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GE Aviation, NASA Partner to Develop Compact Engine Core

Contracts were awarded to GE through Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) project.

GE Aviation has announced a partnership with NASA to develop advanced engine cores for single-aisle aircraft. The move is part of GE’s effort to make commercial flight more sustainable.

GE has been awarded contracts as part of NASA’s Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) project, totalling nearly $20 million for advanced engine core development. NASA and GE plan to ground test a new engine core as early as the mid-2020s.

“The HyTEC project further expands GE Aviation’s partnership with NASA on the future of flight with our shared commitment to accelerate the introduction of technologies that reduce the environmental impact of commercial aviation and make a step-change reduction in fuel burn,” said Mohamed Ali, vice president of engineering for GE Aviation, in a statement Wednesday.

The focus of this development is to create a more compact and efficient engine core design, including the testing of compressors, high-pressure turbine technologies, heat-resistant materials, and the continued development of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) to increase fuel efficiency and decrease emissions.

GE has previously been awarded NASA contracts under the HyTEC program in 2020, focusing on next-generation turbofan engines.

“We are grateful for NASA’s confidence in GE Aviation as a partner to co-develop sustainable technology solutions, including new aircraft engine cores and hybrid electric powertrains that are critical elements of our CFM RISE Program,” Ali said.

GE Aviation and CFM International’s Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) program began developing compact engine core designs in June 2021 to bolster technology maturation efforts to increase propulsive and thermal efficiency. The partnership also seeks to create innovations that are compatible with alternative energy, such as hybrid and hydrogen fuels.

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