GE Completes Ground Test for Hybrid Engine
GE Aerospace reported that it completed ground testing of a megawatt-class hybrid electric engine system it developed through NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project, paving the way for flight tests. After more than a decade of testing and refining individual system components and modules, it was the first test to validate the full integrated system, which includes GE Aerospace motor/generators, power converters and inverters, controllers, Dowty propellers, Avio Aero gearboxes, and a GE CT7 engine.
BAE Systems provided the batteries used for the ground test, and Aurora Flight Sciences supplied the complete nacelle.
Hybrid electric engine systems combine an electric powertrain with a standard gas turbine to optimize power management during different flight phases. GE notes that hybrid electric systems are compatible with different fuel types and advanced engine architectures, like its Open Fan development.
The test at GE’s Peebles (Ohio) Test Operations center involved simulations of various flight phases, including taxi, takeoff, climb, and cruise. The electric powertrain helped power the propeller and generated power to the battery.
“The ground test is a major turning point in our understanding of hybrid electric powertrains for aviation and a fundamental building block for the future,” according to Arjan Hegeman, vice president for future of flight at GE Aerospace.
GE Aerospace was awarded the NASA EPFD contract in 2021 to demonstrate flight readiness of hybrid electric technologies for single-aisle aircraft. Working in partnership with NASA, GE has advanced a range of electric aircraft engine technologies for
GE Aerospace has leveraged several NASA projects to mature technologies for more electric aircraft engines through the Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) program overseen by its joint-venture commercial aircraft engine business, CFM International.
Unveiled in 2021, the RISE program is one of the aviation industry’s most comprehensive technology demonstrators with more than 350 tests and more than 3,000 endurance cycles completed to date, including tests on Open Fan, compact core, hybrid electric systems and other technologies. The RISE program prioritizes safety, durability and efficiency, targeting more than 20% better fuel burn compared to commercial engines in service today.
CFM RISE program technologies are maturing toward ground and flight tests this decade with work underway on aircraft and engine integration in collaboration with partners.
“Step by step, we’re proving hybrid electric engine technology for next-generation commercial aircraft,” Hegeman said. “This latest ground test of a complete hybrid electric powertrain positions GE Aerospace to have the technologies ready to meet customer needs for greater durability, efficiency, and range in future propulsion systems.”