A roots blower vacuum pump is a high efficiency roughing pump, also known as a vacuum booster.  It uses a counter-rotating rotor system to process and compress air into an internal combustion engine through two or more meshing lobes. The dual rotors capture air within the chamber, pushing it through an outlet valve where it is compressed. This allows the roots blower to carry out its job as a positive displacement pump. It is used in oil vapor-free vacuum systems.

Originally, the roots blower vacuum pump was invented for simply moving air. Early on, it lacked fuel efficiency, but since its beginnings, it has been improved and established for more thorough processes. It is most commonly used for forced-induction in a wide variety of industries, most commonly used in car engines, wherein each transformation of the roots blower is a derivative of General Motors blowers.

The early problems experienced with the roots blower have been mostly resolved. Most commonly, roots blowers are used when there is a small pressure differential and a large volume that must be transported across it. They achieve an approximate 70% efficiency and the simple design allows it to produce a huge amount of boost versus the relatively low speed of the spin. They can be used for either high or low vacuum systems, meaning a roots blower can act in conjunction with other pumps or in a stand alone environment. In comparison with other types of pumps, using a roots blower vacuum pump can produce a multitude of advantages. In high vacuum applications, the pumping speed of the boosters can function in reducing the end pressure.  It also increases the pumping speed for the other vacuum pump systems in the set up.

Furthermore, roots blower vacuum pumps can also be used for more applications than just cars. Set in reverse, the device can be used to measure liquid or gas flow. This is seen in gas meters, which are used to measure the volume of fuel gases, a very important application when dealing with fuel. The roots blower, due to its oil-free nature, is also optimal for use in environments where contamination needs to be very miniscule. It can also relate to oiled pumps thanks to its high hydrocarbon pumping rate. This allows for it to isolate the oiled pumps from the vacuum chamber.

Overall, the roots blower vacuum pump is a fairly simple design, but has come a long way from its primitive beginnings.  Used primarily in the auto industry, it has several more applications than what it is typically used for. Because it is oil-free, there is little contamination that can occur in the use of it, and it can still function with other oiled pumps.  It can also work on its own or in an environment with other roots blower pumps.  These aspects allow roots blower vacuum pumps to function in the overall scheme of whatever system it is apart of, whether an automobile or a semiconductor.  Though the full spectrum of processes this simple device could be used for are not often mentioned, it is able to keep the system running with nothing more than a simple conversion of high pressure through a small area.