1000mph car continues to inspire next generation of engineers and scientists
One year after Richard Noble OBE announced the BLOODHOUND Project, engineers and researchers at Swansea University are celebrating the completion of the design phase of the supersonic car at the BLOODHOUND Technical Centre.
The three-year science and engineering adventure is the brainchild of Richard Noble and
Andy Green, current land speed record holders, who smashed their way through the sound barrier and into the record books in 1997 with Wing Commander Green driving THRUST SSC at 763mph.
Swansea University’s primary role in the BLOODHOUND Project has been the contribution of its expertise in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) research; with Swansea engineers working as part of the design team on the aerodynamic design of the supersonic car.
Professor Oubay Hassan MBE and Professor Ken Morgan at Swansea University’s School of Engineering developed the pioneering CFD technology used to aerodynamically design the successful THRUST SSC.
That CFD technology has since been further refined and customised to address BLOODHOUND SSC’s ambitious and specific challenges in science, engineering and maths.
Professor Hassan explained: “Swansea University has used Computational Fluid Dynamics technology to simulate, on a computer, the aerodynamic flows that affect the vehicle at great speeds and to predict how BLOODHOUND SSC will perform under extreme conditions.
“Based on this predictive software, and the advanced turbulence modelling and the effect of the dust cloud created by the vehicle, the design team has achieved the optimum aerodynamic design – ensuring that the manned supersonic car will stay on the ground at the 1000mph mark.”
Swansea University has further contributed to the success of the BLOODHOUND Project through the work of Dr. Adrian Luckman, Reader at the University’s School of the Environment and Society.
Dr Luckman conducted a global search of geographical locations suitable for the record attempts by using a Geographical Information System approach and satellite remote sensing data products. A long list of 36 potential sites, based on area and surface characteristics, was produced before the project team selected Hakskeen Pan, a desert in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, as the optimum location for the record attempt scheduled to take place in 2011.
As a founding sponsor, the University has also contributed £200,000 to help finance the BLOODHOUND Project and to demonstrate its full commitment to the educational aim of inspiring the next generation to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM subjects).
To help achieve this goal, Swansea-based engineers and researchers have worked with the BLOODHOUND Education Team (BET) to successfully roll-out the BLOODHOUND Education Programme to schools and colleges across Wales.
Dr. Ben Evans, Senior Research Assistant at Swansea University’s School of Engineering and member of the BLOODHOUND SSC design team, said: “It is a privilege to be at the forefront of a truly pioneering engineering adventure that successfully inspires and motivates young people to take an active interest in maths and science and to apply that knowledge to the design of the world’s fastest car.
“During the time that we have been working on the BLOODHOUND Project we have been able to connect our work, here at Swansea, with thousands of school children across Wales, and beyond, through school visits and shows at school conferences. The response has been fantastic.“
To date, in Wales, over 2,000 primary school children have taken part in education-based BLOODHOUND activities and a further 1,600 adults have engaged in STEM-related activities that actively help to raise awareness of the tangible benefits to be gained from pursuing highly-rewarding and fulfilling careers in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
For more information on BLOODHOUND SSC, and how to get involved with the BLOODHOUND Project, visit: www.bloodhoundssc.com.