Chinese Hypersonic Jets Can Fly Through Kerosene: Will It Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light?

Kerosene, a cheap and alternative fuel that may be used in jet engines to provide faster-than-sound flight, is the focus of another invention that China focuses on for its aviation sector. According to reports, the nation has already tested the new engines mounted on a jet on China's hypersonic shock tunnel, achieving speeds up to Mach 9.

Chinese scientists working under the direction of Liu Yinfeng at the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, created the engine known as the "hypersonic detonation wave engine."

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Colombian Air Force pilots on Kfir and B-52 airplanes perform aerobatics during for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Colombian Air Force, in Rionegro, Antioquia department, Colombia on July 13, 2019. JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images


Chinese Kerosene Engine for Jets Matching Mach 9 Speeds

The South China Morning Post said that Chinese experts claimed to have already created a powerful jet engine that relies on kerosene as fuel and can reach hypersonic speeds.

The engine's claimed capacity to reach Mach 9 speeds in experimental conditions when mounted on an aircraft tested in Beijing's JF-12 hypersonic shock tunnel is the focus of the assertions.

This tunnel is a perfect testing environment for the nation's most recent jet engine development since it can withstand tests up to Mach 30.

According to sources, the article describing this was published on November 11 in the Journal of Experiments in Fluid Mechanics by the nation's experts who developed the so-called "hypersonic detonation wave engine."

The team focused on utilizing kerosene, a less expensive fuel, to power the jet engine and on "detonation," a revolutionary combustion process that is more effective and provides quick power for its demands, Interesting Engineering added.


Aircraft Development

China, a giant in East Asia, is making major strides in the aviation sector, particularly in enhancing its present fleet. The nation has made enormous strides in this area, especially with the recent development of its stealth bomber, the H-20, which is competitive with American models.

A state-owned corporation created and produced the H-20, which will be made available to the public in December and will outperform the B-21 Raider, a separate South China Morning Post wrote.

However, the country's focus extends beyond just aircraft to other aspects of the aeronautics sector, such as its defensive system for aircraft that aids in national defense and makes the technology accessible to others. Global Times said the country's most current laser defense system for airplanes, shown at the Airshow China 2022 event, significantly improves the country's efficiency.

It only demonstrates how China is already a highly developed nation in terms of its goods and technology, one that can compete with the US and other superpowers in terms of its air force. The most recent kerosene-fueled engine uses a different technique called detonation and is more potent than older models while still running on kerosene.

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