Pressure Safety Technical Advisor - Sandia National Laboratories - Albuquerque, New Mexico
(2019-08 - 2020-08)
- Pressure safety technical advisor. Revised pressure, compressed gas and cryogenic system safety program including classes.
- Technical advisor: performed walk-downs of laboratories to assure compliance with ASME Code and US Code 10CFR851 section on pressure system safety.
Consultant - King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
(2016-09 - 2020-12)
- Consultant on the development of an efficient, compact, pollution-free external combustion vehicle engine that I invented and patented.
R&D Engineer 3, Advanced Engineering Technologies (AET-1) - Los Alamos National Laboratory - Los Alamos, New Mexico
(2009-03 - 2014-06)
- Developed systems code and component design for high-temperature refrigeration system (Our team won an R&D Magazine R&D100 award November 2017)
- Interfaced with nuclear weapons program
- Assisted in Technology Transfer program to help NM small businesses
- Continued involvement in Dark Matter project
Pressure System, Explosives, and Aviation Safety Officer - Los Alamos National Laboratory - Los Alamos, New Mexico
(2002-03 - 2009-12)
Industrial Health and Safety Group
- Responsible for pressure, vacuum, and cryogenic system safety for the entire Laboratory
- Rejuvenated the pressure safety program at the Lab
- Performed reviews of research pressure-related equipment and provided high-level technical support
- Prepared pressure safety requirements documents based on ASME Codes
- Cryostat and thermal shield design for experiment to search for dark matter in the Universe
- Explosives safety and aviation safety
- Also explored option of siting nuclear power plants deep underground in robust steel vessels. Presented results at the 2005 European Nuclear Conference in Versailles, France
Lead Engineer, Superconducting Accelerator Engineering - General Atomics - Los Alamos National Laboratory
(1998-01 - 2001-12)
Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Responsible for the redesign of linear accelerator cryomodules for tritium production plant including contributing novel improvements for increased reliability and lower cost
- Performed cryogenic thermal analysis of superconducting accelerator power coupler using Cosmos finite element analysis
- Performed structural analysis of accelerator cryomodule internals
- Performed numerous other structural and thermal analyses using Cosmos FEA
- Established solid working relationship with counterparts at Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Supervised up to 8 technical professionals on superconducting accelerator design
- In the fusion area, developed the RACER (Ring ACcElerated Reactor) fusion reactor concept, including development of a detailed, time-dependent reactor systems code
- Continued the development of a pollution-free vehicle engine and maintained frequent interaction with Caterpillar engine manufacturer in an attempt to obtain support to build and test a prototype. Had a consulting contract with their Engine Research Division for one year
Lead Engineer, ITER Cryostat and Cryogenic Thermal Shield Design - General Atomics - Naka-machi, Japan
(1993-01 - 1998-12)
International Thermonuclear Engineering Reactor Joint Central Team. Seconded by General Atomics. US effort ended June 1998.
- Responsible for the detailed design and analysis of the 36 meter diameter by 35 meter high cryostat vacuum chamber that would contain the tokamak fusion reactor. Also responsible for the detailed design of the cryogenic thermal shields that protect the superconducting magnets around the reactor
- These tasks required a working knowledge of cryogenic engineering, finite element thermal and structural analysis (Cosmos/M), and the ASME Codes
- Oversaw and coordinated tasks performed by scientists and engineers in Russia and Japan
Principal Engineer, Fusion Group - General Atomics - San Diego, California
(1975-01 - 1993-12)
At General Atomics headquarters
- Conducted integrated systems studies for tokamak, reversed field pinch, liner fusion, and fusion/fission hybrid commercial reactor plants. Wrote extensive reactor systems codes that integrated plasma physics, engineering, and economics
- Developed design concepts for low-activation tokamak first walls with emphasis on carbon and silicon carbide ceramic materials
- Performed design study (with WJ Shafer, Inc., U. of Wisc., AVCO, and Bechtel) of inertial fusion reactors with emphasis on reactor chamber, technical assessment, and electrical power conversion systems
- Performed study (with McDonnell-Douglas) of fusion for space propulsion. Invented pulsed plasmoid electric thruster that would permit high specific impulse using spacecraft waste water, among other materials, as propellant (published as AIAA paper)
- Invented and patented ceramic shaft seal that seals despite high wear in unlubricated environments
- Further developed the power conversion cycle invented by J.F. Field. This cycle is a hybrid of the Rankine and Brayton cycles and has features of both
- Performed conceptual design of inertial fusion target insertion system for Univ. of Rochester's laser fusion facility. Designed cryostat to maintain temperature of D-T target
- Performed inertial fusion design studies for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: 1. Cascade rotating reactor chamber and power conversion, 2. Laboratory Microfusion Facility chamber design, wall protection concepts, and final optics protection and support, 3. Innovative concepts for direct recovery of inertial confinement fusion energy, 4. Convective cooling analysis of laser glass amplifiers
- Invented concept of thin film liquid gallium as thermal contact between dissimilar materials subjected to high heat flux. It could also be used as an electrically-conducting joint for superconducting magnets.
- Proposed the development of high heat flux composite made of high conductivity carbon fiber with a SiC matrix
- Contributed to conceptual designs of proposed near-term tokamak experiments. Emphasis was on coils, cooling, neutron-absorbing blankets, and fusion plasma chambers
Inventor and Researcher - Independent Researcher and Consultant
(1975-01)
Prior to General Atomics
- Invented compact, efficient, low-pollution external combustion engine for vehicle use. Wrote extensive systems code that sizes components and predicts performance. Patented in 1978 (US 4,090,362). Continuing to develop this engine. Presented a paper at an ASME Conference in May 2010, and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in February 2017.
- Consultant to Horst Power Systems, Saratoga, CA. Optimized novel steam expander. Interacted with potential domestic and foreign customer (in Israel)
Researcher - Stanford Research Institute - Menlo Park, California
- Responsible for three underground nuclear weapons effects tunnel experiments, at the Nevada Nuclear Test Site, which determined scaling laws for enemy reentry vehicle destruction due to blowoff impulse from close-in nuclear detonations in space
- Refined sheet explosive simulations to eliminate need for those costly nuclear weapons effects tests
US Army Assignment, Corps of Engineers - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - California
- Performed chemical explosive simulation experiments of nuclear excavations
- Received Army Commendation Medal for this work
- Honorable discharge at rank of Captain
