Kearny Air Pump

The Kearny Air Pump is an expedient air pump used to ventilate a shelter. The design is such that a person with normal mechanical skills can construct and operate one. It is usually human powered, and designed to be employed during a time of crisis. It was designed to be used in a fallout shelter, but it can be used in any situation where emergency ventilation is needed, such as after a hurricane.

It was developed from research performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory by Cresson Kearny and published in Nuclear War Survival Skills.

The basic principle is to create a flat surface with vanes which close when moving air and open when going back to the starting position. The design was derived from the Punkah.