There was a time when Stephen Hawking’s predictions were met with doubt, much like what Newton experienced in his era. However, as time passed, nearly all of Hawking’s forecasts have been validated—except for one that appeared improbable. Can you guess which one? The renowned physicist never placed his faith in combustion engines, instead predicting something entirely different: the detonation engine. Now, a team of engineers has developed the first working prototype, defying conventional scientific understanding.
This is the first detonation engine ever created: It could put an end to existing combustion
Literally, the field of propulsion technology is on the precipice of a dramatic shift thanks to the new method of the rotating detonation engine embodied by the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech). This new engine technology can be well regarded as an unconventional combustion engine, which presents an opportunity for improving fuel efficiency.
It is still too early to call it quits on what we know as the conventional combustion engine, however, the RDE is an entirely new step up in propulsion. Different from conventional engines that use deflagration, or subsonic combustion, detonation engines utilize supersonic combustion waves to produce thrust.
The primary benefit of detonation engines is their theory, or rather, how muscular their theory is. Such engines may be able to make rocket and ship engines 25 percent more efficient than their current rates. Such a great boost in the efficiency of fuel usage can open a new page in the aerospace and marine industries, where costs of fueling can significantly decrease as well as pollution levels.
Skoltech’s detonation engine, in detail: Hawking predicted this technology, but it is still “impossible”
While specific performance data for Skoltech’s detonation engine is not provided in the available sources, the theoretical advantages of detonation-based propulsion are significant:
- Fuel Efficiency: As has been said, detonation engines should provide an increase in fuel efficiency of 25% compared to traditional engines.
- Power-to-Weight Ratio: There are specific characteristics associated with detonation engines, and their final design could have a higher power-to-weight source and be particularly useful for aviation purposes.
- Operational Range: Elevated fuel economy was a potential that could mean a longer operational range for vehicles that were endowed with such engines.
One must bear in mind that there are no works by Stephen Hawking predicting detonation engines throughout the available literature. Hawking was a great theoretical physicist and was mainly involved in cosmology and black hole theory, other than propulsion engineering.
It’s not as futuristic as it seems: Experts have yet to solve these problems (and create these technologies)
The development of Skoltech’s rotating detonation engine involves several key stages and breakthroughs:
- Theoretical Prediction of Synchronization: Thus, the scientists of Skoltech haveSCRIPT advanced deeply in their work and have theoretically forecasted the synchronization of detonation waves. This discovery is far from trivial, as it allows us to exert control over what can be described as the inherently stochastic nature of detonation.
- Engine Design: The rotating detonation engine is made up of two cylinders, one small cylinder placed inside a larger one. The space between these cylinders is the area where the detonation process takes place, and it is called the combustion chamber.
- Detonation Wave Control: The team’s main efforts have been devoted to the containment techniques of the detonation wave that are crucial to steady engine functioning. They found out that it is possible to regulate the movements of the wave if inhomogeneities of certain regularity are placed within the combustible mixture.
- Mathematical Modeling: Scientists have therefore created extensive mathematical terms or formulas that can be used to analyze the behavior of such detonation waves under certain conditions.
- Arnold’s Tongues: The work revealed intervals of the sizes of inhomogeneities that provide for the effect of regularization of the oscillations of the detonation wave. These ranges, which are referred to as Arnold’s tongues, are essential in determining the best design of the engine.
Could the first detonation engine be the end of combustion? Remember that this mechanism is key not only for petrol and diesel, but also for hydrogen, which has been identified as the future of sustainable mobility. This would leave us with a scenario in which the only credible alternative would be electric cars, where brands already have a lot of ground to make up. However, the epicenter of innovation in this respect is shifting from America to China, so we have reason to be concerned.