It's a daily task that most of us probably take for granted. You pull up to a gas station, grab the pump, and fill up your vehicle with fuel. There's a good chance you have no idea of how that fuel goes from the pump through the nozzle and into your car.
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Don't feel bad, because we didn't either, until we watched this oddly mesmerizing video. The Husky Corporation out of Mizzouri, which produces fuel pump nozzles, had its president Grenville Sutcliffe sit down and explain the wizard magic engineering behind it all.
It all has to do with vacuum and pressure, it seems. Air works with the flow of fuel to keep the good stuff flowing into your car. There's a hole near the top of the nozzle that is eventually covered by gas when the proper fill level is reached. This shuts off the flow of air, which closes a diaphragm and stops the flow of fuel.
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Once you dive in and see the insides of a nozzle, it all makes a whole lot more sense. Sutcliffe goes further into detail showing how a newer nozzle handles pre-paid fill-ups as well.
Still, even after seeing this explanation, we choose to continue pretending that fuel elves live inside the gas pump. It's their home. Like Keebler elves making cookies in a tree, these fuel elves work through the day so we can keep our cars and trucks moving.
Nice try, Husky Corporation and your attempt to discredit these hard working fuel elves.
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