The propulsion system is used to propel the test carriage down the track. It consists of a water vessel, pressurized air storage tanks, and a shutter-valve. When the system is activated, water hits the reaction bucket at the back of the carriage, propelling the carriage down the track.

The Science Behind the System

Air in the pressurized tanks is built up to maximum pressure of 3150 psi by pumping sufficient filtered air (supplied from an on-site storage tank) into the tanks until the desired pressure is attained. The high-pressure air is then, in turn, used to pressurize the water in the L-shaped water vessel, increasing the potential energy of the water in the vessel. At the end of the "L" at the bottom of the water tank is an 18- inch high-speed shutter which can be opened and closed very quickly to allow the water to "jet" out of the tank. When the shutter is opened, the water jet is released and hits the back of the reaction bucket located on the carriage. The potential energy stored in the pressurized water is transferred to kinetic energy in the high-speed water jet. The force of the water jet hitting against the top of the inside of the bucket for a certain length of dwell time gives an initial impulse to the carriage. As the water jet is rotated around on the inside curved surface of the bucket, it changes directions, resulting in another change in momentum, which provides additional impulse to the carriage.The resulting thrust directed against the carriage by this impulse accelerates the carriage from rest (zero speed) to a maximum of 20 g's over a distance of 120 meters (400 ft.)