GE Global Research

Quarterly Technology Report

Volume 4, Issue 2 Summer 2012

Global Research Project UpdatesGroundbreaking for Brazil Technology CenterGE Global Research recently held a

ceremonial groundbreaking for its fifth

research and development facility—

and first in South America—in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. When fully

operational, the Brazil Technology Center will house 24,000 square

meters of laboratory and testing space, as well as a learning center

to foster collaboration and innovation for GE and its customers.

The move will also lead to the creation of 400 jobs—a majority of

which will be technology-focused roles. In all, technologies at the

Brazil Technology Center will expand across the energy/renewables,

transportation/mining, aviation and healthcare industries. GE Global

Research is pledging to invest BRL 500 MM in the new facility.

Partnering with Livermore National Lab on Supercomputer Project

GE Global Research has been selected by

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

to participate in an incubator program

that will use high-performance computing in an effort to speed up

development of next-generation fuel injectors for GE’s engine fleet.

GE engineers were awarded dedicated access to a portion of the

Sierra supercomputer—one of the most powerful in the world—to

study the physics behind the working of the fuel injector to optimize

its design. The supercomputer provides a 360-degree view of the

inside of the injector, helping scientists better understand how the

fuel/air mixture combusts; the goal being to build more powerful

engines that consume less fuel and have lower emissions. Successful

testing could lead to advances in aircraft and locomotive engines,

land-based gas turbines, and even nebulizers for aerosol delivery.

Working with NASA to Monitor Astronaut Health

Engineers at GE Global Research are

starting a three-year project to build and

test a new ultrasound probe to monitor

how spaceflight affects the vision of astronauts. There have been at

least seven documented cases of astronauts, with otherwise healthy

eyes, returning to Earth and needing adjustments in their vision

prescription. One possible cause for these symptoms is elevated

intracranial pressure (ICP) due to exposure to a prolonged spaceflight

environment. Through this study, GE researchers will work to develop

a new ultrasound probe capable of delivering real-time, three-

dimensional pictures of the eye, and image-based measurement

techniques for tracking changes in the structure and function of the

eye. Knowledge gained could also help the medical community better

understand the underlying causes of traumatic brain injuries.

Using Robots to Improve Wind Turbine Inspection

GE is advancing technology that makes

the inspection of wind turbines faster

and more reliable—by using robots.

Currently, an inspector uses a telescope to analyze the wind blades

from the ground, 300 feet away. This new method uses a remote-

controlled, robotic device that can scale the wind tower with a high-

definition camera strapped to its back to take pictures. The closer

inspection should give a more accurate picture of the overall health

of the wind blades so that potential issues can be detected and dealt

with earlier. GE scientists are also developing a microwave scanner

that could be fitted onto the robotic vehicle, enabling an even better

view of the wind blades. The use of microwaves would do more than

provide a surface view; it would allow inspectors to see through the

blade material giving an even earlier indication of any breakdown in

the structure.

Visit us online! Stay up-to-date with the latest happenings at GE Global Research. Visit us on the web at www.ge.com/research, or

connect with our technologists at www.edisonsdesk.com and http://twitter.com/edisonsdesk.

QuarterlyTechnologyReport Volumn4,Issue2•Summer2012

Smart Grid Technology and Electric Vehicles on World Stage

What if you could charge your electric

car in under 30 minutes? What if your car

could “talk” to your house or directly to

the utility to manage electricity and save

money? At the SAE 2012 World Congress

in Detroit, Nissan and GE showcased exhibits that demonstrate the

integration of electric cars like the Nissan LEAF into the home with the

latest Smart Grid technologies.

GE’s display included the WattStation™ EV charging station; Nucleus

Home Energy Manager, which communicates wirelessly with smart

devices in the home to monitor household electricity consumption;

and Demand Response Management System (DRMS) software, which

can be used by utilities to manage electricity loads.

The joining of Nissan and GE illustrates the dramatic changes

underway in the automotive world. As the Internet moves from

consumers to industry, and automobiles embrace alternative fuels

and electric transportation, new connections are being made across

industry sectors to facilitate this transformation.

Featured TechnologistWaseem Faidi Manager – Non-destructive Evaluation LabWaseem Faidi’s expertise lies in using

ultrasound for non-destructive evaluation

applications.

His lab is part of the Manufacturing

Technologies organization, and is currently focused on developing

inspection techniques that can help improve the performance,

quality, and competitiveness of current and future products for

various GE businesses, including Aviation, Energy, and Oil and Gas.

His team uses methods such as x-ray, CT, ultrasound, thermography,

and electromagnetics to look inside parts to find defects that might

compromise quality or performance. In fact, he helps spearhead

efforts to advance inspection of wind turbine blades in manufacturing

and services.

Waseem started his career at GE Global Research in 2004 and

believes there should be a great emphasis on renewable power.

“Solving the world’s energy challenges will be paramount in the

years to come. I think it requires an ‘all hands on deck’ approach,

and renewables will play a key role in that effort.”

Revolutionizing Manufacturing Through CrowdsourcingGE, in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

(MIT) and the Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA), are

embarking on a project to revolutionize modern-day manufacturing.

The goal is to develop a crowdsourcing platform that would enable

a global community of experts to design, rapidly prototype and

manufacture complex systems such as military vehicles, aviation

systems, and advanced medical devices. Currently, these “cyber-

physical systems” can take decades to develop. The primary goal

of this program is to dramatically reduce that timeline. The new

crowdsourcing platform is a key part of GE’s efforts to build the

Industrial Internet. It will enable parties with specialized knowledge

to securely interact with a global community of experts, resulting

in the creation of better, more robust product designs in a much

shorter period of time. GE has already opened a new global software

headquarters in San Ramon, California, which will employ 400

software professionals to support these efforts.

U.S. Energy Secretary Visits Global Research: “GE has a storied past and will have a storied future”

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu toured the

Niskayuna, NY campus in May to learn about

the innovative work GE is doing in the areas

of additive manufacturing and smart grid

technologies. Chu, a Nobel Prize winner in

physics and advocate for more research into

renewable energy, said he had always wanted

to visit GE’s storied research and development

facility. During his visit, Chu delivered a

speech touting the importance of the clean energy economy and

advanced manufacturing. He said the U.S. needs to be a leader

in advanced manufacturing in order to help American companies

prosper and add jobs. Global Research has grown its workforce by

more than 10 percent over the past decade, and has added more

than 100 employees over the past two years alone.