I had a poor opinion of the profession. I find it funny yet sad that teachers have to announce they are a teacher everywhere they go. It's a simple observation.

    • Donald Sayers
      Donald Sayers 26 күн бұрын +2

      @ALakes Given that what I did was exactly making perspex models to demonstrate things, I thought it relevant. I'm sorry you have such a poor opinion of the profession, but being retired I can now forcefully suggest where you can stick your opinion. Ooh dark sarcasm...

    • ALakes
      ALakes 26 күн бұрын

      Teachers always tell you they are/were a teacher... Everywhere teachers go they have to announce they're a teacher. Its sad.

  • Adrian Gigante
    Adrian Gigante 3 ай бұрын +20

    As a sales engineer I find it amazing how you drive us through the explanation and build up the complexity of it. I'm learning more than just how gas pumps work!

  • Allen Zhu
    Allen Zhu 3 ай бұрын +21

    As a chemical engineer, it is a very great demonstration and it’s fascinating how in depth you went with the Bernoulli effect, great work!

  • Richard Aversa
    Richard Aversa 2 ай бұрын +3

    The mechanism is both elegant yet high complex, and understandable thanks to all the detail and props Steve included. Well done!

  • Kyleigh Godsey
    Kyleigh Godsey 2 ай бұрын +6

    Your vids help me learn physics in a way my college classes couldn't. Even though this was a lot to follow and kind of hard, it all clicked in the end and I feel so excited to know how this system works 😊

  • Dolo Jones
    Dolo Jones 4 ай бұрын +12

    This is such a clever combination of principles but the most impressive thing for me is the way it was explained. This is the best step by step breakdown of any educational topic I’ve ever seen. Not one of the best, the best! Every time a side issue that could have scuppered things arose it was dealt with before it could be a factor that might throw you off course. Congratulations on this level of understanding of not only the things you are explaining but also the human learning experience. Top class!

  • Robert Smith
    Robert Smith 6 ай бұрын +1686

    This is one invention that never seems to fail. It's never failed for me and I'm 66 years old. I've never seen or heard of this valve not working from other people either. That's quite a successful bit of engineering, I'd say.

    • Arsalan. AFG
      Arsalan. AFG Ай бұрын

      @aapddd not in Indian movies tho

    • Robert Smith
      Robert Smith Ай бұрын

      @antiisocial Great tip. Everyone should do what you do for the sake of safety, just in case.

    • antiisocial
      antiisocial Ай бұрын +1

      I've had one fail once on me about 12 years ago and I saw it fail one other time for someone else just a couple of months ago. Both times gas went everywhere. I always stay and wait for it to stop.

    • Brad Wasson
      Brad Wasson Ай бұрын

      unfortunately they do fail it is just that gas stations have maintenance that goes on. I try to get there really quickly everyday of the week, rain or shine. when a service call comes in and I switch out the nozzles all the time due to failure of the valves and leaks that occur within them.

    • Iron Crab
      Iron Crab Ай бұрын

      I've seen it fail before. Had goes everywhere, lol.

  • A Nonim
    A Nonim 3 ай бұрын +9

    Great video. What I like about this mechanism is how non-electric this is. You have to admire engineers that developed that back in the days. Nowadays I got impression everything needs to be computer controlled. This mechanism shows us what true engineering is and it is uncanny.

  • beppebergmanable
    beppebergmanable 2 ай бұрын +2

    My parents ran a gas station and I helped them since I was a child. Your explaination helped me understand a phenomenon I experienced many times in my first twenty years of life! Very ingenious, hope someone was rewarded for this mechanism. Nice video and very good explaination, thanks!

  • Roger Wilson
    Roger Wilson Ай бұрын +1

    Amazing how the small differences in pressure are utilized to trip simple mechanisms and close off the primary valve when your tank is full. Awesome, thanks so much for this!

  • YoshMaster
    YoshMaster 2 ай бұрын +2

    All my life I’ve spent half of my time at the pump wondering how this worked!! Thanks for finally letting me know 😁

  • Lee Chetwynd
    Lee Chetwynd 2 ай бұрын

    Thanks for explaining something that I briefly wonder about when filling up, and then forget about when I drive off. Now I will always know what happens!

  • iTrialpha
    iTrialpha 6 ай бұрын +2255

    You can feel the petrol (water) hammer/hydraulic shock when the pump shuts off as the valve closes as well. Always wondered about that, cheers Steve this was really interesting

    • L D
      L D 4 ай бұрын

      @Kablamityful that isn't "technically correct" though. It's water hammer

    • absboodoo
      absboodoo 5 ай бұрын

      It's an amazing device. You would think there are a bunch electronic stuff to make it work, but all it require is the understanding of physic and some very clever engineering and design.

