Designing a compressed air vehicle

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around designing a compressed air vehicle for a school project, utilizing a paintball tank, nozzles, and a controller board for valve management. The user calculates an exhaust air velocity of around 3 km/s based on the Bernoulli equation, questioning its validity given the pressure difference from 30 bar to 1 bar. Responses indicate that the equation used is not suitable for compressible flow, suggesting the user research "choked flow" for more accurate calculations. Additionally, measuring thrust directly using a scale attached to the nozzle is recommended for practical validation. The conversation emphasizes the need for theoretical accuracy in the design process.
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I am doing a school project, building a compressed air powered vehicle to reach desired destination.
What I am thinking is:
I will use a paintball compressed air tank.
Four nozzles.
And an controller board to control valve opening.
Valve will only open for certain time like (50ms). After each round of opening, controller board will determine its location and compare it with destination. This will give feedback on which valves to be opened in the next round. But well, all those are just some background information.

My question is, for example, my compressed air is charged till 30 bar. And the air will eject to the ambient.
Based on bernoulli equation, I get this for exhaust air velocity from the nozzle:

Pg + 1/2 p Vg^2 = Pa
Pg=30bar
Pa=1bar
and p = air density = 1.225 kg/m^3
So what I get for exhaust velocity is around 3km/s.
OMG is this true??

Schematic diagram is attached as follow.

And if it is not true, how do I get the exhaust velocity of the air? I need them to compute the final thrust of the air thruster.

Thanks for your help!
 

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Have you considered getting the thrust more directly, by directly measuring it? Fix your thruster nozzle to a scale, and see what the scale reads?
 
Nugatory said:
Have you considered getting the thrust more directly, by directly measuring it? Fix your thruster nozzle to a scale, and see what the scale reads?
I'm doing initial design. I need some theoretical validation of my model:)
 
Your equation is not valid for compressible flow, and going from 30 bar to 1 bar is definitely in the realm of compressibility. Look up "choked flow" for a more realistic set of equations.
 
So I know that electrons are fundamental, there's no 'material' that makes them up, it's like talking about a colour itself rather than a car or a flower. Now protons and neutrons and quarks and whatever other stuff is there fundamentally, I want someone to kind of teach me these, I have a lot of questions that books might not give the answer in the way I understand. Thanks
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