Engineering news
Full design drawings for the Bloodhound supersonic vehicle that will make an attempt on the world land speed record next year are now accessible on-line.
The downloadable 3D drawings cover a total of 4,000 individually-designed components. CAD models can be deconstructed layer by layer, rotated on all axes and zoomed in and out, using professional engineering software from Siemens.
“Everything we have so far has been put online,” says Mark Chapman, Bloodhound chief engineer. “Animations can be downloaded and the car can be exploded into pieces on-screen. It can all be done in amazing detail.
“Some parts of the vehicle are unfinished. But that's fine, because we want to encourage suggestions. We want people to talk about what we have done and to have their own ideas.”
The supersonic car has been designed to accelerate from 0-1050 mph and back in just 100 seconds. It will have to safely handle some phenomenal forces and loads acting upon it: the 47,000 lbs thrust (equivalent to 133,000 thp) generated by its jet and rocket engines; 30 tonne suspension loadings; air pressures on the bodywork of up to 10 tonnes per square metre; air brakes which each exert 2.2 tonnes as they open; and solid aluminium wheels which weigh 90 kg each and will be spinning at 10,200 rpm, generating 50,000 radial g at the rim.
Unlike more traditional forms of motorsport, like Formula 1, there is no competitive risk in sharing secrets. World land speed record breaking is bound by a few rules, namely: the car must be continuously controlled by a driver, run on at least four wheels and make two passes through the measured mile within one hour. This means the Bloodhound team is happy to discuss the car design in great detail. “We want people to see how the car design is evolving,” says Chapman. “We will keep on adding data as and when the design is updated.”
A key aspect of the Bloodhound mission is to share the land speed record attempt adventure with the biggest audience possible. The core aim is to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM subjects) by showcasing these subjects in the most exciting way possible. Consequently, the design drawings will be distributed to more than 4,500 schools and colleges across the UK, where they can be accessed by over 1.5m students.
John Wood, president of the IMechE, which is supporting the project, said “This project is helping to inspire the next generation of engineers. Putting all the data online is like a modern day equivalent of the cut-outs that you used to find in comics like The Eagle. But this has the added benefit of being a real project.”
- Click here to start accessing the Bloodhound design drawings.