Chinese breakthrough engine seeks to reduce flight times to half an hour
Chinese scientists have successfully completed initial tests of a new type of detonation engine that uses kerosene, which could revolutionise air travel. They estimate that a passenger aeroplane capable of reaching any destination within an hour could be developed in the coming years.
Chinese scientists have announced success in testing an innovative engine that could revolutionise air travel. The advanced engine, which uses regular aviation kerosene as fuel, will allow flights at speeds of Mach 16, equivalent to 20,000 km/h. It can reduce intercontinental travel time to merely half an hour.
A new era in aviation
The detonation engine generates a shock wave that reaches speeds faster than sound through rapid bursts of fuel mixture. Chinese researchers addressed the key challenge of switching to a safer and more common aviation kerosene, although achieving its detonation proved to be more difficult. They introduced a special protrusion into the chamber to initiate the necessary explosions.
The initial tests of the prototype Yunxing aeroplane conducted by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences were successful. The team, led by Han Xin from the Institute of Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained that the shock wave compresses and ignites the mixture, creating a powerful front of explosion.
The aeroplane withstood extreme conditions during a flight in the specialised JF-12 Tunnel in Beijing, simulating a complete high-speed environment. The results, published in the "Journal of Experiments in Fluid Mechanics," indicated that this engine is a thousand times more efficient in combustion than its competing ramjet systems for hypersonic speeds.
The future of air travel
The prospects of developing passenger aeroplanes using this technology are encouraging. At speeds reaching Mach 16, these aeroplanes could become a reality within the next decade, provided that challenges related to the temperatures affecting the surfaces of hypersonic vehicles are addressed. Moreover, the new engine, with a combustion chamber 85 per cent shorter than that of scramjet engines, reduces the structure's mass and may enhance flight range.
In tests conducted in the JF-12 aerodynamic tunnel in Beijing, the engine exceeded Mach 5. The shockwave generated by ultra-rapid explosions produces substantial thrust, and the engine's design is more straightforward and lighter than other technologies.
Chinese researchers plan to develop a passenger aeroplane capable of flying to any location in the world within an hour by 2030. At a speed of Mach 16, a journey from Shanghai to Los Angeles could take just half an hour. If implemented in military technology as well, it could lead to a new generation of missiles, drones, and bombers, potentially providing a strategic advantage in future conflicts.
