AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition, AIAA SciTech Forum 2026, Florida, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri, 12 - 16 Ocak 2026, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
Analyzing and correctly designing of the launch environment is necessary for haveing a safe and successful launch. During launch, two kinds of pressure waves appear: (1) ignition overpressure (IOP) waves and (2) acoustic waves. IOP waves have higher amplitude and lower frequency. However, acoustic waves have lower magnitude and higher frequencies. These waves can have destructive effects on the launch vehicle and launch structures. By using water injection on the rocket nozzle’s hot exhaust plumes, the effects of these waves can be mitigated and launch safety can also be achieved. This paper aims to investigate the effect of water injection on IOP and jet centerline temperature reductions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses are conducted using Open FOAM software. In order to simulate the Water injection, a multiphase solver based on the Lagrangian method is implemented. An Open FOAM external library, reacting Lagrangian Pimple Central Foam (RLPCF) is selected for this purpose. Unsteady RANS and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is used for flow field analysis. The results show that water injection can mitigate IOP and can affect jet centerline temperature.