GE Aerospace is ushering military hypersonic engine design into a new era with a generative AI application capable of producing initial concepts within seconds.
The Ohio-based firm has been testing the app to come up with engine layouts that meet specific operational requirements, rapidly exploring design options that would otherwise require lengthy engineering studies.
Researchers have also used the tool to evaluate those concepts across different flight conditions, reducing analysis timelines from months of separate simulations and testing to about a day.
“GE Aerospace is all-in on AI,” said Joe Vinciquerra, the company’s senior executive director and general manager for research.
“The use of generative AI to design a hypersonic speed ramjet is a great example of how we are bringing together AI science with decades of embedded know-how to shape the future of commercial and military jet engine technologies.”
Revolutionizing the Design Process
GE Aerospace researchers are now working on expanding the technology beyond hypersonic applications, with plans to apply it to commercial jet engine development.
The effort comes as the US Department of Defense seeks ways to accelerate the development of next-generation aviation technologies.
According to Vinciquerra, generative AI could significantly shorten design cycles by allowing engineers to create, refine, and assess concepts much faster than conventional workflows.
“The engineering design studies of a hypersonic ramjet using generative AI is a tremendous proof point that shows AI’s potential to revolutionize the design process,” he added.
