On March 31, GE Aviation announced that it’s creating an electric power R&D center near Dayton, Ohio. The center, which brings new jobs to the region, will develop technology for hybrid electric vehicles, naval platforms and newly designed aircraft, which have greater electricity needs. The end goal is to develop systems that will deliver electric power efficiently and robustly for GE Aviation’s military and commercial customers.
“Electrification in transportation is a growth area,” said Vic Bonneau, president of Electric Power for GE Aviation Systems. “The center will yield system-level benefits so that our customers can more rapidly gain from this trend in energy management, climate control, radars and sensors, silicon carbide based power conversion and electric actuation, to name a few.”
The center was made possible by a $7.6 million grant from the Ohio Third Frontier Commission. Through the grant, GE will collaborate with the University of Dayton Research Institute to develop cutting-edge computer modeling, simulation and analysis of advanced electric power systems. These modeling capabilities will eventually be applied to complex electrical systems like smart utility grids and the next generation of commercial transport aircraft.
The center’s location will be announced later this year with a planned opening in 2012. Employees at the center will join 2,800 researchers and employees at GE’s four global research facilities. GE’s R&D employees represent nearly every scientific discipline and more than 1,100 hold doctoral degrees.
This announcement follows the opening of GE’s new Advanced Manufacturing Software and Technology Center (AMSTC) in the greater Detroit area, which will grow to employ more than 1,100 new technologists over the next few years.
* Read GE's announcement
* Learn more about GE’s other Research Centers