GE Aviation and Czech Technical University team up on groundbreaking collaboration for turboprop engines

Using GE software, CVUT will build preventative health and maintenance monitoring system

GE Aviation and Czech Technical University in Prague signed a collaborative agreement that will help the University’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering program (CVUT) build a preventative health and maintenance monitoring system for modern turboprop engines, investigate future aerospace manufacturing technologies and enhance the education of students.

On top of the agreement, GE Aviation will provide CVUT with access to its PREDIX software, as well as training. GE Aviation will also share its technical experience related to turboprop engine design and performance modeling. CVUT will then develop the methodology and convert the modeling into a health monitoring system using real data.

“This is a great project that connects graduate education with the industry," said Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. "The partnership will support development of aerospace technologies while applying Industry 4.0 approaches. I am glad that sustainability of the project is guaranteed from the very beginning by GE Aviation. Financing is a crucial aspect.” 

GE’s PREDIX software is the world’s first and only industrial edge-to-cloud platform. PREDIX will enable CVUT’s Engineering program to analyze Big Data and Analytics generated through the field and engine tests. The information obtained will be useful for identifying potential engine issues before they occur and optimizing the maintenance and overall costs of engine operation. CVUT, which will be the first university in Europe to receive PREDIX software, will provide feedback to GE on its functionality and ideas for future development.

“I am glad to see CVUT become the first university in Europe to receive PREDIX software,” said President of GE Europe Peter Stacar. “CVUT will be a major contributor in our joint efforts to drive Europe to new levels of productivity.”

“We are excited about the collaborative agreement with CVUT,” said Milan Slapak, Advanced Turboprop manager for GE Aviation Czech. “It is rare for GE to have cooperation with a university at such a scale. This is an excellent opportunity for an entire aviation eco-system in the Czech Republic.”

To further support this program, CVUT is building new infrastructure, including test cells, for capacity and capability to execute this research. The University has already signed a partnership to locate and operate ground test cells in Prague and Hradec Kralove with the Czech Aviation Research Institute; VZLU, a research and technology organization in Prague; and Czech aviation manufacturer Orbis Avia.

“The joined collaboration between CVUT and GE Aviation will materialize in the research results,” said CVUT rector Vojtech Petracek. “I am certain it will also create opportunities for our students to get actively engaged in exciting activities which will take their studying experiences to a whole new level.”

“This is a very important milestone for us,” CVUT Dean Michael Valasek said. “We are merging top class industry expertise with our university environment to truly build global competitive capacity and capability. This will drive the future growth of the aviation industry in Czech Republic.”

CVUT, which is opening a new studying program dedicated to Aviation and Space, expects to generate about 50 graduates a year. The program is intended to enable the future growth of the aviation industry in the Czech Republic by adding more high-tech aviation expertise with cooperation from GE Aviation.