Turbopump, Steam Generator and Frame, V-2 Rocket Engine
Object Details
- Manufacturer
- Mittelwerk GMBH
- Summary
- The turbopump and steam generator assembly of the V-2 engine drew the propellants--liquid oxygen and 75% alcohol--from the missile's tanks and injected them under pressure into the combustion chamber. At a thrust of 25 metric tons (about 56,000 lb), the V-2 was the world's first large liquid-propellant rocket engine, and as such was of groundbreaking historical importance. It was also the first large turbo-pumped liquid-fuel rocket engine, following on earlier German experiments.
- The turbopump had to move approx. 9700 kg (21,400 lb.) of liquid oxygen from the tanks to the engine during the sixty-second burning time. Driving the turbopump was the steam generator, which used hydrogen peroxide (codenamed T-Stoff) mixed with Z-Stoff, a catalyst consisting of a 27% solution of sodium permanganate. Those liquids were forced into a mixing chamber by compressed air. This Smithsonian artifact was a gift of the U.S. Air Force Museum in 1959.
- Credit Line
- Transferred from the U.S. Air Force Museum
- Inventory Number
- A19600013000
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- PROPULSION-Accessories (to an Engine)
- Materials
- Aluminum, Steel, Rubber (Silicone), Asbestos, Glass, Brass, Synthetic Fabric, Copper, Paper, Adhesive
- Phenolic Resin, Paint
- Dimensions
- 3-D (Aluminum Pallet Storage): 182.9 × 182.9 × 233.7cm, 445.9kg (6 ft. × 6 ft. × 7 ft. 8 in., 983lb.)
- 3-D (Metal Bar): 165.1 × 12.7 × 22.9cm, 20.9kg (5 ft. 5 in. × 5 in. × 9 in., 46lb.)
- 3-D (Turbopump, Steam Generator and Frame, V-2 Rocket Engine): 152.4 × 152.4 × 214cm, 355.2kg (5 × 5 × 7 ft. 1/4 in., 783lb.)
- Country of Origin
- Germany
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- National Air and Space Museum
- Record ID
- nasm_A19600013000
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Not determined
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv91170caea-d4f8-4274-a3a8-cc705010dbcf
Related Content
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.