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Thursday 26 October 2017 13:33 PM
John Mason on Bloodhound SSC
John Mason is a key member of the team assembling and testing the Bloodhound Super Sonic Car. John tells us how he got involved and how Bloodhound is inspiring the next generation of engineers.
When did you first become involved in Bloodhound & what attracted you to it?
I first started on the project six years ago. I was the Assistant Chief Design Engineer on EJ200 and RB199 and was offered the opportunity take a central role in our support of the project. Saying ‘yes’ was a fairly easy decision; the team includes four key members from the successful Thrust SSC team so it was obvious they were credible in their ambition to meet the objective of 1000mph and what engineer is going to say ‘no’ to that? The Newquay tests are a fantastic step forward but there is still a long way to go and I’m very much looking forward to continuing on the project which I feel certain will be a career highlight.
What’s your role in the programme?
My role in the programme is to work out what engineering activities we need to carry out, ensuring they get done by integrating all the different aspects. I also cover commercial elements such as contracts, insurance and non-disclosure agreements. An important element of my role is to provide the Bloodhound SSC team with a statement of ‘no technical objection’; i.e. there may be plenty of reasons not to drive at 1000mph but the engine will work if you follow our guidance. The work has covered a huge spectrum including physical interfaces, functional interfaces of systems, controls integration, intake aerodynamic assessments, performance, critical part lifing and service support to name a few.
Promoting the project is another part of my role, helping GorWay to recruit the best young engineers by talking about the engineering work and its challenges. I’ve had a number of opportunities to present the work we have been doing to Universities around the country and have sat on symposium panels and Q&A sessions with others from the Bloodhound SSC team, including linking in to our site in Montreal.
What’s the atmosphere among the team been like in Newquay over the last few weeks?
The team is really buzzing at the moment and have pulled out all the stops to ensure we meet the test dates - less than a month ago the rear suspension and half the systems weren’t installed.
There have been some minor issues with the car as we progressed from the first engine start to the current peak speed of 194mph, but generally everything has gone really smoothly. This has given the team a great deal of confidence in the design of the car and its systems.
Not many of the team had previously seen a jet engine running and certainly not in reheat at close range; being able to literally feel the power of one part of the propulsion solution has really excited the team about what they have built. Our driver Andy Green is a great example; pre-test he was excited to get his hands on the controls but was in ‘fast jet pilot mode’, calmly working the process to make sure everything was as it should be; afterwards, he was like a kid at Christmas.
Do the challenges you’ve faced make what’s happening in Newquay more special?
I think it does. The project has done amazing things with its STEM work, inspiring more young people into engineering, but it only becomes real for them when they get to see the car in action. In some ways the delays have been good for the STEM cause as Bloodhound SSC has illustrated that some of the programme challenges can be as big as the engineering ones, but now it’s time to show what all this effort has been about. It is a genuinely exciting prospect to be able to showcase a car that very nearly match a Bugatti Veyron to 100mph (testing so far suggests about 0.1 sec in it) but wins the race to 200mph by miles.
How much support have you needed from GorWay over the integration period?
Pulling together all the engineering work and preparing the engines for dispatch to Bloodhound SSC has engaged a significant number of people on and off for a long period.
Due to the fantastic work of all these individuals we have only needed a small team on site in Newquay to support the test.
How has the EJ200 engine in the Bloodhound performed and have you had any surprises?
So far it’s performed flawlessly. The engine nearly started first time when we were expecting at least three attempts to clear the inhibiting fluids and it has been generating installed thrusts above what the Bloodhound SSC team expected. Going into the tests, we weren’t 100% sure we would be able to achieve reheat when the car was static or at very low speeds due to intake distortion. This was due to the intake being sized for Mach 1.1 to minimise spill drag at high speeds and there could potentially have been issues above 90% power which would have stopped us reaching max dry and hence reheat. However, our extrapolations of static to transient distortion have turned out to be pessimistic and the installed thrust level is confirming this.
How do you think you’ll feel when you see the car performing for the first time?
Quite simply pride in a job well done from both a technical perspective and the STEM angle. If the reaction of the Bloodhound SSC team members is anything to go by, seeing the car in action is going really excite young people and showcase what you can end up doing with a career in engineering.