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.
Volume-Based O/F Ratio, represents the ratio of the volume of oxidizer (V_ox) to the volume of fuel (V_fuel). To calculate it, you’ll need the densities of the oxidizer and fuel, which should be in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³):
where,
- Vox/Vfuel is the Volume based Oxidizer to fuel ratio
- ρox is the desity of oxidizer
- ρfuel is the density of fuel