A Novel Approach for Optimizing Two-Phase Flow in Water Rockets: Part I

Abstract

The main objective of enhancing the water rocket performance is nothing but to achieve the maximum possible burnout velocity and maximum altitude. As reported by previous researchers, the presence of the two-phase flow deteriorates the performance of water rockets. This article is the first in a series of articles that aim at a new design of the rocket nozzle that makes the presence of the two-phase flow an advantage that enhances the water rocket performance. The aim of this article is to introduce an energy balance analysis that investigates the optimum liquid water to gas mass ratio that achieves the optimum performance (the maximum possible burnout velocity) for a water rocket. In this energy balance analysis, the liquid water to the gas mass ratio is to be optimized using the reservoir pressure as the independent variable during the expansion process to avoid the complexity of the transient nature of the flow process.