Dissertation topic: A systems concept for recovering Geopressured-Geothermal reservoir brines for conversion into solar ponds to renewably power coastal seawater desalination

# 33863

Focus: Computational Fluid Dynamics

Focus: Thermodynamics
Summa Cum Laude

Lead the GEM Team in the commercial launch of GEM’s dispatchable, renewable energy technologies: Converting Geopressured-Geothermal (GPGT) brines into Salinity Gradient Solar Pond (SGSP) systems
1. Lead the Team in readying SGSP technology for commercialization (modular design, vendor & supply chain, intellectual property)
2. Develop synergies and related project portfolio (e.g., environmental remediation of large-scale salt contamination, waste disposal, etc.)
3. Coordinate with State and Federal agencies securing support (e.g., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Navy, Air Force, Texas river authorities, etc.)
4. Work with business development teams, present for VC funding
5. Write grant proposals and make presentations to energy fora
6. Develop patents to protect the GEM IP; work with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to get a favorable review of GEM SGSP
7. Develop business plan(s) and secure industry collaboration

Support the Dept. of Defense with technical consultation and project leadership on airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems development, production, and sustainment; concurrently complete doctorate in geophysical renewable energy systems.
1. Initiated, developed, and led an industrial consortium (14 defense contractors and government agencies) to standardize the incorporation of commercial-off-the-shelf avionics on military systems
2. Led a multi-contractor, multi- U.S. Air Force agency team, initializing objectives and developing solutions on several modern ISR aircraft
3. Primary contributor in collaboration between the Dept. of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration for incorporating civil airworthiness standards and policy for certification of military aircraft
4. Led a multi-service (Army, Navy), multi-FFRDC (MITRE, MIT Lincoln Lab) aircraft-payload integration study, successfully helping to restructure a critical multi-service ISR program
5. Concurrently initiated and completed a doctoral program in renewable energy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, collaborating with Texas A&M, developing an approach for supplying large-scale, renewably powered, desalinated seawater to help resolve the water and energy crisis in the U.S. West

Mechanical systems analyses, R&D, and project leadership in developing, producing, and sustaining air vehicle systems for the commercial aircraft and defense air vehicle sectors; concurrently complete MSME at the University of Washington, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) focus.
1. Led CFD applied research teams to develop and implement various breakthrough improvements on jet transport aircraft (e.g.: ram air exhaust simplifications; exhaust plume reshaping to solve overheat delamination failures; fan-intake ducting redesign to reduce noise)
2. Developed computer models of airborne Environmental Control Systems (ECS) for systems design and analysis; developed models for airborne avionics cooling modeling, analysis, and ECS architectures
3. Used statistical analysis and numerical methods to identify the failure mechanisms and necessary modifications for mechanical systems, including premature fouling in airborne heat exchangers, high-speed fan-flutter leading to premature blade failures, and anomalies leading to excessive air-borne and structure-borne air vehicle acoustics
4. Used experimental design methods to discover the characteristics of physical systems, including true cooling capacities of real systems, and thermal-mechanical reactions of avionics to environmental extremes
5. Initiated and led multi-national (NATO) team to develop the practice and procedures to utilize commercial-off-the-shelf avionics on military platforms, which are traditionally ruggedized to military standards

Oil, gas, and geothermal drilling exploration in Jamaica, Brazil, Peru, Chad, and Ascension Island, using special helicopter-lift drilling rigs; concurrently complete BSME at the Wichita State University (rotation-commute to-from overseas work locations; study course materials while infield, attend lectures and take make-up exams while stateside).
1. Hydrocarbon exploration on Jamaica supported World Bank objectives
2. Extremely remote exploration in Brazil for French ELF; indigenous tribes weren’t aware of “modern man”
3. Conducted advanced exploration for Dutch Shell in Peruvian Amazon
4. Conducted heavy-oil exploration for Exxon in Chad (c.1985-86)
5. Conducted geothermal exploration on Ascension Island for the USAF