A4-V2 Rocket in detail: fuel and oxygen injectors

Injector pot cutaway: fuel and oxygen injectors with LOX cap.
V2 Rocket History museum relic: this cutaway presentation shows one of the V2’s 18 combined fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) injector ‘pots’. The LOX injector transit cap is also shown. The pot shown here is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a pre-burner – a mixer or diffuser pot probably describes its role more accurately.

A4-V2 Rocket in detail: fuel and oxygen injectors

Fuel and oxygen injectors: In this video we take a closer look at the propellant injector nozzles used on the A4 / V2 rocket. The world’s first ballistic missile and progenitor of virtually all liquid fuelled rockets employed a fuel and liquid oxygen injection system that consisted of complicated 18 pot, so-called, pre-mixer system using large numbers of pores and ‘swirl’ nozzles in each pot. The system was only a prototype, a stop-gap, while an optimised version was developed. But the death of lead designer Walter Thiel in an air raid and the severe pressure to employ the V2 missile in combat as quickly as possible forced the designers put this steeply compromised prototype injector head into production. In this video, we look at the injectors used in the V2’s 18 pot head in detail and even test the mix patterns and flow rates of some of the injector nozzles. Presented by Robert J Dalby FRAS

 

About V2 Rocket History 10 Articles
At V2 Rocket History our aim is to investigate the history and technology of the A4-V2 missile, and share the results in the most accessible and engaging way possible. Our general approach is to highlight the engineering and industrial aspects of the subject.