GE Aerospace has multiple programs underway to develop and mature technologies to help make hybrid electric commercial flight possible. NASA recently selected GE Aerospace to develop an integrated, megawatt-class hybrid electric propulsion system as part of the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) program. Plans for EPFD call for ground and flight tests of the hybrid electric system this decade, in collaboration with Boeing, using a modified Saab 340B aircraft and GE’s CT7 engines. NASA also previously awarded GE Aerospace a contract for the Turbofan Engine Power Extraction Demonstration under the Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) project. In preparation for ground and flight tests, GE Aerospace anticipates increased demand for hybrid electric aircraft engine component testing in coming years. That’s why in May 2023, the company announced plans to invest up to $20 million to add a new test cell and equipment at the EPISCenter in Dayton. GE Aerospace has been developing hybrid electric technologies for more than a decade, involving multiple GE and NASA locations and a global team. EPISCenter is one of the sites playing an important role in the advancement of hybrid electric jet engines for aviation.
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