    • Kablamityful
      Kablamityful 6 ай бұрын +1

      I always assumed that was just the force of the valve "slamming" shut in order to avoid leaks/price discrepancies. I suppose that is still technically correct (the best kind of correct) but more-so as a happy accident. Good to know that it was actually a safety valve. As I've said time and again when someone (usually a boss) complains about fire safety. "Fire safety is paid for in blood." Meaning we don't get these rules and functions without a lot of deaths first.

    • Yashpal Singh
      Yashpal Singh 6 ай бұрын +1

      @Steve Mould you should make a video about 'hydraulic ram pump'.

    • SonicsLV
      SonicsLV 6 ай бұрын +1

      @Agustin Campeny The constriction at the base of the hose, as Steve pointed out at 3:37. It's spring loaded so it's normally closed if there's no pressure from the flow. If you meant the handle, it just the springs at both column that also normally close and will put the handle lever down if you not holding it (or prep it with the tiny metal piece on the handle).

  • helmet098
    helmet098 3 ай бұрын +1

    This is fascinating. I think a part 2 would be interesting showing how they activate and deactivate the pumps

  • Frank Smith
    Frank Smith 4 ай бұрын +4

    Excellent technical explanation.The time and effort you put in resulted in a very clear and understandable process of how a fuel shutoff mechanism works. Terrific job!

  • Strange Things with Chris James
    Strange Things with Chris James 4 ай бұрын +2

    I've wondered about how gas pump nozzles work for most of my life but never bothered to look into it. Great video and easy to understand. Thanks for putting this together.

  • Michael Carnahan
    Michael Carnahan 4 ай бұрын +1

    Wow! There is a ton of engineering that goes into that gas pump. Thank you for the lesson 🙏

  • James W
    James W 4 ай бұрын +1

    This is an excellent explanation. I knew that the valve was controlled by a venturi-generated pressure differential, but never took the time to understand the actual mechanics of the fluid passage and the shutoff trigger. Really well explained here.

  • Ernest
    Ernest 4 ай бұрын +301

    The fact that this is all done mechanically and not electronically is what makes this so cool to me

    • Shaun Young
      Shaun Young Ай бұрын

      I wouldn't be surprised if there are electronic components to some these days or in the near future.
      But these automatic shutoffs long predate the cheap and widely available integrated circuits we have today to enable us to computerize everything. These cutoffs were used before electronic displays became common.
      /I had always assumed it was based on a float, though

    • Max_Power
      Max_Power 2 ай бұрын

      Want your mind blown? Look for videos on mechanical targeting computers.

    • Reasoner Enlightened
      Reasoner Enlightened 4 ай бұрын +2

      can it make the fuel free?

    • gordon onkyo
      gordon onkyo 4 ай бұрын +10

      Many principles that would function forever with repair that a craftsman can do will be replaced by digital stuff that needs from now on monetarized upgrades from above. That's cool for the big players.

  • FourthLittlePiggie
    FourthLittlePiggie 2 ай бұрын

    Great video with very good illustrations and descriptions. I always had some idea of how I thought it worked (I assumed some sort of cam and/or clutch mechanism paired with some kind of air pressure sensitive system) and it was nice to finally understand. Thank you for the explanation.

  • numbr17
    numbr17 3 ай бұрын +3

    Fascinating video! I love the way you explain this, and the mock ups you used. Really nice work! Thank you for sharing this. I've always wondered how they work.

  • Lucas da Matta
    Lucas da Matta 2 ай бұрын

    that mightve been one of the most interesting youtube videos i've ever seen and believe me i've watched a lot. spectacular job at coming up with the models to explain the mechanisms. thank you!

  • Dylan Kruse
    Dylan Kruse 4 ай бұрын +1

    Now I know how they work. Love your explanation and how you teach. Keep up the good work!

  • Grant Pray
    Grant Pray 4 ай бұрын +4

    Holy cow, that was an amazing video explaining all the different pressure effects and illustrating it with amazing models. I always love your channel, but I just wanted to say this one was pretty cool!! Great job on the effort!

  • Gordon McKnight
    Gordon McKnight 6 ай бұрын +765

    I remember looking up how this worked a few years back. The fluid dynamics and drawings went way over my head and I was left confused. Incredibly impressed (but not surprised) that you managed to clearly explain the mechanism to a total lay person in just over ten minutes!

