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Raising the possibility that the land speed record could one day be clinched by a carbon neutral vehicle, former engineering operations manager Stuart Edmondson also said he remained hopeful that a new investor or owner could complete the “iconic journey” to a successful record attempt.
“Whilst we have successfully achieved 628mph during testing, there is a need to ensure that Bloodhound is more relevant in today’s world and transform its reputation away from the historic fossil fuel-propelled land speed record cars of the past,” Edmondson said in an update on the project website.
“Utilising green fuels strengthens our ability to inspire the next generation of engineers and create a lasting legacy as the world pushes engineering boundaries in a sustainable way.”
Despite successful trials in Newquay, Cornwall, and the South African desert, a planned record attempt was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The car was moved to the Coventry Transport Museum last year, and owner Ian Warhurst handed control of the project to Edmondson.
“The Covid pandemic derailed this project’s momentum following the highly successful trials in 2019 and limited our ability to source new commercial interest during the lockdown period,” Edmondson said. “Securing the necessary funding continues to be the biggest challenge we face. Nonetheless, many discussions I’ve had over the last year have been hugely positive about Bloodhound, what the project stands for, what it’s capable of doing, and how it is going to get there.”
He added: “Our achievements in Newquay and South Africa have always drawn significant external praise, and I am confident that we can complete the next phase of our journey. The good news is that I am more optimistic about 2022 than the previous two years, and I remain hopeful that we will find a new investor/ owner who wishes to join us and help complete this iconic journey to setting a new outright land speed record.”
Driven by RAF wing commander Andy Green, the vehicle was propelled to 1,010km/h (628mph) at Hakskeen Pan in the Northern Cape by a Rolls-Royce Eurojet EJ200 engine. The next step would have been to install a Nammo monopropellant rocket, giving it a predicted top speed of over 1,287km/h (800mph) – faster than the record of 1,228km/h (763mph), achieved by Green in the Thrust SSC in 1997.
The team intends to power the jet engine using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a Bloodhound spokesman told Professional Engineering, although the precise fuel has yet to be determined and is in ongoing development. SAF can be produced from diverse sources such as used cooking oil, sewage, household rubbish, or even CO2 itself. The rocket will be powered by hydrogen peroxide, the spokesman said, and will have an electric pump system.
The primary focus is for operation of the car to be net zero, the spokesman added, but the team will also be exploring how the wider project can achieve the same goal – including logistics, the technical camp in South Africa, and support vehicles.
Education outreach has always been a key element of the project, and the CEO stressed its ongoing importance.
“I’m passionate about the STEM influence that Bloodhound has on our younger generations,” he wrote. “We need more scientists and engineers to solve the challenges the world will face in the future, and Bloodhound plays a huge role in planting a seed in younger minds, igniting a passion in school children that will inspire some of them to consider STEM careers later in life.
“Whenever I present at schools, I’m in awe at how Bloodhound ignites excitement that then leads to inquisitive questioning! This continues to underpin my motivation to lead the project forwards.”
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.