Pratt & Whitney will accelerate its work on rotating detonation engine (RDE) technology, as its programme to develop the advanced propulsion capability yields results.
The company has completed a positive series of RDE tests along with the RTX Technology Research Center – P&W is a unit of RTX.
Following the tests, P&W will make an unspecified internal investment in the technology. P&W adds that it is working with the US Department of Defense, seeking to accelerate the integration of the engine and a ground test vehicle in the years ahead.
“Our testing simulated aggressive assumptions for how and where the rotating detonation engine needs to perform,” says Chris Hugill, senior director of Gatorworks at Pratt & Whitney.
“This testing validated key elements of Pratt & Whitney’s design approach and provides substantiation to continue RTX vehicle and propulsion integration to accelerate future capabilities for our customers.”
RDEs use pressure gain combustion derived from detonations in an annular chamber. The technology is envisaged as particularly relevant for hypersonic applications.
RDEs have no moving parts, which improves thermal efficiency and performance, as well as small size. In a hypersonic vehicle, this could free up space for more fuel, sensors and payloads.
In March 2022 P&W announced that it had secured a US Air Force contract to develop a ground test demonstration of an RDE.
GE Aerospace is also working on rotating detonation technology. In December 2023 the company said it achieved a significant breakthrough in efforts to develop a reusable engine capable of powering hypersonic flight.
The company revealed that scientists at its Global Research Center in upstate New York successfully tested a dual-mode ramjet engine subscale demonstrator that used rotating detonation combustion.
