ROTATING DETONATION ENGINE
Integza1 HN recommender · recommended in 1 month, 2022–2025
demo · general · evergreen · 2022–2025 on HN
A hobbyist build-and-experiment video on rotating detonation engines (RDEs), where a continuous detonation wave spins around an annular chamber. The creator 3D prints parts and tests a small engine, while being candid about uncertainty over whether a true rot…
Cited as an approachable hobbyist look at RDEs in threads on detonation-powered rockets.
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3 comments from Hacker News
Integza made a YouTube video[1] where he visited a lab where they had a RDE, and includes some nice explanations, animations and slow-mos of the prototype in action. His channel has a certain flavor, but at least the video is informative. [1]: ▶ this video
I know Integza tried , but did he ever confirm his engine was doing a rotating detonation? He said near the end of the video 2 years ago, "I'm not sure if I got a rotating detonation wave": ▶ this video
That's funny, I was just watching a hobbyist video about rotating detonation engines (RDEs): ▶ this video I live vicariously through channels like Integza and Tom Stanton. I've wanted to do some of this stuff for over 20 years, specifically electrohydrodynamic (EHD) engines, but spent nearly the entirety of the last 2 decades merely surviving. It's a strange feeling to watch the world make basically no progress over many years, then suddenly go through an inflection point where suddenly everything is solved and there's no way to catch up. Like with flying cars, reusable rockets, AI.. I dunno, I just feel really inspired, but am also mourning the passing of my own life and all that wasted potential. These are all great inventions, super simple, easy to build, but why the heck were we forced to do everything the hard way for so long and still not make rent? These individual projects are really cool, but I worry that we aren't solving the fundamental problem of underemployment that forces fish to ride bicycles instead of swimming freely. Still just a rat in a cage and all that.