GE Aerospace has completed preliminary design studies for a hypersonic dual-mode ramjet using a custom generative artificial intelligence tool, significantly compressing the early design cycle for high-speed propulsion systems. According to the company, the in-house application can generate hundreds of viable ramjet configurations in seconds, a task that previously took engineers months.
The AI-driven workflow is being applied to dual-mode ramjet concepts intended for hypersonic flight, where vehicles travel at speeds of Mach 5 and above. Ramjet and dual-mode ramjet engines rely on the aircraft’s forward motion to compress incoming air rather than using rotating compressor stages, making inlet geometry, internal flow paths, and combustion characteristics especially sensitive to design changes.
The generative AI tool is focused on the conceptual and preliminary design phase, enabling faster iteration, earlier down-selection of promising configurations, and quicker progression to ground testing. GE Aerospace has been running a portfolio of hypersonic propulsion programs, including work on rotating detonation and pulsed detonation combustion, as well as high-temperature materials and electronics for sustained high-speed operation.
The company’s hypersonic efforts target both missile and aircraft applications, with hypersonic propulsion and associated power systems cited by analysts as key growth drivers within GE Aerospace’s defense business in the coming years.