Experimental and numerical investigation of bubble augmented waterjet propulsion

Abstract

This contribution presents experimental and numerical investigations of the concept jet propulsion augmentation using bubble injection. A half-3D (D-shaped cylindrical configuration to enable optimal visualizations) divergent-convergent nozzle was designed, built, and used for extensive experiments under different air injection conditions and thrust measurement schemes. The design, optimization, and analysis were conducted using numerical simulations. The more advanced model was based on a two-way coupling between an Eulerian description of the flow field and a Lagrangian tracking of the injected bubbles using our Surface Averaged Pressure (SAP) model. The numerical results compare very favorably with nozzle experiments and both experiments and simulations validation the thrust augmentation concept. For a properly designed nozzle and air injection system, air injection produces net thrust augmentation, which increases with the rate of bubble injection. Doubling of thrust was measured for a 50% air injection rate. This beneficial effect remains at 50% after account for liquid pump additional work to overcome increased pressure by air injection.