A4 / V2 Rocket in detail: Turbopump Part 2

Your view of the V2 rocket will never be the same again. In this long-awaited video, a follow-up to Turbopump Part 1 from 2019, we continue exploring the A4/V2 steam turbine-driven propellant pumps. Robert investigates some little-known features and phenomena associated with the operation of the turbopump system - phenomena that, more than 80 years later, still have great significance for today's mighty rockets - the descendants of the V2. (Want to help us make more videos like this? See our Patreon link below.) 00:00 Start 00:45 Introduction 01:20 Turbopump as a gyroscope 28:42 Whirling Devil 37:31 The Over speed switch 58:05 The V2s secret rocket afterburner 1:23:14 How were the turbine blades fitted? 1:32:31 Turbopump healthcheck 1:45:41 Coming up 1:46:09 Closing credits 1 Turbopump as a gyroscope First, we look in detail at the gyroscopic influence of the fast-spinning masses in the turbine-driven pump system. The 400hp turbine spins the pump impellers and every rotating component associated with them, including the liquid propellents, at 4000rpm, and these combined rotating masses possess plenty of angular momentum. What effect, if any, might this have on the missile's flight? And what about the dangerously high kinetic energy in this fast-rotating mass? 2 The Whirling Devil Looks at the risk of operating such a violent and aggressive pump system on such a fragile and potentially (in fact, deliberately!) explosive vehicle. 3 Over speed switch Here we explore the vital safety logic behind the turbopump's kill switch - the method of stopping the turbine permanently - and, ultimately, the rocket engine if the turbine runs too fast. We explain exactly why this was done and why it is so vital to the survival of the missile. 4 The V2's Top Secret afterburner So "secret" was the V2's afterburner that most of the German designers of the A4/V2 didn't know about it! The V2 rocket's afterburner wasn't discovered and fully understood until 1949 when American technicians began to perform high-altitude studies of the V2's jet flame using high-powered telescopes. 5 How are the turbine rotor blades fitted? This is a question posed by many viewers of Part 1, curious to know how the turbine blades were fitted to the rotor wheel edge, given that - unlike the simplified model shown in Part 1 - the wheel holds the blades in tightly machined slots and it has no visible opening by which the blades can be introduced. 6 Turbopump health check How did the V2 missile technicians determine how the turbopump and the steam generation system performed? We look at film evidence and sound to understand how turbopump health was assessed in an era with only rudimentary telemetry technology. NEW - become a Patreon channel supporter and help us to make the best possible video presentations. Patreon: V2RocketHistory Although Turbopump Part 2 was three years in the making, very little of that time was spent in front of a camera. Most of the time and effort was spent in research and you see the culmination in the hour-and-three-quarter video presented here. I hope when you've seen the unique content of this video, you might feel inspired to help us research and produce videos like this one and become a channel supporter via our Patreon platform. We have a growing number of benefits to reward Patreons, including unique content and early access to ad-free versions of our latest videos. I don't expect rich rewards for this effort - for me, it's a labour of love. But costs are high, and I receive assistance from others that must be funded. And lack of funding is restricting our progress and making production slow and more challenging than it needs to be. Become a Patreon channel supporter and help us to make the best possible video presentations. Patreon: V2RocketHistory Robert J Dalby Presented by Robert J Dalby FRAS MGM Studios clip Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.