BurnSim

What is BurnSim?

BurnSim is a solid rocket steady-state ballistic simulation software package for the Windows platform. In a nutshell, input your motor, nozzle and propellant characteristics and BurnSim calculates the Kn through the burn and predicts estimated chamber pressure and motor performance. Once your motor design is in BurnSim, you can tweak the parameters such as nozzle diameter or grain core diameter and instantly see how the Kn, chamber pressure, and motor thrust is affected. BurnSim will also optimize your nozzle design.

Motor designs in BurnSim can be saved and recalled for later use. In addition, test data can be imported and graphed alongside simulation data to compare sims to results. BurnSim allows you to make notes about your propellants and motor designs, all saved in one convenient location.

Once you're happy with the your motor design, BurnSim can then export a .ENG file for use in RockSim, wRasp or other rocket flight simulators. You may also export the data to a text file (comma delimited) for use in virtually any system. You can estimate your motor's performance and rocket's flight before you even cast a grain!

This application is available in digital form only. You will receive an electronic file via email along with license key which can be installed on your windows computer. If you need a CD-ROM copy please contact us though there will be additional shipping expenses.

Features

• Supports the following grain configurations in any number and combination:
  • BATES grains with 0-2 restricted ends
  • End burning grains (defined as BATES grain with zero diameter core)
  • Moon or Offset Core
  • D Grains
  • C-Slot
  • Finocyl
  • Star
  • X-Core
• Different propellant types can be specified for each grain
• Instantly see a graph of Kn, chamber pressure, thrust, and see how it changes when you change motor attributes.
• Graph Mass Flux over the burn, a value that can be used to monitor erosive burning
• Import test data and graph it along side simulations
• Save your motor designs and propellant characteristics, as well as notes and imported test data
• Export predicted motor performance into .eng files for use in Rocksim or wRasp
• Export predicted motor performance into .csv files (comma delimited text files) for use Excel or any other program.
• Thrust estimations based on nozzle geometry
• Optimize your nozzle design for maximum performance.
• Propellants can be defined with characterization data that changes over varied pressure ranges

Future Features

• Pressure drop (burnout or boost-sustain) transient simulation
• Additional Grain types, requests?
• Graphical grain iteration, allowing for any 2D grain shapes
• 3D grain burn simulation
• Support for units other than English
• Erosive burning predictions
• Improved Printing of simulation data
• Your suggestions! 

Click picture for larger view

PLEASE NOTE! 

BurnSim estimates chamber pressure and performance assuming steady state operation. BurnSim (currently) does NOT take into account erosive burning effects which can significantly raise chamber pressures in motors with high L/D ratios. Test all motors in a safe environment, and always assume the motor can fail. Be prepared.

BurnSim is great! Easy to use, very accurate, versatile, and just plain fun to play with. 

-Terry McCreary
Tripoli Board of Directors
Author Of Experimental Composite Propellant

The Personal license entitles one person's use of BurnSim, up to 5 installations / reinstalls. For multiple users, volume discounts are available. Please contact us for details.

Click here to download current version Version 3.1.8 Full Install (<1 meg="" a="">

You may download BurnSim and use it at no cost, with some limitations. Until activated, BurnSim will only run 10 simulations at a time, and you cannot save your files. For the small license fee of $39.00 you get unlimited personal use of the software (single user - up to 5 installs/reinstalls). BurnSim 2.x license holders can upgrade to version 3.0 for $14.00. This fee supports the author's efforts and promotes the continued development of BurnSim. 

Version History

Version 3.1.8 
More UI scaling fixes for Vista / W7 
C* added as a propellant characterization property 
Miscellaneous minor bugfixes

Version 3.1.6 
Rolled to Visual Studio 2008 / .NET 3.5 
UI scaling fixes for Vista / W7 
Automatic check for new versions 
Bugfix - unit changes broke ENG file generation 
Printing scaling fixes 
Input checking on ENG export to prevent conversion errors

Version 3.0.0.123 
added version check option to startup and help menu 
bugfix - crash on grain grid update

Version 3.0.0.122 
Removed popup when sim is run with no propellant grains 
re-wrote logic driving the set max kn feature (so it actually works) 
bugfix - when using arrows to move up and down in grain grid the grain fields and image were not updating 
port/throat area ratio label updated to be readable when color changes to alert to possibly unsafe values 
Added printer setting dialog when printing 
Printing layout updated yet again, corrected aspect ratio of graph, added nozzle info

Version 3.0.0.121 
bugfix - registry access failure errors when trying to set burnsim as default program for .bsx files 
bugfix - changed registry locations used for activation so UAC will no longer cause conflicts 
bugfix - propellants.xml moved from application folder to user documents folder and renamed to burnsim3_propellants.xml to avoid UAC confict 
bugfix - help file not always opening when user hits F1 
bugfix - x axis modification failing ungracefully if end is zero and start > 0 (error condition if start > end) 
bugfix - errors / hang when deleting last grain from grid, defaulted to selecting top grain after delete. Now selects grain closest to what was deleted, no errors 
typos and other corrections to help file 
bugfix - when updating grains highlighted selection no longer is lost after clicking 'update' button 
added buttons to move grains up and down in grains grid 
printing format changes (printing is a work in progress, but getting better)

