Spinning detonation is closely related to continuous detonation. The only major difference is that in spinning detonation a plane shock propagating axial coexists with transverse shocks. Numerical simulations conducted at ENSMA have been investigated from gas dynamic point of view. The results revealed that the flow reverses its swirl Flow Reversal in Spinning Detonation, which involves important implications related to thrust generation.

A theoretical model for spinning detonation has also been constructed, by which the mechanism of spin has been pinned down as the coupling between the reaction and acoustic waves.