Workshop lights the fires of interest
"Through this unique, high-technology venture, we wish to share the iconic research and development programme and to inspire the next generation about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics."
Swagelok Southern Africa hosted a two-day rocket car workshop on April 18 and 19 at its premises in Modderfontein.
This project is an engineering adventure that involves a jet and rocket-powered supersonic car designed to break the land speed record, which will take place in 2017 at Hakskeenpan in the Northern Cape.
The current record is 1 228 kilometres per hour. The record they are aiming for is 1 610 kilometres per hour, 1610 being Edenvale’s postal code.
“It is supersonic because it is designed to go faster than the speed of sound. It is a car because it has four wheels and is under full control of its driver. Its engines produce more than 135 000 horsepower, which is more than six times the power of all the Formula 1 cars on a starting grid put together. Designed and constructed in the UK, Bloodhound SSC includes components and sponsorship from international companies, including Swagelok, and will make its record attempt in South Africa in 2017,” said Ms Lindiwe Magana, the marketing and communications manager for Swagelok.
The Bloodhound Project is a global engineering adventure focused on setting a new land speed record of 1 610km per hour.
“Through this unique, high-technology venture, we wish to share the iconic research and development programme and to inspire the next generation about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Seven schools were invited to the two-day workshop,” said Ms Magana.
She said Bloodhound also has an education arm and has already reached out to over 1 000 schools and universities in South Africa to inspire children about science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Ms Magana said this was an effort to inspire interest in the engineering field in young pupils.
“We have invited children from various local schools to attend a rocket car workshop. Some of the schools that attended the workshop included the Modderfontein-based Nobel Primary School and Edenglen Primary.”
The workshop entailed a tour of the modular car with explanations as to how it works and what the major components are that enable it to be supersonic.
The students were also given a chance to build their own rocket car and race it against fellow students.
“We are extending an opportunity to the local community to gain valuable insight into this iconic adventure,” said Ms Magana.
