gravitydriven

Gravitydriven, often written gravity-driven, is a term used to describe processes, devices, or systems whose operation relies primarily on gravitational potential energy rather than active energy input from pumps or motors. It is used across physics, engineering, and environmental contexts to indicate that gravity provides the main driving force for motion of fluids or materials.

Common examples include gravity-fed water supply systems, wherein a reservoir or elevated tank provides the pressure head that pushes water through distribution pipes; gravity-driven irrigation, where slope and elevation differences move water to crops without pumps; and gravity-driven filtration and sedimentation in water treatment, where gravity causes solids to settle and liquids to pass through membranes or beds. In addition, open-channel flows in rivers and canals are inherently gravity-driven, and certain microfluidic or porous-media applications use gravity as the primary energy source, sometimes in combination with capillary effects.

In fluid mechanics, gravity-driven flow arises when a vertical height difference creates a hydraulic head that, together with fluid viscosity and channel resistance, sets the flow rate. In open channels, the flow is governed by channel slope and friction models such as Manning’s equation. In closed conduits, energy losses along pipes diminish the head until the desired rate is achieved.

Advantages include low operating cost and fewer moving parts, while limitations involve dependence on elevation differences, limited regulation without supplementary mechanisms, potential contamination risk in unsealed systems, and slower response to demand changes. See also gravity-fed systems, hydrostatics, open-channel flow, sedimentation tanks, and gravity-driven filtration.