EzAlt.

xls
FLIGHT PERFORMANCE ESTIMATOR FOR HOBBY ROCKETS
Written by: Richard A.Nakka* Version: 1.2 Date: Feb. 2007 (originally released Dec. 2002) For free distribution

* "Best Mass" worksheet written by Jorge Andres Serrano Ardila This spreadsheet estimates the flight performance of a hobby rocket, based on user inputted data describing the rocket, which consists of: - Motor average thrust or burn time - Motor total impulse - Propellant mass - Rocket empty mass - Rocket maximum diameter - Drag coefficient The spreadsheet predicts: peak altitude, maximum velocity, acceleration, burnout altitude, and time duration from liftoff to peak altitude. This spreadsheet is meant to be very simple to use, with instant answers outputted on the same page. It is intended primarily for preliminary design work of a hobby rocket, when a quick and reasonably accurate estimate of the flight performance is needed. As such, this spreadsheet is ideally suited to studying "what if" scenarios (what if drag is reduced, what if mass is reduced, what if motor output or size is increased, etc.) For versatility, the analysis is performed using either English or Metric units of measure. The "Best Mass" worksheet automatically determines the rocket mass that will result in the greatest altitude (available in metric only). Note that this software is intended for predicting the flight performance of "typical" hobby rockets, (see below) and as such, the results may not be valid for non-typical configurations. Also, the validity encompasses rockets that operate only within the subsonic flight regime. If the predicted maximum velocity is greater than the speed of sound at sea level, a warning message is given. The methodology utilized by this spreadsheet is novel in its approach to the solution of a rocket's flight performance. The performance is calculated using energy conservation methods, for the condition of zero aerodynamic drag losses. This provides the "ideal" values for altitude, velocity, etc. in the absence of aerodynamic drag. A Drag Influence Number is then used to correlate the ideal values to actual (predicted) values based on drag reduction factors which take into account aerodynamic drag, and are applied to the ideal values. The Drag Influence Number (N) is defined as:

N=

Cd D 2 Vbo 2 1000 mr

where C d is the drag coefficient, D is the rocket diameter, V bo is the burnout velocity for the condition of zero drag, and m r is the rocket dead mass (1000 is used to reduce the number to a more convenient magnitude). The drag reduction factors, which are derived functions of the Drag Influence Number, are applied to

the ideal values of peak altitude, maximum velocity, time to peak altitude, and burnout altitude. These factors were derived through an investigative analysis which involved running a large number of flight simulations using a conventional flight simulation software. The flight simulations were based on "typical" hobby sized rockets, in particular: Motor range: A to K (1.3 to 2500 N-s.) Rocket mass: 0.040 to 8 kg. (0.10 to 18 lb.) Rocket diameter: 2 to 15 cm (0.75 to 6 inch) For rocket configurations outside these ranges, the results may not be fully valid. For more complete details on the both the methodology and on the simulations that were run, visit: Richard Nakka's Experimental Rocketry Website http://www.nakka-rocketry.net Simplified Method for Estimating the Flight Performance of a Hobby Rocket

FLIGHT PERFORMANCE ESTIMATOR FOR HOBBY ROCKETS

(valid for subsonic rockets only) Instructions: Enter data in blue text (boxed cells). Title Motor average thrust Motor total impulse Motor propellant weight Rocket dead weight Rocket diameter (max) Rocket drag coefficient Motor thrust time Motor classification Rocket avg. flight weight Acceleration (average) example rocket 190 lb. 418 lb-sec. 3.200 lb. 14.000 lb. 4 inch 0.45 2.200 sec. K 15.600 lb.
2 392 feet/sec 12.2 g's

EzAlt.xls (MS Excel 97) Version: 1.2 Date: Feb. 2007

F= It = mp = mr = D= Cd = t= mra = a= or a = z2 = t2 = v1 = z1 = N= f1 = f2 = f3 = f4 =

