GE Aerospace Collaborates with NASA for Hybrid Electric Aircraft

GE Aerospace, with NASA, showcases the design for their hybrid electric aircraft under the EPFD project.

The company achieved a major milestone in 2022, completing a high-altitude test of their hybrid electric propulsion system.

By 2023, GE Aerospace commits to investing $20 million for advanced testing facilities in Ohio.

CINCINNATI — GE Aerospace and NASA recently revealed the design aesthetics for their innovative hybrid electric aircraft, a focal point of NASA's Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) initiative.

Within this significant collaboration, GE Aerospace is keenly focusing on crafting a cutting-edge megawatt-class hybrid electric powertrain to be scrutinized through ground and aerial tests in the coming years. Their alliance is further bolstered by the participation of Boeing and Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing affiliate, which will facilitate flight examinations using a Saab 340B aircraft, retrofitted and energized by GE’s CT7 engines.

Speaking on the company's aspirations, Arjan Hegeman, the head of advanced technology at GE Aerospace, remarked, "Our alliance with NASA underscores our commitment to championing the future of electric aviation. Through our collective research, we're pioneering propulsion mechanisms that are not only technologically superior but also ecologically responsible."

Over the past ten years, GE Aerospace has set numerous benchmarks in hybrid electric propulsion development. A testament to their relentless innovation was in 2022, when they executed an unprecedented test of a MW-class hybrid electric propulsion system under conditions mirroring commercial flight altitudes, at NASA’s specialized Electric Aircraft Testbed. This achievement was the culmination of several meticulous developmental phases, including a pivotal ground examination in 2016.

Looking ahead and acknowledging the burgeoning demand for hybrid electric aircraft engine analysis, GE Aerospace, in May 2023, disclosed its intention to allocate around $20 million. This fund will facilitate the establishment of an avant-garde test cell and the integration of state-of-the-art equipment at the Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center, situated in Dayton, Ohio.

Ultimately, these hybrid electric propulsion innovations are geared towards augmenting engine efficacy, which will be instrumental in diminishing fuel consumption and curbing emissions.