Marine propulsion systems that use pressurized air for the direct energization of a propellant water stream offer a mechanical simplicity that could be countered by an inadequate efficiency for the energy transfer process. At commercial vessel speeds a sufficient pressure at the air injection section necessitates injection at depth, energy transfer occurring while the two-phase flow is rising and accelerating prior to discharge at the water line. The presumption of a simple stratified flow model for the analysis of the rig test results leads to a semi-empirical performance prediction procedure that facilitates evaluation and optimization of full-scale design proposals.
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