What is the primary purpose of a fluid pump?

The primary purpose of a fluid pump is to move fluids from one location to another. Pumps are designed to generate flow by creating a pressure differential, allowing liquids or slurries to be transported through pipes or other systems. This fundamental duty is crucial in various applications, such as water supply systems, chemical processing, and HVAC systems.

In contrast, measuring the flow rate of a fluid pertains to flow meters, which evaluate how much fluid passes through a point in a system, rather than facilitating the movement of the fluid. Filtering contaminants addresses the purity of fluids, which is a function of filtration systems and not the primary role of a pump. Compressing gas for storage involves mechanisms like compressors, which are fundamentally different from pumps that primarily deal with liquids. Each of these alternatives performs a specific task within a fluid system, but they do not fulfill the central function of transporting fluids, which is why moving fluids is the most accurate description of what pumps are designed to do.