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Explosive engine test with drone could propel China to supersonic age
China’s first drone to be powered by an engine that uses explosions to propel aircraft to unparalleled speeds has made a successful maiden flight at an undisclosed airfield in Gansu province.
The FB-1 Rotating Detonation Engine (FB-1 RDE) was developed jointly by Chongqing University Industrial Technology Research Institute and Thrust-to-Weight Ratio Engine (TWR), a Shenzhen-based private company.
Images circulating online show the engine ignited and tested during the taxiing phase of the drone, which is about five metres (16ft) long. It is unclear whether the engine continued to operate during the flight.
According to a Chongqing Morning News report on Wednesday, the engine ignition experiment was also the drone’s first flight. The craft was developed by the university, with participation by TWR, it said.
A range of ground tests were previously carried out on the RDE engine before it was mounted to the drone for its maiden flight, the report said.
“It uses kerosene fuel and features rapid ignition, and could power an aircraft from zero-speed to several times the speed of sound,” it said.
Traditional turbojet engines use fan blades to draw in air, creating significant drag at speeds above Mach 3. The ramjet engine can take the aircraft beyond this limit by using its shape to compress incoming air, but fails to offer better combustion efficiency.
The RDE could become an optimal solution. It employs a ring-shaped combustion chamber, where controlled explosions generate shock waves that induce complete combustion of fuel and air.
The explosion is much more efficient than turbojet and ramjet engines, giving RDEs the potential to revolutionise supersonic flight while consuming less fuel. And, unlike scramjet engines - which generally require speeds above Mach 4 to initiate - the RDE can start at zero and are easier to maintain.
The technology is not without its challenges. The internal walls of the engine must withstand the impact of constant shock waves, demanding high standards in structural integrity and material strength.
The successful test could have a far-reaching impact on applications from commercial space rockets and high-speed drones to military aircraft and guided missiles.
“This recent development marks a crucial step in TWR’s integrated strategy for advancing detonation engine and detonation-powered flight technologies,” said TWR, in a WeChat post on Wednesday announcing the test flight.
According to a TWR statement in March, its RDE has already achieved a thrust of 1,000 Newtons, and products are expected to be launched within two years.
- SCMP
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Discussions
Be the first to like this. Showing 13 of 13 comments
Just like reuseable rocket! After a decade, nobody except Spacex has the expertise! And doubtful anyone else will!
2023-10-01 15:05
Current China technology is at 50% of US
All the J-10, J-11, J-20 and Su-35 have this 50% problem.
US fighter plane engines need overhaul after 6,000 hours.
All China fighter engines need overhaul after only 3,000 hours.
US experts say the 50% discount is due to China Gobermen companies too lazy to manufacture to precise tolerances required for 6,000 hours flight use.
After all .... do also 36 dun do also 36.
In the US, factories that fail exact tolerances are sacked
and contract given to another company that can deliver the goods.
In China................nothing happens........
2023-10-01 15:11
Communism is a huge problem to advance China,
so far Communism has been a failure due to nothing happens when companies fail to deliver the goods.
2023-10-01 15:13
In fact, all US experts say China has all the required technology to manufacture anything that US can. This includes even Chips Technology for cpu units.
China failure in all fields is due to Communism alone, ... nothing happens.
2023-10-01 15:15
i3lucker! China has huge corruption problem! Beyond propaganda gimmick, China is at the same level as Russia!
Russia brag been a military might! But look at Ukraine invasion! After 2 years, Russia barely made any inroads! Even their all mighty heli and fighter jets almost wipe out by ukrainains amateur fighters!
2023-10-01 15:30
So i won't read too much into latest propaganda from China! It's all about pushing the west to build latest tech only for China to steal it later on! This is CCP usually modus operandi!
2023-10-01 15:31
Not true. China has gotten hold of the tech to do self-programming and automated making of prototype of any engine, machine or lab equipment. My grandson works there for the past 20 years
2023-10-01 15:34
China is in total mess at the moment! Chairman Xi leadership in deep trouble! The Covid 3 years lockdown was a failure! Economy in general is bad! Debts are going unpaid! Even civil servants salaries are not paid! State governments resort to threats for public bodies to 'donate'for them to pay civil servants in China!
It's really bad! I am not sure how long Chairman Xi can show his cutie face!
2023-10-01 15:34
China was far better under technocrats! They made plans for 100 years! All that changed for the last few years! All Chairman Xi want is global supremacy! And making foreign investors lost hope investing in China!
So go figure what is in store for China as of now! It's really not good!
2023-10-01 15:36
You're grossly mistaken.....it was never China's desire or intention for global domination!!!
2023-10-02 08:40
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It's not easy to develop plane engine! US and EU won't share the knowledge either! China can play this propaganda forever but until end of time, China won't be able to master it!
2023-10-01 15:04