Leeds pumps-up record speeds
Freitag, 24 Oktober 2008
Engineers from a Yorkshire university have played a major part in a new attempt to break the land speed record.
Members of a University of Leeds spinout company, Instrumentel, were asked to help in the Bloodhound project, which was launched by science minister Lord Drayson in London.
Instrumentel was asked to build an electronic control unit to test the effectiveness of a pump that produces one ton of HTP, "a highly concentrated form of hydrogen peroxide", which in turn powers the rocket going for the record.
Dr Greg Horler, the chief executive officer and founder of Instrumentel, explained: "To pump such a large amount of volatile liquid through a small tank at such a high speeds is an incredibly dangerous business."
He added that if the pump does not work efficiently, then it could explode.
The system the team built analyses pressures, temperatures and data required to test the efficacy of the pump.
Earlier this year, scientists from the University of Leeds showcased electronics of the future at the Summer Science Exhibition, looking in particular at spintronics, which allows for increased storage and power to be compacted into small devices.
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