Rainer Groh

Tag: Engineering

  • Podcast Ep. #43 – Dr John Williams on Air-Breathing Rocket Engines

    Dr John Williams is an engineer at Lumentum where he works on the extreme challenges of sub-millimetre scale photonic circuits. For the purpose of this conversation, however, we will be discussing John’s former role as a design engineer at Reaction Engines, a UK company that is developing the Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine, also known as SABRE.

    The vision of SABRE is to build a new hypersonic engine that can operate both as an air-breathing jet engine and as a traditional rocket. This versatility means SABRE can be used as a propulsive platform for future hypersonic aircraft or to propel space planes into orbit. Furthermore, SABRE combines the unique fuel efficiency of a jet engine with the power and high-speed ability of a rocket. Having started at Reaction Engines early on when there were only two people in the design office, and later founding his own design and manufacturing company, John has many years of high-tech experience in the aerospace sector.

    In this episode of the Aerospace Engineering podcast, John and I talk about:

    • his background as an aerospace engineer
    • the benefits of an air-breathing rocket engine
    • the particular design challenges in realising this type of engine
    • and his lessons learned from high-tech development

    Selected Links from the Episode

  • Podcast Ep. #27 – A Masterclass on Friction Welding with TWI’s Bertrand Flipo

    In this episode I am speaking to Bertrand Flipo from The Welding Institute in Cambridge, UK. TWI Ltd has a long history of innovation in welding research, having been established as the British Welding Research Association in 1946. TWI Ltd is a world leader in research on friction welding and has been at the forefront of many modern friction welding processes.

    Briefly put, friction welding is a joining technique that does not melt the parts to be joined. Instead, two components are rubbed together to create heat through friction, and high pressure is then applied to squeeze the two pieces together. During this process the material plastically deforms and the high pressure causes the components to be fused together. Advantages of the process are fast joining times, typically on the order of a few seconds; relatively small heat-affected zones; and because friction welding techniques are melt-free, the material’s microstructure can be maintained. I personally learned a lot during the recording of this episode, and Bertrand and his colleagues were very gracious to introduce me to the ins and outs of friction welding. So in this episode you will learn about:

    • the differences between different friction welding techniques
    • the main advantages of friction welding and the challenges to keep in mind
    • some of the aerospace applications where friction welding is a game-changer
    • and much, much more

    Selected Links from the Episode

  • Podcast Ep. #19 – Manuel Schleiffelder on the Hound Project and Metal Matrix Composites for Rockets

    Today I am speaking to Manuel Schleiffelder, an aerospace engineer based in Vienna, Austria. Manuel has a background in designing and building experimental rockets with the student space team of the Technical University in Vienna, known as the Hound Project. I spoke to Manuel after he returned from a trip to the Black Rock Desert, where the Vienna space team tested their newest two-stage experimental rocket. Manuel has a very broad background in space engineering having worked on projects varying from spacecraft design of lunar landers and systems engineering of rocket propulsion systems, to his newest research project in materials science: metal matrix composites.

    In a classic rocket engine the exhaust gases have a speed limit of exactly Mach 1 (the speed of sound) at the narrowest portion of the nozzle—the so-called choking condition. Since the speed of sound increases with temperature, hotter combustion means the exhaust gases can be expelled from the rocket at greater velocity. While the speed of sound in air at room temperature is typically around 1200 km/hr (745 mph), the speed of sound in the hot exhaust gases of a rocket can be more than 5 times this value. So even though we want our rocket engine to run as hot as possible, there are obvious practical limitations in terms of the ability of materials to withstand these extreme temperatures. For this reason, most rocket engines use some form of cooling to keep the material temperature within reasonable bounds. Manuel is currently developing metal matrix composite materials (carbon fibres embedded within a metal matrix) that are strong enough to withstand the extreme temperatures without the additional mass and complexity of a cooling system. In this episode, Manuel and I talk about

    • his background in aerospace engineering
    • the rockets that the Vienna student space team are building and testing
    • and the advantages and challenges of developing metal matrix composites for rocket engines.

