The Brakes That Stop a 1,000 MPH Bloodhound SSC

cartechboy writes: "The problem: How do you stop the 1,000 mph Bloodhound SSC? The solution: Apparently you use steel rotors from AP Racing, which managed to absorb 4.6 kilowatts of energy on a test stand without failing although the Bloodhound team hasn't spun them up to the full 10,000 rpm just yet. During testing, a set of carbon rotors from a jet fighter shattered under the stress during a half-speed, 5,000-rpm test, thus the team switched to steel rotors. It's like stopping a bus from 160 mph on a wet road. That's how the engineers behind the Bloodhound SSC—the British land-speed record car designed to break the 1,000-mph barrier—described the task of stopping their creation once it's finished breaking the sound barrier. We'll have to wait to see if the steel rotors can handle the full 10,000 rpm run, but until then, it looks like steel is stronger than carbon when it comes to some instances."

Comments

The solution

[cdrudge]

The problem: How do you stop the 1,000 mph Bloodhound SSC?

Friction brake, electromechanical brake, eddy current brake, drogue parachute, inclined plane, arrester bed, rubber bands, brick/stone wall, etc. You'd think engineers would have been able to think of these things...

If they use a really long bungee cord not only could they use it to brake the vehicle at the end of one run, but use it for initial acceleration on the return run too!

Re:The solution

[NotDrWho]

They tested the brick wall stopping method. It did not end well.

Re:The solution

[EvilSS]

But it stopped. And depending on the thickness of the wall and size of the subsequent debris field, it probably stopped it the quickest compared to other methods. Subsequent runs became much more difficult though.

Yes, the problem was cost. Using the brick wall meant that all parts of the car, including the driver, were single use only. They at least need the car to be reusable. Driver optionally so.

Who needs brakes?

[macraig]

Why not just skip the brakes, save the money, and eject the driver/pilot and let the sucker crash and burn? Could be an awesomely popular YouTube video.

Re:Who needs brakes?

[jovius]

I suggest they build wings to that machine. A machine of that size would be easily lifted from the ground at even lower speed than 1000 mp/h. There's less friction higher in the air anyway and they could reach speeds well exceeding 1000 mp/h. The team seems to be stuck with the car paradigm which is already well over 100 years old. I believe that humans will be able to fly with the aid of modern technology. All it needs is a change in thinking, an evolution of mind.

Re:It's a monster

[KingOfBLASH]

Hey! You should label posts like that NSFW. I just creamed my pants at an inopportune time.

Re:Killowatts are power, not energy

[dskoll]

Hold on for a metre while I think about this... Yes, lazy reporters who get their units wrong should be sprayed with five square metres of water and then shocked with a 20-coulomb current. Maybe then they'll spend the small extra mass needed to do proper research...

Re:4.6 kilowatts of energy

[Zynder]

Great Scott!

Re:Stronger?

[Zynder]

Excuse me AC, but would your name happen to be Wile E Coyote?