AIN Staff

With the agreement,&nbsp;announced&nbsp;at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, GE Aerospace and Oak Ridge will collaborate to develop new, state-of-the-art computational modeling and simulation capabilities. Oak Ridge’s expertise will help GE Aerospace better manage large simulations, more efficiently extract information, incorporate cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to improve understanding of results, and streamline the process to visualize the physics.
“Supercomputing and access to Frontier is changing the way we design jet engines, allowing us to solve previously impossible problems. We’re now able to digitally fly components of an Open Fan at full-scale in a simulated environment before the hardware is built,” said Mohamed Ali, senior vice president of engineering for GE Aerospace.
“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,” Ali added.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is home to Frontier, the world’s fastest supercomputer, capable of crunching data at exascale speed, or more than a quintillion calculations per second. It is also renowned for its computing expertise.
“We have some of the world’s most accomplished computer and computational scientists. We are proud to bring them to this research and development agreement with GE Aerospace,” said Gina Tourassi, associate laboratory director for computing and computational sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Watch the How Supercomputing is Helping Design New Engine Technologies, Including Open Fan video: <a href="https://usg02.safelinks.protection.office365.us/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FhUtM2uPZBTo%3Fsi%3DXAORbmVvS8vjg6Nu&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmark.adams%40geaerospace.com%7Ccd3d605813194de8735e08dce31cf620%7C86b871edf0e741269bf45ee5cf19e256%7C0%7C0%7C638634960744406236%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=edhzb0Qj9QiCXlC4olM4DU2Vzh5vCc%2BW5q%2Baf%2F9OUzA%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/hUtM2uPZBTo?si=XAORbmVvS8vjg6Nu</a>
To model the aerodynamic and acoustic performance of a full-scale Open Fan engine design, GE Aerospace created computational fluid dynamics software capable of running on Frontier.
After an initial simulation in 2023, GE Aerospace now has run additional simulations of improved designs on Frontier that analyze different engine operating conditions to better understand aerodynamic characteristics and acoustic signatures.
GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines unveiled in 2021 the CFM Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE)* program, which encompasses development of a suite of technologies, including advanced engine architectures like the Open Fan, compact core, and hybrid electric systems to be compatible with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The goal of the RISE Program is to develop technologies that enable a future engine to achieve at least 20% lower fuel consumption and 20% fewer CO2 emissions compared to today’s most efficient commercial engines.
Through the RISE program, CFM International continues to mature the Open Fan engine architecture, which removes the nacelle for greater propulsive efficiency while achieving the same speed and cabin experience commercial aviation passengers can expect from air travel today. GE Aerospace’s use of supercomputing power and software tools are helping engineers understand Open Fan aerodynamic and acoustic physics in new ways. For example, Frontier unlocks the ability to better evaluate new engine technologies at flight scale in the design phase. As a result, GE Aerospace can improve test hardware designs and better optimize engine performance and airframe integration.
GE Aerospace plans to hire more than 900 engineers in 2024, reflecting its continued focus on innovation to support current aircraft engine programs and develop new technologies for the future of flight. View job openings at&nbsp;<a href="https://usg02.safelinks.protection.office365.us/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjobs.gecareers.com%2Faviation%2Fglobal%2Fen%2FGE-Aerospace-Engineering&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmark.adams%40geaerospace.com%7C13ebfac75bcf46387f5108dce47188fc%7C86b871edf0e741269bf45ee5cf19e256%7C0%7C0%7C638636423502171740%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=a0JLfJdFyz3QcQ8WSCTvCnjrEzNmqvrKk0b3x2u%2Fomo%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">invent.ge/engineering</a>.
This <a href="https://www.geaerospace.com/news/press-releases/ge-aerospace-and-us-department-energy-reach-agreement-expand-supercomputing" target="_blank">article content</a> originally appeared on GE Aerospace’s website and is reposted here with GE Aerospace permission.
*RISE is a registered trademark of CFM International, a 50-50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines.

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

How supercomputing capability helps advance Open Fan design

GE Aerospace and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently reached a new Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) on supercomputing, expanding the company’s capabilities to design next-generation aircraft engine technologies like Open Fan.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Kerry Lynch

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

NASA's Gulfstream G-III will use lidar technology to scan contrails of GE's Boeing 747

NASA and GE Plan Flight Tests To Study Contrails

Hanneke Weitering

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Twenty airlines and 25 corporate flight departments are using electronic flight bag software

GE Aerospace's FlightPulse Pilot App Surpasses 40,000 Users

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

New applications for AI are constantly emerging

Aircraft MRO Industry Embraces Artificial Intelligence

Curt Epstein

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

Accelerated by Covid, the practice has its pros and cons

Panel Explores Work-from-home Dynamic at JetNet iQ Summit

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

GE has doubled its investment in AI and uses it in a range of applications

GE Aerospace Joins AI Safety Consortium

Gregory Polek

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Milestone marks a significant advancement in the collaboration between the two companies

GE Aerospace, Airbus Complete First Stage of Research on Next-Gen Helicopter Propulsion 

Matt Thurber

Certification testing is set to be complete in the third quarter

GE Catalyst Turbine Prepping for Year-end Approval

Cathy Buyck

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

In this article

CFM

More In Engines