A4 / V2 Rocket in detail: Turbopump
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN commenters recommend the series for its in-depth, hands-on explanation of how V2 turbopumps and peroxide decomposition work.
What it is
A very long, detailed look at the A4/V2 rocket turbopump, the steam-turbine-driven twin propellant pump system. It covers the peroxide and permanganate catalysis that drives the turbine. This is part 1 of a series on V2 components.
Recommended by 3 HN commenters across 3 different months, 2019 to 2022.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec VBprogrammer · 2022-01 · on “Engine cooling – why rocket engines don’t melt”
If that interests you then this series of videos is definitely worth watching. It details several parts of the German V2 missile, the grand father of all modern liquid propellant rockets. This one is about the turbopump which is one of the most interesting parts. [this video]
Recommends magicalhippo · 2019-08 · on “Chemists discover water microdroplets spontaneously produce hydrogen peroxide”
For an in-depth and interesting explanation of how that works, I enjoyed this video: [this video] Includes a demonstration of the potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide at around the 52 minute mark.
Recommends liability · 2020-09 · on “Rocket Helicopter (2010)”
The German V2 rockets also used hydrogen peroxide and a catalyst (sodium or possibly potassium permanganate) to drive their turbopumps (which pumped LOx and alcohol into the engine.) Here's a pretty good 2.5 hour long documentary about the V2 turbopumps specifically: [this video] (The H2O2/catalyst system is discussed/demonstrated around the 45 minute mark.)