Why Don’t Jet Engines Melt?
Veritasium’s “Why Don’t Jet Engines Melt?” dives into how jet engines survive scorching temperatures. Starting with the basics of thrust and engine size, Derek Muller tours a Rolls-Royce precision casting plant to show how nickel superalloys with γ′ strengthening, single-crystal casting and intricate cooling passages keep turbine blades intact even at 1,500 °C.
Along the way he chats with Rolls-Royce engineers, Cambridge academics and a cast of materials-science experts, throws sand into an engine for fun and traces the history of the first jet engine. The episode is packed with sponsors (KiwiCo, Science Alert sweepstakes) and top-notch production credit to the Veritasium team.
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