Small-Scale Soda Bottle Rocket Launcher - Research Paper Example

? Small Scale Soda Bottle Rocket Launcher Capable Of Shooting a Two Liter Soda Bottle Repetitively and At Different Angles of the [Project Title] [Instructor] [Name of the Institution] [Date] Small Scale Soda Bottle Rocket Launcher Capable Of Shooting a Two Liter Soda Bottle Repetitively and At Different Angles Abstract Soda bottle rocket launcher is capable of launching soda bottle with acceleration greater tan 100 meters per square second that can cover a distance of more than 100 meters. The soda water launching pad uses water and pressurized air to launch the soda bottle in the air. I utilized the PVC pipes to build a soda bottle rocket launcher that is capable to launching soda bottles to different angle (from 0 to 90 degrees). The launching pad is made strong to hold the immense pressure of air inside it on the other hand; it should be water tight to prevent any leak. Movable joints are utilized to rotate the launcher at different angles. A thin coat of cement is applied to prevent any leak. It helps to understand the laws of physics that are related to the motion of the rocket. Introduction Newton’s Laws of motion play an important role in our life. Laws of motion depict a scientific explanation for the different type of works we do in our daily routine with respect to locomotion and actions related to motion. In vehicular motion, laws of motion play an important role in determining the distance, time and velocity of the moving object. On the other hand, the motion of rocket and similar types of propulsion engines, laws of motion are also utilized to depict the relation between the force, acceleration and mass of the object and the force to carry and move the mass. Rockets works by utilizing second and third law of motion, where the ignited fuel acts as the force to continue the motion of the rocket. The similar manner can be seen in the pressurized soda bottle rocket launcher that used the air and water pressure to provide enough force for the bottle to be launched. In this paper, I will design and discuss the manufacturing and process small scale soda bottle rocket launcher capable of shooting a two liter soda bottle repetitively and at different angles. Purpose The purpose of the research is to research and produce a fully working modal of a small scale soda bottle rocket launcher capable of shooting a two liter soda bottle repetitively and at different angles. The small Soda bottle rocket launcher is much effective in understanding the procedure and the process which makes a rocket accelerate at such high speed. Research and Literature Review Soda bottle rockets make utilization of used soda bottle, which are capable to high pressure due to the strength of the plastic is uniquely selected to bear the immense pressure of soda inside the bottle. Such types of bottle can be used for a normal pressure application. Soda bottles are considered best for the soda bottle rockets due to the capacity and incredible design and light weight of the bottle. In colleges and homes many people build the launching pads for launching the water soda bottle rockets to clear the concepts of real rockets and in homes, it is considered as the fun to launch the empty soda bottle water rocket. Most soda bottles are soft drink bottles, which hold cola or other soda based flavors (Kagan, Louis & Lynda, 150). Soda water rockets can reach as much as 100 meters on the vertical axis and more than 100 meters on the horizontal axis provided that the projectile is carefully selected to be 45 degrees (Gurstelle, 34-45). The soda bottles are partly filled with water and then the water is pressurized by pumping air into the bottle by utilizing a hand pump or an electric or mechanical compressor. Any other fluid can also be utilized instead of water, but water presents the best qualities as compared to all other fluids. The most significant feature is the least cost and massive availability of water (Kagan, Louis & Lynda, 150). Water rockets mostly rely on the pressurized air. The more the amount of pressurized air, the larger will be trajectory of the rocket. Thus, an appropriate air pumping depicts the performance of the water rocket. Moreover, the shape of the rocket also plays an important role in depicting the length it will cover horizontally or vertically (Willams, 1-12). Soda water rockets are noting with out a proper launching pad. A proper launching not only holds the water filled soda bottles but also makes a water tight contact between the bottle and the nozzle of the launching pad that holds the bottles. The whole air pumping mechanism is attached to the launching pad. The launching pad requires about 90% of the work, as it is major part. Soda bottles are