The oxidizer-to-fuel (O/F) ratio for liquid propellant rockets is a fundamental parameter that determines the proportion of oxidizer to fuel used in the rocket’s propulsion system. In liquid rocket engines, the oxidizer and fuel are stored in separate tanks and are combined in a combustion chamber for combustion. Achieving the correct O/F ratio is essential for efficient and controlled combustion.
The mass-based O/F ratio (Φ) is calculated by dividing the mass of the oxidizer (m_ox) by the mass of the fuel (m_fuel). Both masses should be in kilograms (kg). The formula is as follows:
where,
- Φ is the O/F ratio, or, oxidizer-to-fuel ratio
- Mox is the Mass of Oxidizer
- Mfuel is the Mass of Fuel