GE Aerospace has shown a bew architecture with Rotating Detonation Combustion (RDC) could power super-efficient hypersonic vehicles with longer range that will go faster than MACH 5 (over 4,000 MPH).
The team has moved very fast. It took just 12 months from start to finish for the DMRJ with RDC demonstration. The team is on track with its goal to demonstrate a full DMRJ with RDC at scale next year.
A typical air-breathing DMRJ propulsion system can only begin operating when the vehicle achieves supersonic speeds of greater than Mach 3. GE Aerospace engineers are working on a rotating detonation-enabled dual mode ramjet that is capable of operating at lower Mach numbers, enabling the flight vehicle to operate more efficiently and achieve longer range.
The acquisition of Innoveering last year gave GE Aerospace dual mode ramjet engine capabilities that were rapidly augmented with GE Aerospace Research’s decade’s long work in RDC and several decades of GE Aerospace experience in high Mach research and engine development programs. RDC enables higher thrust generation more efficiently, at an overall smaller engine size and weight, by combusting the fuel through detonation waves instead of a standard combustion system that powers traditional jet engines today.
High-speed propulsion program is part of a broad portfolio of capabilities and scale GE Aerospace brings in high-temperature materials, high-temperature electronics, thermal management, and high-speed aerodynamics to propel hypersonic vehicles.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
COOK BBQ ON THE GO!!
Spacex can however put 150+ tones of payload anywhere for dirt cheep at speed. No one can lift masses of payload into space and land for a million dollars. Once starship finishes testing it will be a game changer.
That’s getting into the speed range where launching a rocket from an aircraft actually starts to make some sort of engineering sense; You minimize difficulty when the air breathing stage is delivering half the Delta-V; Ideally you’d want an air breathing stage to get you up to maybe Mach 10.
Though I think SpaceX has demonstrated that you can drive the cost of a rocket low enough that the extra complexity to substitute air for part of your oxidizer probably isn’t worth it economically.
True, but you trade oxidizer mass for payload in military applications. So probably at least worth it for cruise missiles
If you can nurture it to Mach 10 above 100.000 ft, safely, you can launch 7 crew into LEO on a 65ft long 6.5 ft diameter wide rocket. An X-20 clone would work as well.
Gravity loss reduction, minimal drag. It all adds up.