    • Analog Dude
      Analog Dude 4 ай бұрын

      @Micah Philson waste of time, people that see ghost where there aren't, better the invent something on your own and hope that it sells. they asked me as well when i was 18 and i told them you must be joking, you must be out of your mind and they left me alone, recently i got to speak to one of these people, lol.

    • Micah Philson
      Micah Philson 4 ай бұрын +1

      @Analog Dude I'm in a military training program, we're only learning about the systems and the theory behind the systems we use, and working practically with those systems. We're taught by people with like at least 6+ years of experience, not professors.
      But to do it, we have to learn all the theory and physics, chemistry, materials science, fluid dynamics, engineering etc. behind it all because it's literally nuclear physics and nuclear power.

    • Analog Dude
      Analog Dude 4 ай бұрын

      @Micah Philson because "highly" educated people think to complex, i follow a professor here on tube, it's pretty much theory, but no practical experience and rather clumpy.
      they have a star mind, not really open for new things and ideas, than someone without a university degree comes along and leaves the professor stunned and in the dust.
      you shouldn't really admire these people, they aren't really smart al better at numbers because of routine. they can't solve simple things.

    • Burnt Alive
      Burnt Alive 6 ай бұрын +4

      I read a youtube comment about it a couple days ago and didnt really understand it. The visual explanations really helped it click all together!

    • Micah Philson
      Micah Philson 6 ай бұрын +24

      I've been going through an engineering course over the last couple years, and I've learned a ton about fluid physics and dynamics. This video covered so much of those classes all at once and explained it all so clearly and succinctly, such in-depth topics so concisely, he makes it look easy! This video is incredibly well done!

  • Prasanth Sarath Eranki
    Prasanth Sarath Eranki Ай бұрын

    This is the most intuitive and thoughtful explanation I have ever seen. I knew about this Venturi affect in fuel pump model but I never understood it completely as there was always some element of doubt on my mind until I saw your video. This is so satisfying now for me. Tremendous effort in putting this video. A ton of thanks.

  • Aaron Andino
    Aaron Andino 2 ай бұрын

    Fantastic video. Always wondered this. Love seeing the engineering behind this.

  • BilleteraMataGalán
    BilleteraMataGalán 16 күн бұрын

    Este invento es una genialidad que pasa inadvertida a diario. Gracias por esta excelente explicación. Has ganado un suscriptor más 👏🏆

  • drsorak
    drsorak 4 ай бұрын

    What a beautiful and clear explanation of such a difficult and clever mechanism.
    Thank you very much!

  • Burt Vincent
    Burt Vincent 15 күн бұрын +1

    You did a good job. A layman explaining principals of hydraulics with no engineering experience in the field is challenging for sure.

  • Roman Michael Hamilton
    Roman Michael Hamilton 4 ай бұрын +1334

    I was mentored by the two engineers who patented this back in 1965 and worked with them for over three years. They are both gone now, but they gave me a lot of knowledge during that time. One was like a second father to me and he was as detailed and meticulous as one could be. They two men didn't get much out it as like most corporations do, the board takes it all for themselves.

    • Richard Warren
      Richard Warren 4 ай бұрын +1

      Actually - -The fuel shut-off valve was invented in Olean, New York, in 1939 by Richard C. Corson. At a loading dock at the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company.

    • Brian
      Brian 4 ай бұрын

      If they worked for a company when they invented it then yeah, obviously the company they work for would OWN the invention. If you truly want to make a lot of money from something you invented you have to do it yourself and then sell it to a corporation/company. Not sure why you seem to imply they should have gotten more from their invention. When you work for a company they pay you and give you the resources needed to create and invent the thing you've been tasked to create. Usually you sign something when you work somewhere that anything you invent as a result of your employment is owned by the company. It's not as if the board swoops in and is like SURPRISE! THIS IS OURS NOW!!! MWAHAHA!

    • EaglePicking
      EaglePicking 4 ай бұрын

      @Karl Schneider Why is it sad? You voluntarily agreed to work for a company. You signed a contract out of free will to receive money in exchange for work. You did the work as agreed and then you were paid as agreed.
      I don't see anything wrong.

  • Nik
    Nik Ай бұрын

    Always wondered how these worked. It's an astonishingly reliable mechanism. Having worked in a fuel station I have seen them fail to stop on occasion. mostly in the winter months.

  • Zudexa
    Zudexa 4 ай бұрын +1

    Man i'm glad you and the other more common guests on Numberphile have your own channels a lot of the things you guys talk about is so interesting.

