SoftInWay Unveils First-of-Its-Kind Full-Scale Foundation Models for Turbomachinery Design

Burlington, MA — October 12th, 2026 — SoftInWay, a leading provider of turbomachinery design and thermal-fluid system modeling solutions, today unveiled a first-of-its-kind, full-scale foundation model capability for turbomachinery. Available through AxSTREAM AI, the pre-trained models combine machine geometry, performance, and operating behavior to help engineering teams move from requirements to a viable starting design dramatically faster than with conventional workflows, without first assembling a large proprietary dataset or training an AI model from scratch.

Unlike AI models built to predict a single output, SoftInWay’s foundation models connect the information needed to define a machine, including flow-path geometry, performance maps, operating limits, and behavior across the requested speed range. The result is a more complete, engineering-ready starting point that engineers can refine, optimize, and validate within the AxSTREAM platform.

The AxSTREAM AI initiative was jump-started through NASA-backed research and collaboration with Raytheon Technologies. During the program, the technology demonstrated its ability to reproduce real-world turbomachinery performance using experimental compressor data from Purdue University’s Zucrow Laboratories. SoftInWay has built on that foundation through more than five years of development, combining advanced AI with decades of experience in turbomachinery design, engineering consulting, physics-based simulation, and relevant design and performance data.

“Foundation models for turbomachinery cannot be built from generic data,” said Maksym Burlaka, Associate Director of Technology and Project Management at SoftInWay. “They must account for the physics governing turbomachinery processes to accurately capture the relationships among geometry, performance, and operating behavior. AxSTREAM AI brings that capability together so engineers can explore unfamiliar design spaces and begin with a credible machine concept instead of an empty database.”

The capability is designed for organizations entering a new market, developing an unfamiliar machine type, or expanding a product line without an extensive archive of prior designs. Engineers enter the required operating conditions and design parameters, and the model predicts a starting geometry and expected performance. The resulting flow path can then be transferred into AxSTREAM Flow Path for further refinement and validation.

In a validation study involving a single-stage centrifugal compressor, the model was trained on 34,305 designs and 4.2 million performance points. It generated 51 flow-path parameters, pressure-ratio and efficiency maps, and surge and choke limits across the requested speed range. Across the entire test dataset, its geometry and performance predictions fell within a 3 percent error threshold when compared with the reference results.

Organizations can also fine-tune a model using their own engineering archives. SoftInWay supports deployment within customer-controlled infrastructure or cloud environments for proprietary or regulated programs. Initial models will be available for select turbomachinery applications, with additional machine types and workflows in development.
By combining ready-to-use foundation models with AxSTREAM’s established design, optimization, and validation capabilities, SoftInWay aims to give engineering teams a faster, physics-informed path from initial requirements to validated turbomachinery products.

About SoftInWay Inc.

SoftInWay is an R&D engineering company specializing in the development of efficient propulsion and energy conversion systems. Its integrated and automated software platform, AxSTREAM®, covers all stages of design, redesign, analysis, and optimization of the turbomachinery used in energy and propulsion technology. AxSTREAM encompasses comprehensive 3D design, thermodynamic cycle analysis, rotor dynamics simulation, and secondary flow and cooling system optimization. SoftInWay also offers engineering consulting services and educational courses, available both in-person and online. SoftInWay supports over 750 companies worldwide and works closely with OEMs, service providers, utility companies, universities, research laboratories, and government organizations. You can find more information at www.softinway.com