SCMP reported that a group of Chinese researchers led by Liu Yunfeng - senior engineer at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences - shared technical details of the kerosene-powered engine in an article published in the journal Experimentations in fluid Mechanics on November 11.
No test results for the kerosene-powered hypersonic detonator have been previously announced.
An explosive engine can operate more efficiently and more powerfully than other hypersonic engines. Shockwaves trigger a series of explosions almost immediately and release significantly more energy than conventional incinerators with the same amount of fuel, especially at speeds above Mach 8 (9,878km/h).
Scientists around the world have built an explosive engine, but mainly use hydrogen as fuel, this type of engine is expensive and has a high risk of explosion.
Liu's engine uses RP-3, a type of rocket fuel commonly found in Chinese airports. According to Mr. Liu, kerosene oil is the fuel chosen for suction engines because of its high energy density, easy storage and easy transportation.
The idea of using rocket fuel for hypersonic aircraft has been around for decades, but the difficulty of burning kerosene in extremely hot and fast-moving air has plagued scientists.
kerosene burns more slowly than hydrogen, so a kerosene engine often requires a longer detonator to maintain a longer fuel-air mixture.
Computer models estimate that the engine's kerosene exhaust will need to be 10 times longer than a hydrogen engine.
According to the research team, extending the length is impossible for most hypersonic aircraft, where every millimetre is valuable.
But Chinese scientists have found that a simple amendment - adding a thumb-sized handle to the surface of the engine's vents - could make it easier to put out kerosene while still keeping the compact size of the detonator.
When the air reaches the narrow mouth of the engine's Seaweed exhaust, the rapidly moving air molecules are compressed and heated.
Then, a hot air mixes with small drops of kerosene to break up to form even smaller molecules.
When the mixture of air and fuel comes into contact with the mounds on the flat surface of the air intake, it will create shock waves.
The results of the test, conducted under different conditions in the JF-12 tunnel, showed that shockwaves generated in this way could not only fight kerosene but also help limit explosions in a small space, creating stable momentum.
The Chinese government plans to apply hypersonic technology to develop a team of hypersonic aircraft that can transport passengers anywhere on Earth within one or two hours.
Meanwhile, US defense contractor lockheed Martin plans to make the first flight ofSR-72 - an unmanned hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft called " syn of Black Black Blackbird" - in 2025.
Supersonic aircraft must be capable of performing normal long-haul flights in harsh conditions. According to scientists and engineers involved in technology development, reducing construction and operation costs is still a big challenge.
