Chinese scientists have made great progress in hypersonic flight technology, successfully testing a new engine capable of reaching speeds of Mach 16 (approximately 19,756 km/h). The engine in question uses oblique detonation engine (ODE) technology to burn 1,000 times faster than conventional scramjet engines. The system, developed by researchers affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was tested in the JF-12 hypersonic wind tunnel in Beijing and was successful. So when will the intercontinental journey of a few hours take place?
Technical details of China’s hypersonic engine reaching speeds of Mach 16
Let’s talk about the technical details of the revolutionary engine: This engine has a special design that converts shock waves into energy. In this way, it provides a more stable combustion process at high speeds. While it is known that scramjet engines have combustion problems at high speeds, Chinese researchers announced that they have created a more efficient combustion process by using shock waves thanks to a special 5 mm protrusion design. Here are the highlights:
In short, China plans to develop aircraft and missiles that can fly at Mach 16 by 2030 using its new hypersonic engine. This technology will also be used for low-cost hypersonic drones and advanced weapon systems.
Today, countries such as the USA and Russia are also working on hypersonic aircraft and missile technologies. However, it is said that China is advancing faster in this field and that ODE engines offer a superior alternative to current scramjet technology. So, what do you think?
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