China creates new Ram-Rotor Detonation Engine to boost hypersonic flight
The design is focused on delivering continuous thrust, enabling lower start-up speeds, and improving overall performance.
Researchers in China have introduced a new hypersonic engine concept by integrating a ramjet with a rotary detonation engine.
A team at Tsinghua University in Beijing created a new design known as the Ram-Rotor Detonation Engine (RRDE) by combining a detonation engine and a rotor compressor based on ramjets, drawing inspiration from rotary engines.
The design aims to provide continuous thrust, operate at lower start-up speeds, and enhance overall performance.
According to researchers, the approach could improve efficiency in hypersonic flight, potentially making high-speed travel more feasible.
Versatile engine design
The new study examines the new RRDE, which is intended to improve propulsion through effective detonation cycles. Rapid combustion, or detonation, increases pressure by compressing fuel and air with a shock wave and then releasing a lot of heat.
Despite the pressure advantages promised by detonation engines like the Pulsed Detonation Engine (PDE) and Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE), steady thrust and pressure are difficult to achieve under practical circumstances.
Building on prior research, scientists propose the RRDE, which uses rotating blades to compress, ignite, and expand gases in a single sequence. Inspired by the ram-rotor compressor concept, the RRDE is designed to manage shock waves and improve thrust by sustaining ideal pressure cycles.
The new research introduces RRDE’s structure, analyzes its performance, and demonstrates its potential through simulations, paving the way for advances in hypersonic and aerospace propulsion.
Article