  • e1123581321345589144
    e1123581321345589144 2 ай бұрын

    I do love a well designed mechanical solution. thanks for taking the time to explain this. I thought it was something related to pressure and valves, but never imagined the system was this complex.

  • silentCleaver
    silentCleaver 4 ай бұрын

    Oh man. I found this channel a while ago and it just feels like a science show I always watched as a kid, but like...for adults. Thanks for making great content :*

  • Jairo Morales Martín
    Jairo Morales Martín 2 ай бұрын

    Explicación brillante. Siempre me pregunté cómo funcionaría 👏🏼

  • Frank Mayer
    Frank Mayer 5 ай бұрын +735

    I am fascinated by how much simple technologies are put together inside that thing and how hard it is to explain how they interfere with each other…

    • Dom P
      Dom P 4 ай бұрын

      Hey Steve I would like you to explain Genesis chapter 1 through chapter 11.
      Thanks for your video

    • Erikk Friberg
      Erikk Friberg 4 ай бұрын

      Well, it is multiple simple devices put together to make a somewhat complex device.

    • Bob
      Bob 4 ай бұрын +1

      Some people can explain in 2 minutes what others take 2 hours to do.

    • LET'S GO BRANDON!
      LET'S GO BRANDON! 4 ай бұрын +2

      Interact*

  • Chris Gargasz
    Chris Gargasz Ай бұрын

    Very cool. You know I’ve never actually wondered how they work. Then I saw this video and I was intrigued. Thank you. Gas pumps are much more complex than I thought.

  • PlanB
    PlanB 2 ай бұрын

    Considering how many modules he made just to explain his discovery, this guy is qualified to be teaching in Physics class. Impressive work and welldone Steve.

  • Jao Jester
    Jao Jester 4 ай бұрын

    Thanks for taking the time and puting the effort into explaining such a complex and smart design in simple to understand concepts, along with all the visuals to make it easy to understand. I always enjoy learning new things and I really enjoyed that one. Thanks!

  • Murray Mortlock
    Murray Mortlock 2 ай бұрын

    Great video, Steve. Now for a challenge... some pumps the nozzle shuts off when the tank is not full, hence shutting off early, and you have to keep restarting the flow. What causes the nozzle to shut off early and what can be done by the person using the nozzle to allow them to fill their tank?

  • aalever
    aalever 2 ай бұрын

    Awesome explanation, I understood all of it, thanks :) I've encountered numerous faulty pumps which click off too early. Then I figured out that if I "ride the biting point" softly with the trigger, I can coax it to flow despite the fault. What do you suppose is going on there? What's likely to be causing the issue, and why does "riding the biting point" work to resolve it?

  • Richard Stewart
    Richard Stewart 4 ай бұрын +820

    I have worked as a mechanic and as an electrician for most of my adult life. Part of the fun of these careers is trying to figure out how things work. Most are pretty easy, however, I can remember a few times while pumping gas into my car that I thought about how those nozels worked. I thought a ventury and valve might have been involved, but never was able to tie it all together. Thank you for clearing all that up...Its always nice to see how things work. Well done!

    • TacticalToolbox82
      TacticalToolbox82 3 ай бұрын

      im a 12 year old kid from austria we learn how this work for early morning classese hahahah

    • Gabriel Malek
      Gabriel Malek 4 ай бұрын +1

      @Nostalgic Bliss was gonna say that, it's just different kinds of people

    • Nostalgic Bliss
      Nostalgic Bliss 4 ай бұрын +1

      @Danny Archer That's why you're not an engineer

    • Richard Stewart
      Richard Stewart 4 ай бұрын +8

      @Corintur Back when I was a kid in the 50's and 60's I used to drive my parents nuts because I took just about everything apart and tried to but it back together. I succeeded most of the time, but there were a couple of times I made things a lot worse. We didnt have youtube back then and the stuff in the libraries was vague at best. I grew up trying to fix everything I owned and never threw anything away. As to compressed springs and stuff like that, I had a couple go flying across the room, but you learn to be careful over time. And yeah, I now have a ton of junk stacked in my garage from all the fixin, but now, I can call them all antiques and sell em on ebay!

    • Corintur
      Corintur 4 ай бұрын +24

      @Danny Archer That is why you only do that with stuff you don't really care about or that is already broken. I never throw any device away before performing an "autopsy" on it.
      Though, I would still advise doing some research before dismantling something. Knowing about compressed springs, dangerous capacitors or possible toxic substances in certain components can save you a lot of pain.
      Besides, this is YT and it has its own version of Rule 34. If it exists, there is a video YT video of someone dismantling it.

