GE Aerospace completes hybrid-electric engine ground test

GE Aerospace has completed ground testing of a megawatt-class hybrid-electric engine system developed under a NASA research programme, marking a milestone in efforts to advance electrified propulsion for commercial aircraft.

image: GE Aerospace

The test was conducted as part of NASA's Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project and is the first time GE Aerospace has validated a fully integrated hybrid-electric powertrain system. The programme is intended to help mature technologies that could eventually be used in commercial aviation to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Testing took place at GE Aerospace's Peebles Test Operation facility in Ohio, where engineers simulated various phases of flight, including taxi, take-off, climb and cruise. The company said the powertrain successfully powered the propeller and generated electricity that was transferred back to the battery system during the test campaign.

The ground test follows more than a decade of development work on hybrid-electric aviation technologies. The programme is expected to progress toward flight testing using a modified Saab 340B twin turboprop regional aircraft.

“Step by step, we’re proving hybrid-electric engine technology for next-generation commercial aircraft,” said GE Aerospace vice president for the future of flight Arjan Hegeman. “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 of future propulsion systems.”