A UCF team has produced a continuously firing prototype of a H2/O2 rotating detonation engine, capable of running until the fuel is turned off – a feat previously thought impossibleProfessor Kareem Ahmed, University of Central Florida
Posted on 05/07/2020 6:30:26 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
A Florida team working with the US Air Force claims that it's built and tested an experimental model of a rotating detonation rocket engine, which uses spinning explosions inside a ring channel to create super-efficient thrust.
While space propulsion is the key driver for this research, it also has potential terrestrial uses in other cases where high power and low fuel consumption could make a big difference. In 2012, the Naval Research Laboratory estimated that rotating detonation engines could save the Navy 15-20 percent off a ~US$2-billion annual fuel bill if they were retrofitted in place of the gas turbine engines that run over 100 of its large ships. They could also potentially be used in hypersonic and supersonic flights, or even electric power generation, and Ahmed tells us the design has potential as a booster stage engine as well, but it'd require a different type of propellant.
(Excerpt) Read more at newatlas.com ...
Reminds me of a Jerry Pournelle/Niven book named “Footfall.”
Like a cosmic Wankel engine, eh?
Like a cosmic Wankel engine, eh?
Same thing, only different.
No, they drop nuke bombs out of the bottom for propulsion. The same theorized propulsion as Project Orion.
Ahmed? Go ahead and call me racist, but what are his political loyalties when it comes to his religion? Islam Uber Alles?
Mohammedism isnt a race.
Make sure it wasn’t built by Acme.
Will China be selling these tomorrow?
Chairman Xi Jinping will probably wait until it is scaled up and operational, why take all the development risk/cost?
A UCF team has produced a continuously firing prototype of a H2/O2 rotating detonation engine, capable of running until the fuel is turned off – a feat previously thought impossibleProfessor Kareem Ahmed, University of Central Florida
“The study presents, for the first time, experimental evidence of a safe and functioning hydrogen and oxygen propellant detonation in a rotating detonation rocket engine,” says Kareem Ahmed, an assistant professor in UCF’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering who led the research
Any bets how long Kareem will be keeping it secret before Iran just happens to develop the same engine?
So another invention the military lets America’s enemies know they should also focus on.
That does not ring true with me. It might release energy *faster* but it seems unlikely to release *more* energy per kilo of fuel and oxidizer.
“...capable of running until the fuel is turned off
a feat previously thought impossible...”
-
Ain’t that what all engines do?
Should have kept it top secret dumbnuts...
Not a comment directed to the OP..
I think that is referred to as nuclear pulse detonation. Jet fuel pulse detonation is said to have been investigated in a secret US black project aircraft.
“In 2012, the Naval Research Laboratory estimated that rotating detonation engines could save the Navy 15-20 percent off a ~US$2-billion annual fuel bill...
With the price of fuel now, they’ll save $382.
Actually, that is an issue when it comes to developing power plants. Here in the Pacific Northwest there have been lots of places where plans have been developed and studies done to develop low environmental impact small water-powered electrical generation.
But they keep getting shelved and they put up a fairly quick and easy natural-gas plant instead as gas is so cheap. And of course they are hoping that gas will stay cheap for the next 8(?) years or whatever.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.