  • motok1d
    motok1d 4 ай бұрын

    Very well explained thanks for the video. As a gasfitter working with regulators and valves I found this very interesting

  • Marius Peter
    Marius Peter 3 ай бұрын +64

    Incredible stuff !
    Who would believe it's that complex to fill up your car !

  • vonschlesien
    vonschlesien 3 ай бұрын +3

    That mechanism with ball bearings is very reminiscent of a roller-locked automatic firearm - rollers on the bolt stay pushed out and jammed into the frame (receiver) until the pressure in the chamber drops and it's safe for the action to open and cycle.

  • Richard Menezes
    Richard Menezes 3 ай бұрын

    absolutely brilliant, not just the mechanism, but your explanation as well, thank you

  • billy manilli
    billy manilli 4 ай бұрын +1

    Pretty cool of you to cut one apart Steve! You can REALLY see why the handle gives that feeling of something "breaking" inside of the handle when the cut-off trips! I always kinda wondered why it felt that way.

  • Gonzo Technologies
    Gonzo Technologies 6 ай бұрын +508

    The fact that you made a see-through, 2D version makes me unbelievably happy! Well done good sir

    • Nilguiri
      Nilguiri 6 ай бұрын

      @Andreas Gurdel haha, excellent comment!

    • Andreas Gurdel
      Andreas Gurdel 6 ай бұрын +22

      Luckily this is not Matt Parkers channel. His stuff is great too, but he would make a 4D version that clarifies nothing.

    • Peter Knutsen
      Peter Knutsen 6 ай бұрын +11

      Steve always makes see-through 2D versions!

  • Barry Bebenek
    Barry Bebenek 4 ай бұрын

    The colour animations, the cut-away, and your crude models, has explained this handle so clearly! Now I understand these pump handles. Thank you for making this. 🇨🇦👍🏼

  • Tanmay Suryawanshi
    Tanmay Suryawanshi Ай бұрын

    I was always curious on these pump nozzles, thanks for fulfilling my curiosity and such a good explanation

  • Reimian Garrido
    Reimian Garrido 4 ай бұрын

    its a 14 min video but i've watched it for over an hour trying to really understand this. i've had this question since the first time i filled a car tank, and i am really into learning how things work. amazing video! learning new things is really fun

    • cheetah219
      cheetah219 4 ай бұрын

      It was a fantastic visual video.
      As I understand it (and correct me if I'm wrong) the entire pump can be split into 3 parts
      1) extern handle is pulled up which allow fuel to flow unrestricted through the handle and down the nose
      2) once the fuel reaches the edge of the nozzle, it blocks a hole that allows that creates internal pressure within the handle (think blowing on a straw and then someone blocks one end of the straw, air stops and but now imagine there is a cut in the straw, the air your blowing now through the cut because one end is blocked)
      3) the extra pressure releases a locking mechanism which makes it so the handle is no longer locked in place and the extra fuel that is sucked up is stored in a little gap or pocket
      This video explains why so much fuel exits the end of a fuel handle when no matter how much I've tried over the years, I could never quite get all the fuel out of the handle so there is no drip. It's cause it's stored in a little pocket until I change the angle how I'm holding a gas pump
      Next time I fill gas I'm going to try to keep this in mind and change how I hold the handle and see if I can use physics to have no drip....it's the little things in life lol

  • Mike
    Mike 4 ай бұрын +1

    I’ve been wondering about the same question ever since I was 18. 15 years later, I accidentally found your video on my feed - what an awesome and clear explanation!! Thank you!!!

  • holohulolo
    holohulolo 2 ай бұрын +18

    I have been wondering about this since I was a kid and over the years I also assumed it was an electrical sensor. I never wouldve imagined it's mechanical.

    • Robert Lee
      Robert Lee 2 ай бұрын

      where is the wire hidden/

  • MrEcted
    MrEcted 5 ай бұрын +650

    This is one of those things I've probably wondered about 100 times while pumping gas, but always forget about by the time I get home so I never looked it up. I'm glad you have finally answered this mini-mystery, and done such in a way that is intuitive and easy to understand!
    I always assumed it was probably some sort of electronic sensor, but this is far more clever!

