Chinese scientists claim that a single massive explosion within a shock tunnel can transform hot gas into the most robust potent hypersonic generators a military has ever seen—powerful enough to charge military lasers, rail guns, microwave weapons, and more.

A new peer-reviewed publication in the Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics reveals, as published by the South China Morning Post, how the hypersonic generator converts one explosion from the inside of a shock tunnel into plenty of electrical current to power potential hypersonic weapons.

Using a controlled explosion, the Chinese scientists could convert heated gas into plasma with racing ions, which were transformed into the current. Using shock waves propelling the pressurized argon gas to 14 times the speed of sound, the energized ion-filled plasma flowed via magnetohydrodynamics generators to produce up to 212 kilowatts of electric current while consuming 0.26 gallons of gas. 

This is sufficient power for an energetic burst unmatched by any current compact technology. It is highly effective and has a vast capacity, according to the scientists' SCMP report. "Intermediate energy storage components are not required. Connecting the energy straight to the load is possible without a high-power switch. 

And it has a rapid start-up time. Additionally, the machine has no spinning components, enhancing its efficiency and usability.

The researchers claim that they can generate a gigawatt of electricity, enough to power a number of the most potent weapons now under development, with just 177 cubic feet of hypersonic plasma—a volume less than most vans.

China isn't yet prepared to implement the new system. Transporting a device that needs controlled explosion has several logistical challenges, as does figuring out how to manage the gas required for a second charge while moving. 

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However, China's hypersonic weapons recently received a massive boost in capability if the next version of science can produce automatic reloading of the technology.

Once the logistic problem is taken care of, this hypersonic generator can pave a new way to power new devices, thus giving shape to the ideas that used to be limited due to the limited energy supply. It can be used to power devices that can benefit the world and man scientific instruments to understand our universe better.