It combines a ramjet engine and a rotary detonation engine
GE Aerospace announced that it has successfully completed bench tests at its Niskayuna, New York, facility on a prototype hypersonic engine that combines the principles of a ramjet engine and a rotary detonation engine. In the future, such a power plant can be used not only in missiles, but also in drones and airplanes. The company said a full-scale version of this engine should arrive in 2024.
GE Aerospace considers the new propulsion system practical as it operates at both supersonic speeds (less than Mach 3) and hypersonic speeds (greater than Mach 5). The production version should be smaller and lighter than its analogues, and the absence of moving parts makes the engine simple and reliable both in operation and maintenance.
Hypersonic technology has the potential to revolutionize aerospace, but flying at more than five times the speed of sound requires significant innovation, not only in new heat-resistant materials and electronics, but also in engines that can provide hypersonic vehicles with sustained and, most importantly, maneuverable flight.
Currently, many prototypes of hypersonic missiles are gliding vehicles: they rise to great heights, reach hypersonic speeds and dive. From this moment on, only gravity and inertia are their driving force. And this greatly limits the range, maneuverability and overall effectiveness of the aircraft or missile.
Ideally, you need an engine that can propel the craft for most of the flight. This would allow stable flight at lower altitudes, increase flight range and provide greater maneuverability.
For hypersonic speeds, a ramjet engine is well suited, but such engines do not cope well at low supersonic speeds, so the vehicle still needs to be accelerated by a launch vehicle until it is fast enough to engage ramjet jet power plant.
To get around this problem, GE Aerospace created a hybrid engine that combines the principles of a ramjet engine and a rotary detonation engine. Every part of this motor works well at certain speeds.