    Selected Links from the Episode

  • Podcast Ep. #12 – The Perlan Project: Soaring to the Edge of Space

    This episode features an in-depth look at the Perlan Project. The mission of the Perlan Project is to fly an engineless aircraft to the edge of space, in this case, by taking advantage of an aerodynamic phenomenon known as wave lift. Not only is soaring to 90,000 feet an audacious goal, but on top of that, the Perlan Project is a worldwide collaborative project run entirely by aviation enthusiasts, scientists, engineers and adventurous pilots. No one has ever soared to the edge of space in a glider and so the Perlan engineers are venturing into unchartered aviation territory on their own. On this episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast I speak to Project Manager Morgan Sandercock and Flight Test Engineer Alan Lawless about:

    • the genesis and history of the Perlan Project
    • how one goes about designing, manufacturing and testing a glider that is to fly to the edge of space
    • past success stories
    • and the team’s future plans for breaking aviation records.

    In case you personally want to support the Perlan Project as a donor, you can do so on the Perlan Project donor page.

    Selected Links from the Episode

  • Podcast Ep. #9 – Faradair Founder Neil Cloughley on the Bio-Electric Hybrid Aircraft and Regional Aviation

    Neil Cloughley is the founder and managing director of Faradair, the UK’s leading hybrid aviation programme. Neil has a broad background in the aviation industry ranging from aircraft re-marketing and aircraft leasing to starting his own aircraft consultancy business, which found him working with the world’s major airlines, OEMs and trailblazing companies like Virgin Galactic. Neil’s father developed one of the most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles of the early 1990s, and had a flying prototype before the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator entered service in 1995. Unfortunately, as a result of being slightly ahead of its time, and due to a lack of funds and unfortunate timing, ASVEC UK had to close its doors.

    Neil is now stepping into his father’s footsteps and building the bio-electric hybrid aircraft (BEHA) drawing from many of the lessons he learned from his father. The BEHA is a six-passenger aircraft with a hybrid gas and electric propulsion system, and is to be used for regional travel of around 200 miles. The BEHA has an unconventional design with a triple-staggered wing, an all-composite airframe and a ducted propeller. These design decisions reflect the three key specifications that need to be met to make regional inter-city flight a reality: minimising noise, emissions and operational costs. In this conversation, Neil and I talk about

    • the engineering behind BEHA
    • the challenging economics of new aviation businesses
    • his long-term vision for a regional Uber-like taxi service in the sky
    • and much, much more

    Selected Links from the Episode

  • Podcast Ep. #8 – Rocket Lab’s Lachlan Matchett on Democratising Access to Space and the Rutherford Rocket Engine

    In this episode I am talking to Lachlan Matchett, who is the VP of Propulsion at Rocket Lab. Rocket Lab is a startup rocket company with the mission of removing barriers to commercial space by frequent launches to low-earth orbit. The current conundrum of many space technology companies that want to launch small satellites into space is that there is no dedicated launch service tailored to their needs. This is where Rocket Lab enters the picture. To provide small payloads with a flexible and dedicated launch vehicle, Rocket Lab has developed the Electron rocket. The Electron is a two-stage rocket that can be tailored to unique orbital requirements and provides frequent flight opportunities at personalised schedules.

    In terms of the engineering, there are many interesting features to the Electron rocket, but one of the key innovations is the Rutherford engine that Lachlan Matchett and his team have developed over the last five years. Rutherford is the first oxygen/kerosene-powered engine to use 3D printing for all primary components. In fact, the Rutherford engine can be printed in an astounding 24 hrs, and this is one of the driving factors behind Rocket Lab’s cost efficiency and high target launch frequency. So in this episode, Lachlan and I talk about:

    • Rocket Lab’s business model
    • their recent launch success in Jan 2018
    • some of the engineering highlights of the Rutherford engine
    • and Rocket Lab’s plans for the future

    Selected Links from the Episode

  • Podcast Ep. #7 – Dr Valeska Ting on Smart Nanomaterials for Hydrogen Storage

    Today’s episode features Dr Valeska Ting who is a Reader in Smart Nanomaterials at the University of Bristol and is researching the use of nanoporous materials for hydrogen storage. Using hydrogen as a fuel source has many benefits. Due to its excellent energy density, hydrogen has long been hailed as an alternative to fossil fuels but it’s also an excellent means of storing renewable energy from solar or wind sources. One of the challenges of storing hydrogen is its low density, meaning that large volumes are required to store efficient amounts of hydrogen to be able to use it as a fuel. This is precisely where Valeska’s research enters the picture. The nanoporous materials that she is working on can increase the density of hydrogen by a factor of a 1000, and therefore provide a key stepping stone towards more efficient hydrogen-powered vehicles. In this episode, Valeska and I talk about multiple aspects of this technology including:

