Disclosed is a pneumatically powered high-pressure and lightweight fluid
pump. The pump is useful for pumping fuel for liquid rocket engines and for pumping
water, such as for fire suppression. During operation of the pump, liquid is drained
from a tank into a pump chamber and the chamber is then pressurized to deliver
fluid. The chamber is then refilled from the main tank. An auxiliary chamber supplies
fuel while the main chamber is being filled, thereby a steady stream is delivered
from the pump. The auxiliary chamber is refilled from the tank while the main chamber
is delivering fluid. The design results in substantial weight savings over a system
in which the main tank is pressurized or a system with two pump chambers of similar
size. The auxiliary chamber of the present disclosure has a smaller capacity than
the main chamber. The main chamber is designed to be filled much faster than it
is emptied, therefore the smaller auxiliary chamber supplies fluid only during
the time while the larger main chamber is being filled.