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The Secret of High Altitude Adventures: How is the World Record-Breaking Water Rocket Designed?
A water rocket is a model rocket that uses water as a reaction propellant. Its principle is based on Newton's third law and is launched by compressed gas. The charm of this technology lies in the fact that it can not only enable people to amaze with their flight performance, but also cultivate creativity and scientific literacy. Recently, as many water rocket enthusiasts have created amazing height records, it has attracted the attention of the media.
"The key to water rocket design is the balance of pressure, propellant mass and aerodynamics."
How does it work?
In the process of designing a water rocket, a drainage bottle is usually selected as the pressure vessel, and its inner part is partially filled with a small amount of water. Then, use a bicycle pump or air compressor to help increase the pressure, up to a maximum of 125 psi. Once the pressure is released, water will spray out at high speed, causing the rocket to rise rapidly and achieve high altitude flight.
Interestingly, optimization of rocket performance is often accompanied by the use of additives. For example, adding salt to increase the density of the reaction mass, or using soap to create a dense foam, can enhance the persistence of the propulsion force.
Design Elements
Water bottle selection
A typical plastic beverage bottle, particularly a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle, is often the primary pressure vessel for a water rocket. Advanced designs use multiple bottles in series to increase volume, which helps the rocket's propulsion duration, although it adds weight.
Gas Compression Mechanism
The compression of the gas to launch a water rocket can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including with a regular bicycle pump, an air compressor, or even a specialized high-pressure tank. When using compressed gas, attention must be paid to improving safety, such as using safety valves to reduce the risk of overpressure.
Nozzle design
Unlike traditional rocket nozzles, water rocket nozzles are mostly open or restricted, especially the common "Gardena nozzle", which is designed with different internal diameters to affect the propulsion force and duration.
Stability System
Adding fins or stabilizers can help improve stability and prevent the rocket from tumbling in flight, however, this also increases air drag. In terms of design, it is necessary to ensure that the center of gravity is located at the tail to ensure good flight performance.
Recycling system
To reduce the impact of damage from rocket landing, designers can consider adding parachutes or other recovery systems, although this will face the risk of failure during courtship, and good design needs to take these factors into account.
Global Records and Competitions
Water rocket competitions are thriving around the world, such as the annual Water Rocket Challenge held by the National Physical Laboratory in the UK, or the long-standing Freestyle Physics Water Rocket Competition in Germany, with innovative designs emerging from all over the world.
"The competition not only challenges technology, but also inspires young minds to explore and innovate."
Recently, the Royal Academy of Colombo set a world record in 2017 by launching 1,950 water rockets simultaneously. Japan's NPO Showa Gakuen took home the honor of the largest segment with a giant 7.72-meter water rocket.
The future of water rockets
With the continuous advancement of water rocket design technology, there will be higher flight records waiting to be challenged in the future. This process will promote society's attention to science education and cultivate a new generation of young people who love physics and engineering.
The design of the water rocket is not only the charm of an engineering experiment, but also a reflection of human spirit of exploration and innovation. So, what kind of surprises will future rocket designs bring us?
