Veritasium: What happens if you throw sand into a jet engine?

Here’s a whirlwind tour of jet engines: you start with air rushing in and getting squeezed by massive compressor blades, mix in fuel for a roaring combustion, then harness the exhaust to spin turbines and produce thrust. Along the way you’ll peek inside Rolls-Royce’s precision casting labs to see how nickel-based superalloys—fortified by clever crystal structures and engineered dislocations—keep those blades from melting even at furnace-like temperatures.

But wait, there’s more! You’ll learn how single-crystal blades are grown, shot-peened and polished to perfection, and finally see what happens when you chuck sand into a running jet engine. Spoiler: those high-tech materials and designs are exactly what prevent a destructive sandstorm inside your turbine.

Watch on YouTube