Bates Grain Kn Calculator

Version 2K

Number of Grains:
Grain OD:
Core Diameter:
Grain Length:
Nozzle Throat Diameter:

4
31.75
9.525
52.3875
7.9375

0.7664 (See Note 1)

12034.3026 (See Note 2)
49.4832 (See Note 3)
243
290
243

Burn Increment:
Initial burn surface:
Nozzle throat area:
Initial Kn:
Kn Max:
Final Kn:
"Ideal" Bates length:

52.3875 (See Note 4)

350
300
250

Kn

200
150
100
50
0
1

9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27

Burn Interval

Enter your values in the blue box. The rest is calculated by the spreadsheet
Any units of distance measurement may be used: inches, mm, furlongs...whatever, as long as you use th
This sample is in millimeters, in case you were wondering
Progression of Kn ratios will appear in last column to the right
(Feel free to delete my silly arrows once you have "got it.")

Burn
OD-Initial Length
Core dia Outside
End area Core End
Increment Interval
area*
full disk
area
0
0.0000
31.75 52.3875
9.525 5225.42
791.73
71.26
1
0.7664
31.75 51.6211
10.291 5148.98
791.73
83.18
2
1.5328
31.75 50.8547
11.058 5072.54
791.73
96.03
3
2.2991
31.75 50.0884
11.824 4996.09
791.73
109.81
4
3.0655
31.75 49.3220
12.591 4919.65
791.73
124.50
5
3.8319
31.75 48.5556
13.357 4843.21
791.73
140.12
6
4.5983
31.75 47.7892
14.123 4766.76
791.73
156.66
7
5.3647
31.75 47.0228
14.890 4690.32
791.73
174.12
8
6.1310
31.75 46.2565
15.656 4613.88
791.73
192.51
9
6.8974
31.75 45.4901
16.422 4537.43
791.73
211.82
10
7.6638
31.75 44.7237
17.189 4460.99
791.73
232.05
11
8.4302
31.75 43.9573
17.955 4384.55
791.73
253.20
12
9.1966
31.75 43.1909
18.722 4308.11
791.73
275.28
13
9.9629
31.75 42.4246
19.488 4231.66
791.73
298.28
14 10.7293
31.75 41.6582
20.254 4155.22
791.73
322.20
15 11.4957
31.75 40.8918
21.021 4078.78
791.73
347.04
16 12.2621
31.75 40.1254
21.787 4002.33
791.73
372.81
17 13.0284
31.75 39.3591
22.553 3925.89
791.73
399.50
18 13.7948
31.75 38.5927
23.320 3849.45
791.73
427.11
19 14.5612
31.75 37.8263
24.086 3773.01
791.73
455.65
20 15.3276
31.75 37.0599
24.853 3696.56
791.73
485.10
21 16.0940
31.75 36.2935
25.619 3620.12
791.73
515.48
22
16.8603
31.75
35.5272
26.385
3543.68
791.73
546.78
29
23 17.6267
31.75 34.7608
27.152 3467.23
791.73
579.01
24 18.3931
31.75 33.9944
27.918 3390.79
791.73
612.16
25 19.1595
31.75 33.2280
28.684 3314.35
791.73
646.23
26 19.9259
31.75 32.4616
29.451 3237.90
791.73
681.22
27 20.6922
31.75 31.6953
30.217 3161.46
791.73
717.13

Jimmy Yawn
jyawn@sfcc.net
Recrystallized Rocketry
6/12/2005

28
29

21.4586
22.2250

31.75
31.75

30.9289
30.1625

30.984
31.750

3085.02
3008.58

791.73
791.73

753.97
791.73

ver, as long as you use the same units for all values.

BurnA1
BurnA2
Each grain
End area
Core burn
Total burn Area x number Web
Kn Ratio
minus core area (each grain)
area
Of Grains
Thickness
720.47
1567.63
3008.58
12034.30
22.23
243.20
708.55
1668.98
3086.07
12344.29
21.46
249.46
695.70
1766.64
3158.03
12632.14
20.69
255.28
681.92
1860.61
3224.46
12897.84
19.93
260.65
667.23
1950.90
3285.35
13141.41
19.16
265.57
651.61
2037.49
3340.71
13362.83
18.39
270.05
635.07
2120.39
3390.53
13562.11
17.63
274.08
617.61
2199.60
3434.81
13739.24
16.86
277.65
599.22
2275.12
3473.56
13894.24
16.09
280.79
579.91
2346.95
3506.77
14027.09
15.33
283.47
559.68
2415.09
3534.45
14137.80
14.56
285.71
538.53
2479.54
3556.59
14226.37
13.79
287.50
516.45
2540.30
3573.20
14292.80
13.03
288.84
493.45
2597.37
3584.27
14337.08
12.26
289.74
469.53
2650.74
3589.81
14359.22
11.50
290.18
444.69
2700.43
3589.81
14359.22
10.73
290.18
418.92
2746.43
3584.27
14337.08
9.96
289.74
392.23
2788.74
3573.20
14292.80
9.20
288.84
364.62
2827.35
3556.59
14226.37
8.43
287.50
336.09
2862.28
3534.45
14137.80
7.66
285.71
306.63
2893.52
3506.77
14027.09
6.90
283.47
276.25
2921.06
3473.56
13894.24
6.13
280.79
244.95
2944.92
3434.81
13739.24
5.36
277.65
212.72
2965.08
3390.53
13562.11
4.60
274.08
179.58
2981.56
3340.71
13362.83
3.83
270.05
145.51
2994.34
3285.35
13141.41
3.07
265.57
110.51
3003.44
3224.46
12897.84
2.30
260.65
74.60
3008.84
3158.03
12632.14
1.53
255.28

