The BLOODHOUND SSC Project, a world land speed record attempt hoping to achieve a supersonic speed of 1,000 mph, has selected Zircotec as its exclusive supplier of thermal barrier solutions.

Technical Product Sponsor Zircotec will work closely with the team's engineers to protect an array of components and materials including steel, aluminium, titanium and composites using its proprietary plasma-sprayed ceramic technologies to shield the driver, the car structure and various sensitive electrical systems from heat.

Click on the above image to open the BLOODHOUND website.

Key applications already cited for the Zircotec's coatings include the protection of the composite body panels surrounding the titanium afterburner nozzle petals, which are normally exposed to airflow on a Typhoon fighter. In this case Zircotec will offer a derivative of its ThermoHold^TM for Composites product range.

The car's 18" Falcon Rocket will be generating 27,500 lbs of thrust, and the catalyst pack at the end of the rocket casing is an area that generates significant heat. Also, the exhaust manifolds for the 650bhp MCT V12, which will be running at 10,500rpm for 22 seconds during the rocket firing cycle, is another area where significant temperatures are present, and both are likelely to benefit from the protection of one of Zircotec's proprietary plasma sprayed ceramic formulations.

In addition to these specific areas, "All these major heat sources generate a packaging and heat management challenge to the design team," says Conor La Grue, supply chain manager for the BLOODHOUND Programme. "Zircotec products will be invaluable in the overall packaging solution to allow the management and control of heat within BLOODHOUND SSC."

"BLOODHOUND SSC will allow us to push our technology and develop further derivatives of our ultra high performance offerings that will benefit other engineering sectors," says Zircotec's managing director Terry Graham. "An application where package, weight and thermal protection are critical will help us create exciting new products applicable to more everyday installations in cars, homes and industrial applications lighter, safer and more efficient. It creates an opportunity to fast track developments and to help us achieve success in new niches."

Zircotec is also planning to embrace all aspects of the BLOODHOUND Project wholeheartedly; the firm is as keen as project founder Richard Noble to engage schoolchildren and academics to become passionate about this area of engineering and maybe even find future employees. "We firmly believe in using the project to develop both our technologies and the future growth of Zircotec. I am an engineer myself and appreciate just how far this project is going to push engineering knowledge," says Graham.