Like much in life, the difference between detonation and pre-ignition, and their effects, comes down to timing. Both refer to a situation when an engine's fuel/air mixture combusts at the wrong time, ...

A new family of engines aims to harness the power of detonation shockwaves to create ever-faster rocket engines. One of these engines—known as a rotating detonation engine (RDE)—has shown some ...

Essentially, it's a rotating detonation engine in which the detonation wave is stabilized within a high-speed rotor. A precisely shaped flow channel within the rotor compresses the air-fuel mixture to ...

The Rotating Detonation Engine being developed by Pratt & Whitney has no moving parts, which reduces complexity and costs, and could help enable high-speed, long-range flight with increased efficiency ...

A US-based propulsion company has successfully launched and flown a new rocket powered by a unique rotating detonation engine. Although relatively small by rocket standards, the test could pave the ...