Variable displacement

Variable displacement means that something can change its size or shape depending on different conditions. Imagine you have a toy truck with a container that can expand and contract to fit different amounts of sand or rocks. When you want to carry a lot of rocks, you make the container bigger, and when you only need a bit of sand, you make it smaller. This is what variable displacement does in real life, but with things like engines or hydraulic pumps.

In a car engine, variable displacement means that the engine can switch between different numbers of cylinders based on how much power is needed. When you are driving slowly, the engine doesn't need as much power to move the car, so it shuts down some of the cylinders. When you are driving fast and need more power, it turns all the cylinders back on. This saves fuel because it only uses as much power as you need at any given time.

In hydraulic pumps, variable displacement means that the pump can change how much fluid it moves depending on the task at hand. If you need to lift something heavy, the pump will move a lot of fluid to create more pressure and force. If you just need to move something light, it will move less fluid to save energy and wear on the equipment.

Variable displacement is all about flexibility and efficiency. Just like your toy truck with its expanding container, things in real life can adjust their size and shape to fit the job perfectly.