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John Crane’s services protect what matters. People, plant, and performance.

Engineering A Better Future

John Crane delivers turbomachinery solutions that reduce GHG emissions and increase efficiency. We are committed to achieving net zero for Scopes 1, 2 & 3 by 2050.

Engineering Sustainable Solutions Today

John Crane’s products address the needs of the power generation industry, delivering increased reliability and efficiency, resulting in greater plant productivity.

Engineering Greater Productivity

This paper explores the design, balancing, and monitoring
of high-speed couplings in hydrogen systems, focusing on adaptability, material considerations, and future outlook.

Optimizing High-Speed Couplings in Hydrogen Systems

Rolls-Royce will deliver 16 mtu Series 4000 generator sets (gensets) for EcoDataCenter, a Sweden-based data center operator, which recently switched its emergency power generator fuel from fossil diesel to sustainable hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). EcoDataCenter’s location in Falun, Sweden is expanding, with 32 mtu systems currently providing backup power to ensure data protection during a public grid outage. BOS Power is also involved in the expansion project.

“Together with BOS Power and the fuel manufacturer Neste, we were able to convince EcoDataCenter, on the basis of technical analyses, documented test runs and guarantees, that our systems with HVO100 deliver the same or better performance and safety, and that maintenance intervals can be maintained,” said Tobias Ostermaier, President Stationary Power Solutions at Rolls-Royce. “It is our strategic goal to provide our customers with reliable and efficient solutions that support them in their energy transition.”

The switch from fossil fuels to HVO will help EcoDataCenter reduce the carbon footprint of its Falun data centers. With HVO100, or Neste MY Renewable Diesel, lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions can be cut by up to 95% when compared to fossil diesel. HVO will also reduce local pollutant emissions—particulate matter will decrease by up to 80% and NOx by 8% on average.

“Moving away from fossil fuels is one of the foundations for a successful energy transition,” said Mikael Svanfeldt, CTO of EcoDataCenter. “With mtu emergency backup gensets and HVO from Neste, we were able to implement this without having to invest in new equipment.”

EcoDataCenter also delivers sustainability by:

Supplying excess heat from server halls to a local bio-fuel factory

Using sustainable cross-laminated timber to build data center frames

Over the last few years, Rolls-Royce Power Systems approved 80% of its mtu diesel engine portfolio for EN15940 standard fuels, including sustainable HVO for the mtu Series 4000 and 1600 engines used in the power generation industry. HVO is a drop-in fuel, meaning:

Existing diesel infrastructure can be utilized without modifications

No engine hardware or software adaptations are required

It features a longer shelf life than biodiesel

 10 mtu Series 4000 L64 FNER natural gas gensets to Collicutt Energy Services for five end-user installations—specifically, distributed energy sites—in Alberta, Canada, with the first site now operational. The genset-equipped installations will dispense electricity into the local grid during peak demand hours, offering continuous power availability for the community and industry. Collicutt oversaw the engineering, design, manufacturing, onsite installation, and final commissioning, as well as the initial concept. The company also agreed to provide long-term genset and balance-of-plant maintenance, including 24/7 monitoring at each site.

For the project, mtu gas gensets were an optimal choice due to their power generation cost and extended lifespan with up to 84,000 operating hours before major overhaul. These natural gas-powered units emit fewer air pollutants and CO

 than alternative energy sources, generating clean power with high efficiency and performance. Rolls-Royce also equipped the L64 FNER with dual-fuel capability for natural gas and hydrogen blending.

EcoDataCenter in Falun, Sweden, switched from diesel to HVO to power the 32 mtu backup power generator systems—16 more Rolls-Royce gensets are on the way.

Rolls-Royce Supports Sustainability at EcoDataCenter with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil-Fueled Gensets

GE Aerospace is investing over $130 million

 in its European maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) and component repair facilities as part of the company’s $1 billion MRO spending surge that was approved in early 2024. These funds will support engine test cells, new equipment, and new technology such as AI-powered enhanced inspection techniques.