    • Rod Gale
      Rod Gale 4 ай бұрын

      @martino amello The action just suggested won't work as the pump will just shut off when it meets a full object (ie the nut holding it) LOL

    • Bill Does Stuff
      Bill Does Stuff 4 ай бұрын

      Same, lol. I look up everything, but always forgot to look up how the mechanism functioned. I knew it was completely mechanical, not electronic and worked on a venturi effect. But wasn't sure how the venturi shuts off the flow/knows when to. Remarkably simple really. The impressive part and engineering, is how they cram it all into a handle. Fun fact, old time war planes could stall in a barrel roll or flying upside down, because the way their carbs. worked was also by venturi effect. And when the plane went upside down, it would screw up the effect and cause a stall. They overcame this problem with a modification to the venturi and no more stalls.

    • rootvalley
      rootvalley 4 ай бұрын

      you’re really not pumping it but just opening a valve 😅

    • jreyman
      jreyman 4 ай бұрын

      I would trust this simple mechanical system far more than if it was an electronic device. Technology has a history of being less reliable than simple mechanical devices.

    • Koffeey
      Koffeey 4 ай бұрын

      This is probably the thing I have wondered about *the most* in the last ten years, that I have always forgot to look up. So it is incredibly satisfying to finally have an answer to it.

  • lpdog82
    lpdog82 4 ай бұрын +1

    very good info indeed, i always wondered how the gas nozzle cut itself off, thanks for showing me this! , amazing engineering went into a nozzle like this , smart inventors out there!

  • He-Who
    He-Who 4 ай бұрын

    I took one of these apart once in my auto tech class while I was bored (I had to wait for the rest of the class to catch up) but I couldn’t figure out how it stopped like that. Thanks for the explanation!

  • Some Punk In The Comments
    Some Punk In The Comments 4 ай бұрын +11

    At 8:22, I instantly recognized what you created as a roller locking mechanism used in some automatic rifles. It's interesting to see two completely different machines use similar mechanisms to achieve similar goals.

    • AussieAce
      AussieAce 4 ай бұрын

      that's it, I was trying to think of where id seen that lock before... on a mg42!

    • gaabetzagooga
      gaabetzagooga 4 ай бұрын

      came to say that, it looks like an hk lol

  • Peter Harris
    Peter Harris 3 ай бұрын +5

    Wow that is extremely complex! Love the level of genius that goes into everyday objects

  • Sean Not-telling
    Sean Not-telling 2 ай бұрын

    Hi, Thanks for the explanation on how the delivery nozzle does the auto shutoff. I had a good idea how it worked. Seeing it makes it a lot easy to get one's mind around it.

  • Scorpion Green
    Scorpion Green 6 ай бұрын +441

    I love these kinds of (fluid)mechanical solutions to problems. They always seem so intricate, but built off such simple elements. Great design, great video!

  • Jeffrey Mao
    Jeffrey Mao 4 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much for the deep and clear explain, significantly answered me one of my most curious questions in my mind. Excellent implementation cutting out this real thing!

  • Atef Elabed
    Atef Elabed 4 ай бұрын

    Goodness me who would have thought nozzles are so complicated! I always wondered how it all works and although I thought pressure is involved I didn't realise it was so intricate. It's actually extremely clever. Thanks for explaining.

  • Gharelu Musician
    Gharelu Musician 4 ай бұрын

    What a genius and brilliant solution the humans came up with ! I always wondered how it shuts off automatically when the Gas tank is full. Thanks Steve for this video. ❤

  • 시계토끼 White Rabbit
    시계토끼 White Rabbit 2 ай бұрын

    This is simply genius! Thanks for explaining it in details.

  • XtalShrimp
    XtalShrimp 23 күн бұрын

    Steve; I've got to say, when I saw all your models and the title of the video I was confused on how any of it made sense! But the way you explain it all makes everything fall into place, it's very impressive!

  • Scott Carr
    Scott Carr 6 ай бұрын +618

    *Standing Ovation* This was an incredibly thorough and intuitive explanation. Thank you Steve!

    • Jacob Shirley
      Jacob Shirley 6 ай бұрын

      @GuyJustCool For those topics, I think ScienceClic does the best job one could possibly do.

    • GuyJustCool
      GuyJustCool 6 ай бұрын

      If somebody could understand and explain quantum physics, it’s this man. Thanks, Steve, amazing, as always.

    • Avez610
      Avez610 6 ай бұрын

      A M A Z I N G

    • Jacob Shirley
      Jacob Shirley 6 ай бұрын

      Welcome to the channel!

  • Moshe Delerb
    Moshe Delerb 2 ай бұрын

    Kudos on all the effort you put into making this video!

  • Steve Olive
    Steve Olive Ай бұрын

    Something you use everyday but never stop to think how it works. Good job in explaining.

