In Beijing, a new "wind tunnel" will soon be inaugurated, a device dedicated to the testing of hypersonic weapons.
China's leadership in the advanced technology sector is certainly not new. We are well aware of the power of Chinese inventions, and the Western difficulty in keeping up with the times.
This latest invention does nothing but confirm the ability of oriental companies and their continuous desire for experimentation.
Last week, scholar Han Guilai of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced the start of project of wind tunnel JF-22.
The facility will be located in Beijing, and will be able to simulate flights at Mach 30, or 30 times the speed of sound.
The new wind tunnel and the comparison with the West
The announcement of the experiment took place during a conference dedicated to technological innovations. According to Han Guilai, the power of this new machinery is enough to bring China at least 20 30-years ahead of the rest of the world.
To understand how strong the JF-22 wind tunnel is, just make a small comparison with the other tunnels already present in China.
The second most powerful tunnel in China is the JF-12, which has a power equal to one fifth of the newcomer. Chinese scholars have managed to surpass themselves by elaborating something they didn't believe they could do.
Think about how far ahead they are compared to the West.
Guilai spoke about the possible power level of the new JF-22 wind tunnel in Beijing, saying it could reach the 15 gigawatts (a truly impressive amount, which surprised many scholars).
In the West, wind tunnel experiments are carried out with pride, even if we have not yet touched the power of China.
Among the most developed and the most successful, we must mention the Hypersonic Tunnel Facility (HTF) of NASA, located in the united states. Currently, the tunnel is used to test the nozzles of nuclear thermal rockets, and goes up to a maximum of Mach 7.
Hypersonic flight tests
Apparently, the Chinese record comes from the high-speed airflow generation method.
To carry out its own hypersonic flight tests inside the wind tunnel, China uses chemical explosions strong power. Conversely, other countries rely on mechanical compressors.
This slight difference allows the Chinese experiments to last longer and work better.
Guilai himself specified this, stating that: “The duration of our experiments is much longer, so the aircraft model can be larger than those tested by others, and the results can be more advanced".
The experiments on hypersonic flights have as their final objective two categories of interest: the construction of hypersonic aircraft (capable of reducing travel time) and the production of formidable armaments.
At the moment, American hypersonic weapon trials have all ended in failure.
China is the only one to have sent a hypersonic missile into orbit that has proven to be actually functional. THE US officials they are still trying to recover from the blow.