One of GE Aerospace’s spokespersons shared how the recent investments support numerous activities across its MRO facilities and credits a growing aviation market and the company’s lean operating model, FLIGHT DECK, for spurring the demand for these investments.

FLIGHT DECK is a systematic, lean, and waste-reducing approach to running the business using 10 fundamentals that allow the company to deliver value for its customers. At the heart of FLIGHT DECK is “kaizen,” a method that achieves continuous improvement using data-driven, team-oriented, and structured problem-solving to eliminate waste and generate more value with fewer resources.

The spokesperson also offered insight into how the company utilizes AI, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality to assist MRO operations.

TURBO: What factors are accelerating the growth of the global aircraft MRO market?

Growth is driven by increasing air travel demands, aging aircraft fleets, and technological advancements that necessitate more frequent MRO services.

TURBO: How does this investment support LEAP engines at the XEOS overhaul facility?

XEOS will focus exclusively on servicing LEAP engines as overhaul and repair demand for the maturing fleet continues to grow. Lean principles enhance turnaround times, thus minimizing downtime for airlines.

TURBO: How does employee use of FLIGHT DECK improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost and help spur investments in these facilities?

FLIGHT DECK improves safety, quality, delivery, and cost, and spurs investments by standardizing processes and fostering continuous improvement. This leads to higher operational efficiency and reliability, encouraging further investments in European MRO facilities to meet growing demand.

GE Aerospace and Waygate Technologies developed an 

 for commercial jet engines. It’s equipped with a computer-optimized object detection algorithm and temporal smoothing algorithm that increase model recall rates and decrease the false positive rate. It improves inspection workflows and increases reliability by reducing the inspector learning curve and identifying previously difficult-to-detect defects. It also features an automated data anonymization tool to protect partner data and enable integration into the training dataset.

GE Aerospace also deployed two AI-enabled inspection tools for the CFM LEAP and GE9X aviation engines. The AI selects consistent blade images and builds predictive models based on verified domain data. The AI-enabled Blade Inspection Tool delivers more accurate inspections to minimize turnaround times, maximize time-on-wing, and reduce engine service time for airline customers.

TURBO: What are the advantages of AI-enabled inspection techniques when applied to aircraft engine MRO work? How does this enhancement reduce turnaround times and expand component repair capability?

With our AI-enabled Blade Inspection Tool, the AI guides the selection of the blade’s most optimal images for engineers to analyze, assisting with the inspection itself. This has allowed us to reduce the processing time for inspections from 3 to 1.5 hours versus standard borescope inspections while improving the accuracy of inspections.

AI is also helping MRO organizations accurately forecast final work scopes and parts required for repairs months before an engine’s induction date. Using AI, we’re able to predict part requirements before an engine comes into an MRO shop, avoiding any undue delays in repairing and returning an engine to service.

GE Aerospace’s Customer Technical Education Center (CTEC) integrates AR training courses to supplement in-person training. CTEC used a GE9X engine for customer training courses, including line maintenance, borescope, and boroblend repair procedures as well as fan stator removal and installation. The virtual trainings accelerated the learning curve for these activities and since then, these platforms have been further integrated into aircraft MRO work.

TURBO: Does GE Aerospace use AR platforms to train maintenance personnel? If so, what are the advantages of using these technologies? Additionally, how does training occur with these technologies?

GE Aerospace uses AR platforms to train personnel for engine maintenance tasks. We make these experiences available through laptops, tablets, and smartphones with training occurring in both physical and virtual classroom settings.

With the adoption of AR-driven training, we’re seeing a faster skill ramp-up with maintenance personnel, optimized cycle times for maintenance activities, and an overall improved capacity to provide more training opportunities.

TURBO: What other needs does GE Aerospace plan to address with its MRO spending surge?

It addresses capacity expansion intended to reduce turnaround times for customers and expand component repair capabilities.

GE Aerospace’s lean operating model and overall industry growth have spurred investments by standardizing processes and fostering operational efficiency and reliability.

Keisuke Kuroda

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