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Trompe
Water-powered air compressor / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the illusionary art technique, see Trompe-l'œil.
A trompe is a water-powered air compressor, commonly used before the advent of the electric-powered compressor. A trompe is somewhat like an airlift pump working in reverse.
![]() | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (December 2021) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Trompes were used to provide compressed air for bloomery furnaces in Catalonia[1] and the USA.[2] The presence of a trompe is a signature attribute of a Catalan forge, a type of bloomery furnace.
Trompes can be enormous. At Canadian Hydro Developers' Ragged Chute facility in New Liskeard, Ontario, water falls down a shaft 351 feet (107 m) deep and 9 ft (2.7 m) across to generate compressed air for mining equipment and ventilation.[3]