37.76
0.00

3010.55
3008.58

3086.07
3008.58

12344.29
12034.30

0.77
0.00

249.46
243.20

The Bates Grain

Hollow core, propellant exposed.
Burns from the inside out.
Both end surfaces are exposed.
Each burns toward the middle
Inhibitor - prevents outer surface from burning

As the hollow core burns, it gets bigger

Ends burn toward each other, so the core gets shorter
And as the core gets bigger, the ends get smaller, also

Terms
Progressive: Thrust increases as motor burn proceeds
Regressive: Thrust decreases as motor burn proceeds
Flat: Thrust stays (about) the same as motor burn proceed

nts outer surface from burning

e burns, it gets bigger - progressive

each other, so the core gets shorter - regressive
ets bigger, the ends get smaller, also regressive

creases as motor burn proceeds

creases as motor burn proceeds
out) the same as motor burn proceeds.

This sheet calculates Kn progressions for Bates grains.

Kn ratio is the ratio of the area burning propellant surface to the area of a cross-section of nozzle throat. It is a critical factor in the design
of a solid-propellant rocket motor. Kn can be used (with other factors) to determine the pressure within the motor casing at any point in the
burn. Pressure must be generated and maintained within appropriate limits for the motor to function well.
It is from German: Klemmung
A German dictionary defines Klemm as "an instrument for squeezing or holding fast...a narrow pass" Sounds sorta like a nozzle to me.
Not sure about "ung"... any ideas are welcomed.
If Kn is too low, the propellant does not ignite well nor burn efficiently. Think of an old automobile that is hard to crank and gets bad gas
mileage. That's low Kn.
If Kn is too high: Risk of CATO, or other damage from too-high pressure. CATO is a clever rocketry term for "blows up." If CATO sounds
like fun, please stay with model rocketry for a few more years.
Different propellants require different Kn levels to function well. For example, slow-burning ammonium nitrate composite propellants
require and allow much higher Kn ratios than fast-burning KNO3/sucrose sugar propellant

Bates grains are hollow-cored cylinders of propellant, with an inhibitor applied to the outside surface which prevents that surface from
burning. Many rocket motors use several bates grains, from 2 to 6 are common, 8 and 10-grain motors have been seen.
The core and ends burn, but the outer cylindrical surface does not burn.
The core burns progressively, getting larger as the burn continues.
The ends also burn, so that as the core gets bigger, it also gets shorter. And as the core gets bigger, the ends get smaller.

This combination of progressive and regressive traits yields a relatively "flat" burn profile which starts and ends at the same Kn ratio, and
rises a little in the middle. Thus it is better described as "progressive/regressive" but that is too many syllables. "Flat" is a lot easier to say.

Notes
(Note 1) "Burn Increment" is (web thickness)/(number of data points)
This sheet divides the burn into 30 data points and calcluates the Kn at each of these intervals (Cells D10 through Q39).

This sheet divides the burn into 30 data points and calcluates the Kn at each of these intervals (Cells D10 through Q39).
(Note 2) Any units of distance measurement can be used to enter the grain length, diameter, core, and nozzle throat diameter. They must
be the same units, or the output will be highly irregular. The Burn Surface and any other calculations of area will be in square units of
whatever units you have chosen to use. So if your input is in inches, areas will be expressed in square inches. If millimeters, your output
willbe in square mm.
(Note 3) Nozzle throat area (cell B12) is calculated from the nozzle throat diameter (cell B7) by the classic formula, "Pie are squared."
This value is critical in calculating Kn ratio, so change it at your own risk.
(Note 4) Ideal Bates Length: The spreadsheet will show here (Cell B17) the length of an "ideal" Bates grain.
It is calculated from the grain diameter and core diameter you have specified in cells B4 and B5.
Length of an "Ideal" Bates grain is defined by the formula: ((Outside Diameter * 3) + Core Diameter) / 2
Enter this length into Cell B6 if you want to calculate your motor for ideal Bates grains. Then do a quick check: are the beginning and
ending values for Kn the same? (If not, please let me know - I made a mistake!)
This gives a grain length approximately 1.6 times the outside diameter, but that will vary somewhat for different core diameters.
Grains longer than the ideal will burn progressively, grains shorter then the ideal length will burn regressively.
This sheet provides for the calculation of non-ideal Bates grains to allow use with different motor designs. For instance, one might want to
fill up a certain sized motor casing, and be willing to tolerate a slightly progressive burn. Or one might want to use 4 short grains instead of
3 ideal ones to generate more thrust at liftoff, at the expense of a slightly regressive burn.
Jimmy Yawn
jyawn@sfcc.net
6/12/05

the design
y point in the

o me.

ets bad gas

CATO sounds

surface from

Kn ratio, and
ot easier to say.

er. They must

, your output

might want to
rains instead of