Power electronics, motor drives, motion controls, sensors/ signal detection, analog circuits, low-level/ low-power design.
SERVICES
Design analysis, tradeoff review, and test plans. Research report writing and editing.
EXPERIENCE
Recent Clients: Cactus & AJE (rpt editing), City of Encinitas (tutoring), AM/FT (elec. veh. design).
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Power Electronics
Designed compact electric generators for mobile vehicle use.
Upgraded the design and performance of a high-efficiency power converter for multiple load applications. Ran extensive bench tests to evaluate and improve performance.
Evaluated patent claims vs. an electrical part manufacturer's products, to check for potential infringement.
Designed compact, efficient, low-cost power magnetic components for high-intensity gas-discharge industrial lighting. Prepared procurement specifications for transformer design, assembly and test.
Designed a high-reliability 28VDC 2.5KW power distribution system for a tethered communications balloon for U.S. Army Mideast tactical use. Dual engine-driven generators were used with battery backup.
Redesigned and upgraded a portable shaft-speed measuring instrument to provide a lithium battery, built-in recharger, multiple backup power options, and panel-selectable RPM signal pulse count-down ratios.
Completed development of a compact brushless propulsion motor control for a small underwater vehicle, resulting in $16 million of sales. Solved thermal transient problem from subcontractor mounting of power MOSFets in small space, and engineered for production.
Developed a modular 240VDC bus power conversion system. DC-DC conversion system used a single converter family in a converter+filter building block. SwitchMode converters were set up in series/parallel combinations; worked with supplier to achieve proper operation. The system met power density, efficiency, EMI, regulation, packaging space, and maintainability goals.
Analyzed, designed and redesigned dc-dc converters: PWM types for halogen lamp driver power, towed vehicle depth-control power, and space experiment power. Flyback type for brushless motor FET drive isolation.
Developed the first 2500 VAC Vehicle Power Test Station for the U.S.Navy remote-controlled underwater Mine Neutralization System. Test Station contained cable simulation resistors, ground-fault detector, digital metering of output voltage and current (3 ph), turn-on contactors, and overload cutout. Used for vehicle acceptance and component life tests, it performed for over 30 vehicle-years with no safety mishaps.
Motion Control
Developed a precision multi-speed optical scanning drive for a remote scanning/imaging system. Drive system used an incremental optical shaft-position encoder and filtered phase-lock PWM motor drive. Developed an intensity-regulated, current-controlled laser power supply with dual feedback loops and low ripple, and a modular servomotor controller for positioning optical scanning elements.
Developed a linear PID controller for a non-linear variable-depth buoyancy control system. Developed power conversion/control, motor drives, motion sensors and controls, factory acceptance testers, and laser and TV scanners.
Signal Conditioning
Upgraded the design of a low-level bio-medical signal processor for in-vivo evaluation of heart-valve implant integrity. Analyzed performance of microvolt-level detector and tracker, and improved signal-to-noise ratio performance significantly.
Provided electrical design support for space-launch on-board sensor data multiplexer unit, guidance computer, and computer power supply. Tasks included tolerance analysis, dynamic mux linearity, part substitution, cost reduction, and fault testing.
Evaluated alternative methods for compact angular rate sensing in small underwater vehicles, and recommended a temperature-stabilized gas rate sensor design strategy. Designed a switchmode control loop for temperature stabilization, and a low-level DC signal amplifier with low thermal drift.
Designed, analyzed, modeled and simulated, improved yield and cost, performed fault analysis and test, and upgraded design for analog and hybrid industrial instrumentation.
Positions Held
ES Engineering, San Diego, CA - Tech. Director (over 8 yrs)
Applied Remote Technology/ Raytheon, San Diego, CA - Principal Engr (4 yrs)
Honeywell Advanced Marine Systems, San Diego, CA - Principal Engr (9 yrs)
Teledyne Systems Co., Northridge, CA - Research Scientist 3 yrs
Design Automation Inc., Lexington, MA - Project Engr 4 yrs
EDUCATION
M.S.E.E. at M.I.T., Research Asst. at Draper Lab.
B.S.E.E. at N.Y.U.
PUBLICATIONS
Development of an electronically-tuned vhf power amplifier, Report ECOM-0074-3, co-author.
Modeling zener diodes for computer-aided circuit analysis, IEEE NEREM Conference (Boston) and Electronics magazine.
Guest lecturer at Northeastern University in course on CAD.
Patchboard programs checkout of missile guidance, Space/ Aeronautics magazine.
Optimum Design of a Space Platform for Airborne Fire Control, Report T-77, MIT Draper Lab.