Eli5:how does petrol engines differ from diesel engine?if so then what type of engine is used in rockets?
In: Technology
Gas and diesel engines are use individual explosions to drive their cylinders. The main difference is that the diesel squeezes the fuel so hard that it explodes while a gas engine doesn’t squeeze quite as hard and (unless mistuned) needs a spark to set it off.
The combustion in a rocket, jet or turbine engine works more like a blowtorch or BBQ. Instead of individual explosions, fuel is constantly added to a continuous burn.
In a gas or diesel engine, the force of the combustion pushes the piston which turns the crank. In a rocket engine, the force of combustion pushes the hot gas through a nozzle which pushes the rocket in the opposite direction.
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