The Mysterious Chinese Engine with the Power to Circle the Globe in Just Two Hours
We used to think in long hours and multiple scales. But what if that is about to become a thing of the past? A revolutionary engine has been tested that, in theory, could travel the planet in just two hours. This opens up not only to a radical change in transportation, defense, and space exploration.
### Two modes, one mission: Breaking the speed barrier
This is no ordinary engine. It is based on detonation technology that can reach hypersonic speeds, surpassing Mach 5. In fact, the device can go up to Mach 16, equivalent to about 20,000 km/h.
To achieve this, at speeds below Mach 7, it uses a rotating detonation that combines air and fuel in a continuous cycle, generating a rotating shockwave that maintains thrust. The mixture of air and fuel detonates almost instantaneously, producing a linear wave that propels the aircraft without interruption.
### Extreme energy with surprising efficiency
Beyond speed, what makes this engine truly disruptive is its energy efficiency. Thanks to its detonation mechanism, it can convert up to 80% of the chemical energy of the fuel into kinetic energy, a much higher number than the 20-30% offered by conventional combustion engines.
This optimizes energy conversion significantly. In other words, with less fuel, much more performance is achieved, potentially reducing operational costs and extending aircraft autonomy.
If this technology successfully passes the testing phases, we could be on the verge of a technological promise or a geopolitical challenge. Despite the potential benefits, concerns arise about the military applications and technical obstacles that still need to be overcome before this dream of an aircraft becomes a reality.
