Saturn V main engines.

Pretty much everyone that knows anything about me knows I like all things mechanical.  Even more so, I like mechanical things that are powerful!  You may remember this post, about the Saturn V rockets used in the Apollo program over 40 years ago.  Yesterday, Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon.com) and his expedition team recoverd Saturn V main engine pieces!! from the ocean floor.  This is unreal!!  Yes, his money could have saved homeless alligators or fed starving children, but it's his money and he can do what he wants with it. :)

A preserved engine from the Smithsonian.  NASA used this one for study of it's gas generator.  Gas generator exhaust plumbing is above the man's head.

Some interesting tidbits on the main engines of the Saturn V.  The F-1 engines that powered the first stage of the Saturn V rockets burned 6,000 pounds of fuel EACH SECOND!!!! That's one ton of refined kerosene and 2 tons of liquid oxygen!!!  EACH ENGINE CONSUMED THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUEL!!  There are 5 main engines on that first stage.  That's 30,000 pounds!! of liquid being burned, per second.  These engines are rather simple, yet fascinating on how they operate.  Basically, there's a gas generator that uses rocket fuel to create an exhaust gas that in turn goes across a turbine, that in turn is connected to a turbo pump that pumps the fuel to the main engine injector plate.   The injector plate is at the narrowest point of the rocket nozzle.  NASA has also ressurected the gas generators from the F-1 engines to explore past rocket engine technology and help create new technology.  Oh, by the way, a gas generator used on the F-1 engine created 55,000 brake horsepower!!!  To put that much power into perspective, a turbo pump on the main engines could empty an Olympic sized swimming pool in 59 seconds!

Now, if you have 14 minutes to spare, I give you the Saturn V F-1 rocket engine.  Turn up the sound!!

One final note, the sound of the first stage being tested was heard 45 miles away!  It rattled windows 13 miles away!