Rotating Machinery Consultant: Rotational Dynamics, Vibration and Stress Analysis and Rotor & Bearing Design

Technical Consultant #1686

Mechanical design and analysis of rotating machinery such as turbines, pumps, generators, motors, compressors, gearboxes and cryogenic turbopumps.
Particular expertise with rotating machine vibration, stability and the application of rolling element or fluid film bearings.
Proficient in the acquisition, diagnosis, and correlation of test data for acceptance, troubleshooting, resolution of vibration, performance and noise problems.
Accomplished with commercial finite element programs (NASTRAN) for stress analysis and dynamic response with design studies, fatigue and failure investigations.
Experienced software developer, including creation of new codes or upgrading existing programs for internal and commercial use.
Principal investigator on three Small Business Innovative Research awards from the Air Force involving rotor dynamics software and a hardware project that successfully demonstrated a patent pending oil-free bearing operating up to 90,000 rpm.
Principal investigator on two NASA technology development contracts to enhance a rolling element bearing analysis code and to apply a unique damping treatment to a turbine airfoil.

Undisclosed Company, President, 1995 - Present

Founder and technical lead of independent consulting company specializing in rotating machinery mechanical design and analysis.
Provide services of vibration analysis and testing, machine design, finite element analysis, rolling element and fluid film bearing design and analysis, fatigue life predictions and software development.
Performed over 300 consulting projects for a wide range of customers, including the Air Force, NASA, Navy, gas turbine and rocket propulsion companies, industrial machinery manufacturers and several utilities.
Two finite element rotor dynamics programs have been developed by the firm and are offered for commercial sale.

Rotordynamics-Seal Research, Sacramento, CA, Chief Engineer, 1993 - 1995

Responsible for overall definition, direction, and management of engineering activities related to product development and consulting.
Provided technical leadership for rotordynamic, bearing, vibration, stress, and life-prediction analyses on rotating machinery for both commercial and government projects.
Defined approach, supported implementation, managed development and handled customer problems with commercial software, including upgrades to existing programs and creation of new codes.
Coordinator and chief instructor for biennial seminar on advanced rotordynamics analysis.

GenCorp Aerojet Propulsion Division, Sacramento, CA, Senior Engineering Specialist, 1989 - 1993

Performed, directed, and presented rotordynamic analyses on cryogenic turbopumps and vibration analyses of turbomachinery blading, specifically on the NASA/Air Force National Launch System liquid hydrogen turbopump and Titan first stage turbine blisk.
Directed design, procurement, testing, and data reduction of company funded hydrostatic bearing tester.
Principal Investigator, in charge of both technical content and fiscal administration, for multi-year NASA programs on Modeling of Rolling Element Bearing Mechanics and Integrally Bladed Turbine Airfoil Damping.
Received several citations for presentation excellence and nominated for aerojet technical achievement awards for hydrostatic bearing analysis and rolling element bearing mechanics.

Honeywell Engines and Systems, Phoenix, AZ, 1975 - 1989

Supervisor of Rotor Integrity, 1985 - 1989

Defined, coordinated, directed, and evaluated the activities of engineers and engineering aides involved in conceptual design, production, configuration analysis and field problem investigation on rotating engine components for commercial turbofan and turboprop engines.
Turbofan and turboprop work included wear stress, vibration and life prediction analyses of rotors and blades, shafting design, rotordynamics and testing support.
Guided the solution to a fan disk low cycle fatigue failure and to a low frequency non-periodic noise problem.
Enhanced internal rotor dynamics computer program and served as instructor for in-house gas turbine technology course in rotordynamics.

Senior Engineer, 1981 - 1985

Performed rotordynamic, vibration and stress analyses for development, certification and in-service problem investigation on civil propulsion engines.
Gained extensive experience in vibration data acquisition and reduction, modal analysis and system balancing.
Represented company on field problems as technical expert both domestically and abroad in the solution of noise and vibration problems.
Trained and directed recent college graduates involved in rotordynamic, stress, and vibration analyses.
Created and applied advanced computational techniques to internal rotordynamics analysis codes.

Engineer, 1977 - 1981

Calculated, measured and correlated the rotordynamic response of turbofan engines and rigs to blade-loss.
Recommended design changes to improve rotor vibratory response, particularly with squeeze film damper configurations.
Developed computer program to in-place trim balance fans which was subsequently used in engine test cells and by field representatives.
Maintained and improved in-house rotordynamics analysis computer programs.

Engineering Associate, 1975 - 1977

Performed heat transfer, stress and rotor dynamic analyses on secondary power system gas turbine engines.
Analyzed turbo-generator sets for lateral and torsional vibration compliance.
Developed computer program to calculate heat transfer conditions on bladed components.

Academic and Professional Affiliations

Member American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Member of Hydraulic Institute Vibration Committee (pump rotor dynamics standards).

Credentials

Publications

Author of 15 technical papers published by ASME, AIAA, NASA, and the Vibration Institute in rotor dynamics, fluid film and rolling element bearings, rotating machinery design, vibration isolation, and turbomachinery blade vibration.
Holds patent for a rotating vibration absorber on vertical machinery.