17 Minutes of Continuous Operation: What is Known about the Ukrainian SHOOM-20 Engine

The Ukrainian company First Parsec has announced new results – 17 minutes of continuous operation of the SHOOM-20 pulse jet engine.

The goal is to ensure stable engine operation for two hours, the company shared with Militarnyi.

This endurance will allow the vehicle to cover a distance of about 800 kilometers.

According to the developers, the current production capacity is up to 400 engines per month. If necessary, production can be optimized and increased to 1000 units.

Currently, the company has one production model, the SHOOM-20, which provides 20 kg of thrust.

In the coming months, the team plans to expand the line with two additional models, SHOOM-7 and SHOOM-40.

The price of the engine is currently $750 per unit. However, for large orders, the company is ready to reduce the cost to $500 per unit.

In early December, First Parsec first presented the SHOOM-20 engine test. The purpose of the tests was to verify the proposed improvements.

Pulse jet engine

Pulsed air-jet engines are the simplest type of jet engines in which the periodic explosive combustion of a fuel-air mixture generates thrust.

They operate in a cyclic mode: air enters the combustion chamber, mixes with fuel, and then the mixture instantly ignites, creating a thrust impulse.

Then the pressure drops, air enters the chamber again, and the process repeats dozens or hundreds of times per second. Due to the nature of this mode, the engine has a characteristic loud “pulse” sound.

The main advantage of such motors is their design simplicity and low cost. They do not require a compressor or turbine, which makes them cheaper, easier to manufacture, and more resistant to contamination or battle damage.