normal soda bottles without a launching pad (Windt, 1-8). The launching pad should be capable of handling the pressure or the air and the weight of the bottle. People have tried using metallic as well as PVC pipes for making the launching pads. Both the types of the pipes have some advantages and some limitations. Steel and metallic pipes can hold immense but are not easy to work with and are much heavy to hold a two litter soda bottle. On the other hand, PVC pipes are durable, light weight, easier to handle and hold higher comparative pressure, as utilized in the soda water rockets. PVC pipes and housings are also less costly as compared to the steel pipes and housings. In this way, PVC pipes and joints are the best option to build a Soda bottle rocket launcher (Willams, 1-12). In physics, students learn a lot by understanding the laws of motion with a practical explanation. The second law of motion states “the acceleration of a body is directly proportional to the net force acting on a body and inversely proportional to the mass of the body” (Lund & Thibodeau, 1-10). Mathematically it can be said that the force acting on a body is equal to the product of mass and acceleration of the body. The principle can be applied to the rocket that is going up due to pressure. The acceleration of the rocket is due to the force of air that it pressurized into the soda bottle but the acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass of the bottle. The heavies he bottle, the less acceleration it would have and less distance the bottle will cover. As soda bottles have the least weight, the soda bottles are best option for the fun. The law can also be interpreted as the sum of all the forces acting on the rocket to push it upward is equal to the produce of the mass of the rocket and the acceleration o the rocket (Windt, 1-8). Newton’s third law of motion can also be applied in case of soda bottle rocket. Newton’s third law states “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction” (Lund & Thibodeau, 1-10). The pressurized water in the water acts to move downward with a pressure, the bottle in reaction goes up, opposing the motion of the ejected water from the bottle. The similar situation is with the fuel based rocked where action is provided by burning the fuel which produces an immense amount of thrust and in reaction the rocket goes up opposing the force produced by the thrust (Kagan, Louis & Lynda, 150). In general three forces act on the soda bottle rocket; the upward thrust generated by the pressurized water, the gravitational pull and the aerodynamic drag. Gravitational pull and the aerodynamic drag act as the opposing forces that can only be lessen. Gravitational pull can be reduced by making the rocket as light as possible and aerodynamic drag can be reduced by making the shape of the rocket that limits air resistance (Lund & Thibodeau, 1-10). On the other hand, the upward thrust can be increased by pressurizing more air into the rocket. The more the upward thrust, the more the rocket will travel. The motion of rocket also verifies the law of inertia, as it continues its motion even if all the water in the bottle is pushed out by the pressurized air (Gurstelle, 34-45). Design Making a soda bottle rocket launcher is not a big task but making it in such a manner that it throws the soda bottle at different angle is the most technical perspective of the soda bottle rocket launcher. I had the plans to utilize the PVC pipe for making the soda bottle rocket launcher. I went to the hardware store to buy 6 pieces of one and a half inch pipe each of which is 12 inch long, 6 pieces of one and a half inch pipe each of which is 10 inch long 2 pieces of one and a half inch pipe with 20 inch length, one piece of one and half inch pipe of 7 inch length, 7 PVC stopper, 7 PVC Tee (T) joints, one gas fixture, one movable joint, two adjustable joints, ten zip ties, two jubilee clips, high strength tape and a two inch piece of two inch diameter PVC pipe. PVC pipes and different joints are arranged in different manner to build a proper launching pad. To design a basic soda bottle launching pad, six pieces of PVC pipes of equal size of 12 inches each. The diameter of each piece of pipe should be 1.5 inch. Now take three Tee (T) joints. Take three pieces of pipes and one Tee joint. Apply a thin coat of cement along the rotation of the pipes on its end side. Place the pipe in one opening of the Tee joint and push it inwards. Use the similar procedure for the two other pipes to place then in two other openings of the TEE joint. Use these similar steps to make another pipe and joint structure with one other joint and three remaining pieces of pipes. Now take the two parts that are previously made and take the vertical