  • shazmeister2005
    shazmeister2005 4 ай бұрын

    That was very interesting thanks! I always thought it must be some kind of pressure Venturi behaviour thing involving the hole at the end of the nozzle but had no idea how it actually worked!

  • 32Omicron32
    32Omicron32 3 ай бұрын +37

    Thank you. A wonderful explanation for a mechanism/physical property that not many have seen in everyday life. That showed how the tank being full stops the pump but on some pumps the stopping of the flow of gas/petrol from the pump also triggers the fulcrum release. How does that happen, since at that point there is no pressure differential from the fuel flowing?

    • Glum Reaper
      Glum Reaper 2 ай бұрын +3

      That might be a mechanism with the modern electronics of prepay pumps. The gas station assumes you turning off the flow means you've finished your purchase, so their pumps probably have an electronic override when the flow stops. It's likely electronic since that override only gets disabled by the computer sending a signal to the pump to turn on after you've paid. If you've used a very old not prepaid pump, they don't have to be reset to continue the flow after being tripped (but they will still stop if they're experiencing a venturi siphon against a full tank).

  • Robert E. Mason
    Robert E. Mason 4 ай бұрын

    Great video! Really enjoyed it. Explains things I've wondered about for a long time. Thank you. I watched an old Chevrolet video explaining how a differential works. You should explore them.

  • wojtekpolska
    wojtekpolska 4 ай бұрын +463

    You have a great style of making these videos.
    1 - You really struck gold with these 2D models, they show everything so nicely and without clutter
    2 - You explain things in multiple different ways, which is helpful when someone doesn't get it the first time, and then would be confused for the rest of the video
    So thanks for showing off clever designs and physic principles in this way :D

  • Brandist
    Brandist 4 ай бұрын +1

    Great video, Steve. I have a question I hope you or someone else can help with. I may have missed it mentioned in the video but isn't there something in the car's tank that also impacts the pressure? A car I had used to have an issue where, even if empty, the petrol pump would think it was full and never work unless I held it slightly out of the tank, presumably allowing a makeshift vent. I was told that there's a tube inside the car's tank acting as a pressure release system and can get blocked sometimes. Would that mean that, with the car tank's pressure release pipe blocked, it would have a big build up of pressure and therefore make the pump's Venturi system think the tank was full despite the fluid not being there to block the Venturi?

  • Paul Ben
    Paul Ben 2 ай бұрын

    Me and my dad were discussing this recently, thanks for the explanation 😃

  • John Smith
    John Smith 2 ай бұрын

    Had this thing in my hand all the time. Thanks for explaining it so well!

  • Todd Beck
    Todd Beck 4 ай бұрын

    Love your stuff, Steve. This one is brilliant. Thank you.

  • FlameDNA
    FlameDNA Ай бұрын

    Now that was interesting. It seems like the workings are way more complicated then I thought. I wonder how difficult it was to invent such a device that we all take for granted today.

  • Cadell Teng
    Cadell Teng 6 ай бұрын +650

    I respect the tremendous amount of time and effort you put in to the making of visual tools that you use to explain. There were at least 2 glass tubes, that green and red pipe stuff, the sawn in half nozzle, that mock up of the sawn in half nozzle and possibly more. Yet somehow, all I could do was to like, sub and share your video to my social media. I few that what I do isn't proportional to the amount of work you put in to this video and that is why I have mad respect for you. I thought I was a huge nerd, but I think I found a bigger one in you.

    • Synth Apprentice (Nathan V)
      Synth Apprentice (Nathan V) 5 ай бұрын

      If you really want to do more to support the channel, consider contributing as a patron on Patreon.

    • Synth Apprentice (Nathan V)
      Synth Apprentice (Nathan V) 5 ай бұрын +2

      @Brian Merritt No, he's really not getting nearly as much money from KZclip as you think he is. He's almost certainly getting most of the money for this video through Patreon. Most KZclip users don't realize this, but KZcliprs need to have several sources of income (KZclip, Patreon, sponsors, merch, etc) because no one single source will provide enough money on its own.

    • h8GWBî
      h8GWBî 6 ай бұрын +8

      @Brian Merritt It might be lucrative, but that doesn't negate the amount of the effort that went into the video.
      Sometimes the ability for a KZclipr to turn their videos into a career is at the whim of the mysterious algorithm.

    • Brian Merritt
      Brian Merritt 6 ай бұрын +5

      I wouldn't worry too much, he's getting paid hundreds of thousands from KZclip for all the views he's getting from these videos. It's a full time job that pays very well.

