The Evering Institute at the University of Bordeaux is the only school in France that teaches aeronautical maintenance at a master’s level. It involves a mixture of academic research and industrial partnership projects. Students receive half their training from academic teaching and the other half from industry professionals with work experience and internships. Siemens’ partnership with Evering Institute is vital to enable students to produce a comprehensive Digital Twin of a Turbojet Engine.

Siemens Digital Industries Software suggested the institution create a comprehensive digital twin of the engine using Simcenter™ Amesim™ software. This enabled the institute to continue teaching students while the engine broke down after several years of use. It also introduced them to simulation tools that would benefit them in the future. Simcenter Amesim is part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, the comprehensive and integrated portfolio of software, hardware and services. Simcenter Amesim was an excellent tool for this project because it was designed to assess the performance of systems such as turbojet engines virtually. 

Simcenter™ Amesim™ software enabled students to understand how to use a tool to carry out predictive maintenance on a turbojet engine. This helped them learn to use tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnose breakdowns and plan predictive maintenance. In the future, when the physical engine is available, students can run simulations in parallel with physical tests and compare the results. They can experiment with the comprehensive digital twin, trying out different theories and ideas without damaging the engine. They can perform the same experiments on the physical machine when they are confident. This also helps with the development of predictive maintenance algorithms for the industry.

The comprehensive digital twin is not intended to replace the physical engine entirely but to be used alongside the engine. Using Simcenter Amesim enabled the students to carry out tests they could not previously perform. 

Our partnership with Siemens is vital. By using the latest technology, we can prepare our students to be ready to hit the ground running in their first job after graduating.

– Pierre Francois, engineering professor at the Evering Institute

Digitalization is the key to the future because it enables better and faster collaboration and broader learning. Keeping up with the latest developments in aeronautical engineering introduces new challenges for schools like the Evering Institute. Learn more about Siemens University partnerships and how Siemens empowers education and startups here!

Read the full case study here.