    • what nanoporous materials are and how they work
    • how they can be used to create multifunctional materials
    • what scientific challenges she is addressing to scale-up and improve their performance, and
    • how they could be applied to design lighter hydrogen tanks for cars, aircraft or even rockets

    Selected Links from the Episode

  • Podcast Ep. #6 – Oxford Space Systems Founder Mike Lawton on Deployable Space Structures

    On this episode of the podcast I speak to Mike Lawton, who is the founder and CEO of Oxford Space Systems (OSS). OSS is an award-winning space technology company that is developing a new generation of deployable space structures that are lighter, simpler and cheaper than current products on the market. These deployable structures deploy antennas and solar panels on satellites orbiting earth, and are tricky to design because they need to package to a fraction of their deployed size, and need to be as lightweight as possible. OSS’ first product, the AstroTube boom, was launched into space and deployed on a cubesat in September 2016. This achievement set a new industry record in terms of development time, going from company formation to orbit in under 30 months. I met Mike at the OSS design office to talk about:

    • venture capital funding of NewSpace companies
    • how the design philosophy of NewSpace companies differs from established firms
    • how origami, the Japanese art of folding, is being used to design more efficient deployable structures
    • the flexible composites technology that OSS are developing
    • and his vision for the future of space commercialisation

    Selected Links from the Episode

  • Podcast Ep. #5 – Concorde Chief Engineer John Britton on Supersonic Flight

    In this episode I am talking to John Britton. John was the chief engineer of Concorde on the British side of the enterprise from 1994 until Concorde’s demise in 2003. John possesses a wealth of knowledge regarding the engineering behind Concorde, and its heritage in Bristol, UK. Because he was the chief engineer at its demise, he also has a unique insight into why the aircraft is no longer flying today. In this conversation, John and I talk about:

    • how he ended up as the Chief Engineer of Concorde
    • what engineering feats made Concorde special
    • why Concorde is no longer flying today
    • and what he thinks new supersonic companies need to focus on

    This interview was recorded at Aerospace Bristol, which is a new aerospace museum located at Filton Airfield in the South West of the United Kingdom. From the beginnings of powered flight, Filton Airfield was the birthplace of many a flying machine – from aeroplanes and helicopters to missiles and satellites. Aerospace Bristol represents the new heart to the area’s aerospace heritage.

    Selected Links from the Episode

  • Podcast Ep. #3 – Airbus Senior Expert Ian Lane on the A350, Innovation in Aerospace, and Diversity in Engineering

    “You could say: What could we possibly do next? You look back at history and say: All the shelves must be full now! We must have the capabilities to do everything we need. And yet, we still go on…It’s your generation that is going to Mars. So please, can you get on with it and do it, because I want to enjoy it from the augmented reality that other engineers are going to produce.” — Ian Lane

    This episode features Ian Lane, Senior Expert in Composite Analysis for Airbus UK. Ian has more than 40 years of experience in the aerospace industry and his career has taken him from British Hovercraft to British Aerospace, Westland Helicopters and finally to his current role at Airbus. On top of this broad aerospace background, Ian’s specialty are modern composite airframes and he was the lead stress engineer on the Airbus A400M and Airbus A350. Ian is also a Visiting Professor in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol, and a great example of an industry leader who knows how to inspire the next generation of young engineers. Indeed, Ian is actively involved with the Airbus Fly Your Ideas campaign, and a regular attendee at many international research conferences.

    In this episode Ian and I discuss:

    • his career progression from apprentice to Senior Expert at Airbus
    • the incredible safety record of the aerospace industry
    • why the demise of Concorde wasn’t a step backwards
    • how Airbus fosters innovation and out-of-the-box thinking
    • why inclusion and diversity in engineering are so important
    • and much, much more

    Selected Links from the Episode