The United States has successfully tested a hybrid hypersonic “engine of the future”
GE Aerospace has announced that it has successfully conducted bench tests of a prototype hypersonic engine that combines the principles of a direct-flow jet engine and a rotary detonation engine at its base in Niskayuna, New York.
In the future, such a power plant can be used not only in missiles, but also in drones and airplanes.
The company said that a full-scale version of this engine should appear in 2024.
GE Aerospace considers the new propulsion system to be practical, as it operates at both supersonic speeds (less than Mach 3) and hypersonic speeds (over Mach 5). The serial version should be smaller and lighter than its counterparts, and the absence of moving parts makes the engine simple and reliable both in operation and maintenance.
Hypersonic technology has the potential to revolutionize the aerospace industry, but flying at more than five times the speed of sound requires serious innovation, and this includes not only new heat-resistant materials and electronics, but also engines that can provide hypersonic vehicles with stable and, most importantly, maneuverable flight.
Many prototypes of hypersonic rockets are now gliders: they climb to high altitudes, reach hypersonic speeds, and dive. From that moment on, only gravity and inertia are their driving force. And this severely limits the range, maneuverability, and overall effectiveness of an aircraft or missile.
Ideally, you need an engine that can propel the vehicle for most of the flight. This would allow for stable flight at lower altitudes, increased range, and greater maneuverability.
For hypersonic speeds, a direct-flow jet engine is well suited, but such systems do not perform well at low supersonic speeds, so the vehicle still needs to be accelerated by a launch vehicle until it is fast enough to engage the direct-flow jet propulsion system.
To get around this problem, GE Aerospace has created a hybrid engine that combines the principles of a direct-flow jet engine and a rotary detonation engine. Each part of this engine works well at certain speeds.
