GE Aerospace and DOE Partner to Enhance Supercomputing for Advanced Aircraft Engine Development

GE Aerospace and the U.S. Department of Energy have signed an agreement to enhance supercomputing for designing advanced engine technologies, particularly the Open Fan concept. The collaboration will focus on developing advanced modeling and simulation methods, leveraging AI tools, and improving data visualization. This move aligns with GE Aerospace's hiring plans and commitment to innovation in the aviation industry.

The aviation industry is poised for a significant leap forward with the recent collaboration between GE Aerospace and the US Department of Energy (DOE) to enhance supercomputing capabilities for designing advanced engine technologies. This partnership, which builds on an existing partnership where GE Aerospace was the first industrial user of Frontier, the world's fastest supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is expected to revolutionize the future of flight [1].

The primary focus of the collaboration is on developing advanced modeling and simulation methods, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools, and improving data visualization for the Open Fan concept. The Open Fan is an innovative engine architecture being developed by CFM International, a 50-50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines [1].

Supercomputing's role in the evolution of jet engine design

The integration of supercomputing into jet engine design has significantly impacted the industry's approach to solving complex problems. With the aid of advanced computational modeling and simulation capabilities, engineers can now digitally fly components of an Open Fan engine at full scale in a simulated environment before physical hardware is built [1].

Accelerating innovation with AI and advanced simulation

The collaboration between GE Aerospace and the DOE will enable the development of new, state-of-the-art computational modeling and simulation capabilities. ORNL's expertise in managing large simulations, efficiently extracting information, incorporating cutting-edge AI tools, and streamlining data visualization processes will significantly accelerate engine design and testing [1].

Mohamed Ali, senior vice president of engineering for GE Aerospace, emphasizes the importance of this collaboration in advancing the aviation industry's net zero ambitions, stating, "Our expanded research collaboration through a new cooperative agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory will accelerate our engine design and testing, building confidence that Open Fan architecture is the most promising engine technology to help the aviation industry meet its net zero ambitions" [1].

References:

[1] GE Aerospace and US Department of Energy Reach Agreement to Expand Supercomputing Capability for Revolutionary New Open Fan Engine Architecture. (2024, July 21). PRNewswire. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ge-aerospace-and-us-department-of-energy-reach-agreement-to-expand-supercomputing-capability-for-revolutionary-new-open-fan-engine-architecture-302202153.html