KSP Doesn't Teach: Rocket Engine Plumbing
Scott Manley3 HN recommenders · recommended in 3 months, 2019–2019
explainer · intro · evergreen · 2019–2019 on HN
Scott Manley explains the plumbing of rocket engines, including pressure-fed, gas generator, expander and staged combustion cycles. He shows why more complex designs exist and what they gain.
Recommended whenever rocket engine cycles or turbopumps come up, as a clear introduction from a trusted explainer.
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3 comments from Hacker News
Scott Manley has a fantastic video explaining all of this: ▶ this video In terms of efficiency, it's worth mentioning that even tiny gains have big impacts because of the rocket equation. Having a 1% boost the entire time the rocket is running can have an enormous impact in the overall velocity, or reduce the overall amount of fuel needed for the same targets.
If you're interested, Scott Manley gives a good intro to the way rocket engines work, and in particular turbo pumps[1] at ~3:30. [1] ▶ this video
Calling Raptor "really complex" still manages to undersell it a bit, in my opinion. It's pushing the state of the art in rocket engine design pretty significantly. It's the first full flow closed cycle engine to fly. For folks who are interested in learning more about rocket engines, Scott Manley is a great resource: ▶ this video