  • midnight-matches
    midnight-matches 2 ай бұрын

    Kudos to the incredible engineers who made this all possible that we now take for granted.

  • b$GRCH44Bz4z546uz$zs
    b$GRCH44Bz4z546uz$zs 2 ай бұрын

    Oh wow that's very clever indeed! And thank you for putting in all these efforts to demonstrate it. They made it really easy to understand!. Thanks!

  • ARockRaider
    ARockRaider Ай бұрын +1

    Neato! I knew that the venturi principle was part of the operation but never quite knew how the mechanics worked!
    Now I know!

  • Mark Pentler
    Mark Pentler 3 ай бұрын

    Have you seen the "Open Circuits" book yet, Steve? Lots of electrical components cut in half so you can see them on a physical scale and how clever lots of them are. (like switches etc)

  • Jackson 83
    Jackson 83 4 ай бұрын

    This design is absolute genius. Well explained.

  • 6 Feet South
    6 Feet South 4 ай бұрын +553

    I am no engineer, technician or mechanic, but I have been taking things apart all my life to figure out how they work. Thank you for explaining it all so well.

    • AntA Survival
      AntA Survival Ай бұрын +5

      I like to take things apart. But, when i try to put it back together, i always get some extra screws.

    • DSG Sleazy
      DSG Sleazy 4 ай бұрын +27

      @Max A he didn't say he was a puter back togetherer.

    • Max A
      Max A 4 ай бұрын +3

      Did u put them back together afterwards?

  • Evan F
    Evan F 4 ай бұрын

    Great video! Now understand how it’s supposed to work but I’m still curious about what’s going on when it doesn’t? My old truck had a habit of the gas flow shutting off well before it was full unless I was very careful to reduce the rate of flow from the nozzle, and I know someone who at least once has had gas come pouring out anyways- it never shut off for them. Any idea why these might have happened?

  • David Hdez-Gil
    David Hdez-Gil 2 ай бұрын

    Great explanation! It's incredible to think that this was invented decades ago

  • Füle Sándor
    Füle Sándor 2 ай бұрын

    Excellent content! Very well explained, demonstrated.

  • Himneesh Chowdhary
    Himneesh Chowdhary Ай бұрын

    recently studied the venturimeter in high school. It's a hard concept and i thought why is this being tought? well, this video not only showed me the application, but also cleared my concept even further.

  • Shopper Plug
    Shopper Plug 4 ай бұрын

    Wow, this was explained really well. I always wondered how the gas pump nozzle Venturi actually worked. It seems supper complex after watching this video. It goes to show that mechanical implementation of detection is preferred but there are too many nooks and crannies and if some part is not functioning properly there could be an overflow. I think electronics today can replace the mechanical implementation and would increase redundancy with lower failure rate.

    • A. Bosch
      A. Bosch 5 күн бұрын

      Why use expensive and complicated electronics on a device that doesn't have a practical failure rate? If it isn't broke then don't fix it. You aren't going to perfect a device that is already perfect by adding complexity. It reminds me of the people who are constantly trying to get a patent on the wheel by adding a few electronic devices to it and then claiming that they improved it. They always get rejected for obvious reasons.

  • Thoron Neto
    Thoron Neto 6 ай бұрын +756

    I tell you, if my professors had been as dedicated to explaining the venturi effect as you did in this video, I'd probably have picked up on a significant amount of the things they were teaching me. A lot of how aircraft work, is based around the venturi effect and the bernoulli principle because the one thing aircraft have in abundance, is air moving rapidly in a single direction lol.

    • Player Science
      Player Science 5 ай бұрын +2

      @Cookiez __ wings fly because of both Bernoulli's principal and Newton's third law.

    • Bugbug
      Bugbug 5 ай бұрын +1

      @Dr. Love And you get to learn it again in college. You should know this doc!!

    • Dr. Love
      Dr. Love 5 ай бұрын +4

      Professor? We learn this stuff in high school.

    • Cookiez __
      Cookiez __ 5 ай бұрын +1

      @Julian Brelsford Unfortunately wings do not fly because of bernoulli's principle (and as such the venturi effect), its a misconception.

    • cr01
      cr01 5 ай бұрын +7

      Venturi effect is how carburettors work, too.

  • Dustin Coyne
    Dustin Coyne 4 ай бұрын

    I've looked into this before but not in as much detail. Thank you for the video. What still gets me is how fast it pumps. Amazing. I guess it's just good pumps.

  • Kenneth Perez
    Kenneth Perez 2 ай бұрын

    Really great video!
    You did a good job explaining it.🎉