Version 3.0.0.119 
new grain types, tablet (uninhibited bates) and pie segment 
bugfix - inconsistent results when clicking buttons or changing fields with a sim running 
file association with .bsx 
bugfix - files not loaded correctly when saved with 'use thrust coefficient' instead of nozzle calcs 
added mass flow 
added graph x axis start and stop for zooming in on the graph 
bugfix - star major width values not displaying correctly in graph 
bugfix - ctrl-c to stop simulation was not working 
bugfix - if BurnSim was closed when max kn loop was running, would get into a loop and process would never die 
bugfix - ENG export was using 'open' file dialog instead of 'save' file dialog 
put back expansion ratio color coding 
printing re-worked 
bugfix - deleting all grains from a motor while sim is running caused a hang 
bugfix - finocyl grain validation 
bugfix - when opening older burnsim files without propellant data and the propellant isnt already in the system

Version 3.0.0.99 
bugfix - expansion ratio and nozzle exit diameter problems fixed 
bugfix - installation over old version no longer requires uninstallation first 
bugfix - was not redrawing graph when turning off graph lines, now does 
perf - sim time improved by 20% on motors using same propellant in all grains 
bugfix - propellant data saved to motor files didnt include propellant PVPs and notes

Version 3.0.0.98 
bugfix - max kn not working 
bugfix - zero nozzle throat error when clicking new sim button 
bugfix - unsaved file check when clicking new sim button

Version 3.0.0.97 
Context Sensitive Help / documentation 
Calcluate exit dia from expansion ratio 
Port/throat ratio is back, as well as throat/port 
Graphic display of propellant grains 
Ability to mix grains of different propellant type 
Vary a, n, and ISP* for different pressure ranges 
UI changes and miscellaneous bug fixes 
Keep notes on specific propellants and motors 
Import test data and graph it alongside sim data for comparison, imported data saved to the motor for later use 
Migrated to Microsoft .NET platform

Version 2.3.71 (release) 
Added Finocyl Grain Support 
Printing of simulation data is now supported

Version 2.3.67 
Various bug fixes

Version 2.3.57 (release) 
Added Finocyl Grain Support 
Printing of simulation data is now supported 
Added control of graph line colors 
Can now choose from either nozzle calculations or given thrust coefficient for thrust calculations 
Can now specify nozzle flow efficiency and ambient pressure for Nozzle / Momentum Thrust Calculations rather than assuming sea level 
Installing over an existing version will no longer wipe out your propellant data 
Friendlier to smaller motors (sub 10 NS) 
Propellant properties now saved in motor files so when sharing files the propellant data is brought across with the motor data. 
Fixed bug when exporting ENG files, delimiter between delays 
Fixed "Subscript out of Range" error on motors with a >10 second burn time 
Fixed bug where motor fields cleared if you hit cancel on file open dialog 
Other miscellaneous bug fixes

Version 2.2.21 
Minor bug fixes, including 'unknown registration condition' error

Version 2.2.17 (Release) 
Removed 3rd Party Graphing component, graphing now faster, reduced installation dependencies 
Fixed bug when exporting ENG files of regressive motor burns

Version 2.2 BETA 2 
Corrected field validation issues with nozzle dimensions and simulation cutoff 
Improved nozzle optimization speed 
Added 'Minimize' button 
Fixed UI Tab order issues 
Other Miscellaneous minor bugs

Version 2.2 BETA 1 
Updated UI 
Fixed D Grain calculation issues 
Added Thrust Coefficient calculations based on nozzle dimensions, no longer need to provide an estimated Thrust Coefficient. 
Nozzle optimization 
Cut off simulation at x% of max thrust

Version 2.1.14 
Fixed form resize issue 
Changes to help some win98 issues 
Added option to set simulation sample rate 
Export data to .csv 
Corrected .ENG file issues 
Added some tooltip help popups (hover mouse over items in BurnSim to see what they are) 
Added status bar 
Eliminated conflict with Hybrid Design Program

Version 2.1.2 
Miscellaneous Bug Fixes 
Licensing Validation

Version 2.0.17 
Fixed several miscellaneous issues surrounding .eng file exporting 
Removed dependancies on scripting components

Version 2.0.14 
Corrected error when loading .bsx files from older versions of BurnSim 
Added message when .eng export is cancelled 
Found and fixed issues with exporting .eng files with invalid content

Version 2.0.13 
Fixed zero thrust issue

Version 2.0.12 
Corrected install issues 
Added support for D grains 
Now exports .eng files for use in rocksim or wrasp 
ISP* vs ISP clarifications

Version 2.0.7 
Initial public release