GE Aviation’s Garrigan stresses need to intelligently integrate with safety in mind
CINCINNATI, Ohio, 24 Sept. 2014. Neil R. Garrigan, executive manager - advanced integrated products at GE Aviation opened the SAE 2014 Aerospace Systems and Technology Conference (ASTC) this week in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a discussion of propulsion, power, and avionics technologies and systems integration. He stressed the need to “intelligently integrate” electronics systems and technologies.
Garrigan described myriad aerospace achievements, including the Boeing Dreamliner 787, which he called a flying “micro grid” that requires as much power as a small community. At the same time, he noted several industry changes and trends that also potentially present engineering design and integration challenges. Among them are:
- Mission diversity
- Electrification and digitization
- Autonomous systems
- Unmanned aircraft
- Hyperconnectivity
- Alternative energy
As industry moves to advance technologies and innovate in these areas, they must do so with an eye toward safety. As Garrigan points out, the advent of “more electric aircraft means that the electrical/power system is now flight critical; if it stops working, nothing on the aircraft works.”
Neil Garrigan Mr. Garrigan is the Executive Manager of Energy Systems and Technology, a new growth organization in GE Aviation. He also has a dual business development and strategy role with Aviation Systems (formerly Smiths). His dual technical and business responsibilities include advanced technology and preliminary design together with business development and growth strategy across Aviation and Aviation Systems. |
Courtney E. Howard | Chief Editor, Intelligent Aerospace
Courtney enjoys writing about all things high-tech in PennWell’s burgeoning Aerospace and Defense Group, which encompasses Intelligent Aerospace and Military & Aerospace Electronics. She’s also a self-proclaimed social-media maven, mil-aero nerd, and avid avionics and space geek. Connect with Courtney at [email protected], @coho on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and on Google+.