length of both parts and join then in a horizontal manner making the vertical end of the Tee joint stand vertically upright. Repeat the steps and make one more stand with10 inch pipes in the similar manner. Take the two adjustable joints and apply a thin coat of cement on them and place them inside the vertical opening of the Tee joints of the two bases. Take the two 20 inch pipe and place them into the opening of the adjustable joints of the two bases after applying a thin coat of cement on the end that going inwards the 20 inch pipe. Now two stands with movable pipes are built. Place an adjustable joint into the vertical pipe of stand with 10 inch pipe and place a Tee joint on the other stand so that the horizontal opening remains up and vertical opening lies parallel to the stand. Take a 7 inch pipe, apply this coat of cement and on one end of it and place it inside the parallel opening of the Tee joint. Combine the movable joint of one stand and the remaining opening of the Tee joint of the other pipe. Take 4 PVC caps and shut all the opening of one stand. Take three PVC one inch caps and close the three opening on the base remain one open. Do not cap the vertical opening, as the bottle will rest on this opening. Place a PVC gas nozzle on the remaining opening of one stand. Take the soda bottle, slide its moth into the vertical end of the pipe and mark the length where bottom of the soda bottle remains only few inches from the end of the vertical 7 inch pipe. Take the soda bottle out of the vertical pipe. Take the heat gun and a little burn the marked region so that it swells a bit. Take the jubilee clip and slide it into the vertical pipe. Now take about 10 zip ties and place their sides without locks into the jubilee chip. Tighten the screw of the jubilee clip just under the swelled part of the pipe holding the ends of the zip ties in a circular pattern. Place a 2 inch piece of a two inch diameter pipe. The soda bottle rocket launcher is complete now. Connect a hand bicycle pump or an air compressor with the gas nozzle in the base of the soda bottle rocket launcher. Most of the materials like the pipes hoses, jubilee clips and bicycle pump can be purchases from a local hardware store. These materials are commonly available at any hardware store but electric air compressor is only available at electric hardware or spare part store. The size and diameter of the pipes and hoses should be carefully selected to maintain high efficiency of the soda bottle rocket launcher. Check all the joints and apply a thin coat of cement on each joint to prevent any leakage. Analysis The equipment I have utilize in my soda bottle rocket launcher is quite less expensive, I have bought the movable joints for $17, I have bought Tee joints for $22, all pieces of pipes combined cost about $69, jubilee clips and zip ties cost about $7, all pipe caps cost about $9, one small can of cement cost about $3. Thus, the total cost is about $127. The price for all the equipment is not too much and its pity easier to made. I have tried my system, and the efficient of the system at different angle. The soda bottle rocket launches is working fine and the projectile is working well with my launcher. In the designing process, I not only considered the process to be as low as possible but also considered that the launcher should be durable and can be used several time. I work well with all angles but at 90 and 0, the device problems in adjusting with the angle. Conclusion In the designing section, I came to understand the various laws of physics and their practical implementation. Making a soda bottle rocket launcher is not a big task but making to launch the bottle at different angles is a difficult task. It is fun and helps the students to understand the laws of motion. Rocket utilizes second and third laws of motion. It is good equipment for the kids and the students to clear their understanding about the rocket propulsion. The soda bottle rocket launcher converts the potential energy into dynamic energy. The cost of the system is too low and a better system with more accuracy can be made. Works Cited Gurstelle, William. Backyard ballistics: build potato cannons, paper match rockets, Cincinnati fire kites, tennis ball mortars, and more dynamite devices. Chicago Review Press, 2012. Print Kagan, David, Louis Buchholtz, and Lynda Klein. "Soda-bottle water rockets."Physics Teacher 33 (1995). Print Lund, Niles Lee, and Richard Edward Thibodeau. "Bottle rocket launcher." U.S. Patent No. 7,021,987. 4 Apr. 2006. Print. Williams, Russell Kenneth. "Toy Water Rocket Launcher." U.S. Patent Application 11/160,954. Print. Windt, Robert James. "Simple home made toy rockets and airplanes with launcher." U.S. Patent Application 10/972,305. Print. Read More