I'll never really look at this engine the same way again. This video is an extremely simplified cutaway of SpaceX's Raptor engine, currently in use powering the company's Starship prototypes. Even the simplified diagram really shows the level of engineering that goes into starting just one of these engines, and that really puts the engineering challenges of starting 28 of these on a Super Heavy Booster into perspective.
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Music Used: "Esam" from Filmstro
Raptor Startup Sequence:
-Several minutes before ignition, cryogenic fuel is run through the engine to avoid thermal shocks at startup.
-High pressure gas spins up both the Methane Turbopump and the Oxygen Turbopump.
-Cryogenic methane flows through the walls of the nozzle and combustion chamber to keep the engine from melting.
-After flowing through the nozzle, the methane is mixed with a small amount of liquid oxygen in the Fuel-Rich Preburner.
-A small amount of liquid methane is also mixed with the oxygen in the Oxygen-Rich Preburner.
-Both preburners ignite.
-Exhaust from the preburners spin turbines that now power the turbopumps.
-The exhaust from the Fuel-Rich Preburner consists of hot methane gas.
-The exhaust from the Oxygen-Rich Preburner consists of hot oxygen gas.
-Both gases enter the combustion chamber and mix through Coaxial Swirl Injectors.
-The main chamber ignites.