Input data

Peak altitude (zero drag) Time to peak altitude (zero drag) Max velocity (zero drag) Burnout altitude (zero drag) Drag Influence number Peak altitude reduction factor Time to peak reduction factor Max velocity reduction factor Burnout altitude reduction factor Peak altitude Time to peak altitude Max velocity

10604 26.8 791 871

feet sec. feet/sec. feet

Ideal (no drag resistance)

426 (valid range between 0 and 900) 0.555 0.693 Drag reduction factors 0.965 0.981 5889 18.6 764 521 854 feet sec. feet/sec. MPH feet

Z peak = t peak = V max = or V max = Z bo = Burnout altitude

Predicted (with drag)

FLIGHT PERFORMANCE ESTIMATOR FOR HOBBY ROCKETS

(valid for subsonic rockets only) Instructions: Enter data in blue text (boxed cells). Title Motor average thrust Motor total impulse Motor propellant mass Rocket dead mass Rocket diameter (max) Rocket drag coefficient Motor thrust time Motor classification Rocket avg. flight mass Acceleration (average) example rocket 200 N. 100 N-sec. 0.080 kg. 1.000 kg. 5 cm. 0.4 0.500 sec. G 1.040 kg.
2 192 metre/sec 19.6 g's

EzAlt.xls (MS Excel 97) Version: 1.2 Date: Feb. 2007

F= It = mp = mr = D= Cd = t= mra = a= or a = z2 = t2 = v1 = z1 = N= f1 = f2 = f3 = f4 =

Input data

Peak altitude (zero drag) Time to peak altitude (zero drag) Max velocity (zero drag) Burnout altitude (zero drag) Drag Influence number Peak altitude reduction factor Time to peak reduction factor Max velocity reduction factor Burnout altitude reduction factor Peak altitude Time to peak altitude Max velocity

447 9.8 91 23

metres sec. metre/sec. metres

Ideal (no drag resistance)

83 (valid range between 0 and 900) 0.836 0.886 Drag reduction factors 0.991 0.996 374 8.7 90 326 23 metres sec. metre/sec. km/hr metres

Z peak = t peak = V max = or V max = Z bo = Burnout altitude

Predicted (with drag)

1.50 Mass [kg] 0.10 0.16 0.22 0.28 0.34 0.40 0.47 0.53 0.59 0.65 0.71 0.77 0.83 0.89 0.95 1.01 1.07 1.13 1.20 1.26 1.32 1.38 1.44 1.50

374 Directions: Enter a range of values for rocket dead mass (min, max) Altitude [m] Minimum mass: 0.10 kg 282 Maximum mass: 1.50 kg 445 Interval: 0.06 kg 588 Best mass: 0.40 kg 698 Maximum altitude: 796 m 767 796 790 900 758 800 711 656 700 600 545 600 493 500 446 404 400 366 300 333 303 200 276 253 100 232 214 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 197 Mass (kg) 182
Altitude (metres)

1.00

1.20

1.40

1.60

This worksheet uses the rocket configuration defined in the Metric worksheet

Rocket Motor Classification System Class Total Impulse (Newton-seconds) A 1.3 2.5 B 2.5 5 B C 5 10 C D 10 20 D E 20 40 E F 40 80 F G 80 160 G H 160 320 H I 320 640 I J 640 1280 J K 1280 2560 K

Record of Revisions Version 1.00 1.1 1.2 Date Dec-02 Oct-05 Feb-07 Worksheet All Intro, Best Mass Intro English English English English Metric Metric Metric Best mass Class

Changes Initial release Introduction revised; Best Mass worksheet added. Introduction revised for clarity; applicable range expanded; title chang Title changed; text changed Version & date updated. Fixed error in "valid range" warning message. Minor alteration in calculation routine for N . Title changed; text changed Version & date updated. Minor alteration in calculation routine for N . Clarification statement added. Range of classes in table reduced to A through K.

range expanded; title changed.