Battery and Energy Storage Systems Expert

Expertise

• Energy storage systems (ESS), advanced technology vehicles (HEV, PHEV, EV, EREV) and electronics development.
• Energy storage product development, power conversion, advanced vehicle technologies product planning; including project scope, manpower, CapEx budget, engineering milestones and manufacturing quality assessments.
• Vehicle powertrain (EV, HEV, PHEV) development activities.
• Energy storage system development.
• Battery safety assessment and development planning.
• Energy product specifications, test and validation plans.
• Due-diligence research and evaluation for investors and prospective buyers in the energy industry.
• Patent research and evaluation.
• Industry research activities and competitive assessment.
• Consumer electronics transitioning to Lithium-Ion technology.

Expert Witness Experience

• Class action lawsuit case involving executive leadership of bankrupt company.
• Product liability case involving battery failure in a consumer product.

Experience

Undisclosed Company, 2013 - Present

• Work with various clients in the area of energy storage, power conversion and advanced vehicle technologies.

Projects

• Product development planning; including project scope, manpower, CapEx budget, engineering milestones and manufacturing quality assessments.
• Vehicle powertrain; (EV, HEV, PHEV) development activities.
• Energy storage system development activities.
• Develop robust product specifications as well as test and validation plans.
• Due-diligence research and evaluation for investors and/or prospective buyers.
• Patent research and evaluation.
• Legal expert consultant and expert witness.
• Industry research activities and competitive assessment.
• Consumer electronics transitioning to Lithium-Ion technology.

SF Motors, Irvine, CA, Director - Product Development, 2016

• Working for a Chinese-funded and led start-up OEM.
• Led the creation of phase 1 concept studies and development plans for high-voltage powertrain, battery, autonomous driving system (ADAS) and electronics along with the overall low-voltage electrical system.
• Directed initial simulation work to establish system sizing and capabilities.
• Worked with potential suppliers to develop system and component concepts for phase 1 vehicle feasibility.
• Established development plan and timing from concept to production.

Fisker Automotive, Irvine, Anaheim, CA, 2013 - 2016

Engineering Manager - Energy Storage and Power Conversion

• Manage an energetic team responsible for component design, development, test and validation as well as vehicle-integration for energy storage systems (battery packs), inverters, battery charger, DC-DC converter and solar cell array.
• Developed an Engineering Product Development Process from scratch for engineers and suppliers to follow.
• Process adopted to each component in our group and included in the sourcing package for each supplier, to properly quote the project and assess the scope of the development and test effort
• Built engineering team from 2 to 21 people in 1 year. Hired many people into group who had less than 3 years of professional experience as well as others without automotive experience.
• Developed a process for team in vetting new engineers to a knowledgeable position where they contributed greatly to the organization.
• Initiated an inverter program that was challenged with bringing the product from program kick-off to low-volume production in less than a year. The inverter also achieved one of the highest levels of quality for all of the new-design and new-technology components.
• Created high-voltage safety standards for corporation.
• Created high-voltage subsystem to vehicle integration test-plan.

EnerDel, Indianapolis, IN, Applications and Systems Engineering Manager, 2009 - 2010

• Responsible for building an applications/systems group to be responsible for a customer's requirements and working cross-functionally within EnerDel to develop a solution.
• Managed the applications/systems group.
• Developed an internal Engineering Product Development Process from scratch.
• Developed a company-wide test-plan for the cell and systems groups to be able to meet the customers' expectations and prove valid product life and optimal usage.

General Motors, Indianapolis, IN, 2006 - 2009

Energy Storage Systems Development Engineer, Powertrain Division, 2008 - 2009

• Responsible for re-scoping the GM Powertrain battery lab in Indianapolis from a heavy-duty focus to a new focus supporting the in-use application of ESS in passenger-car applications.
• Manage the lab efforts and battery team.
• Develop test matrix to support powertrain controls development.
• Develop overall lab responsibilities.
• Develop test structure, reporting methodology and key tracking metrics that are critical to passenger-car applications.

Energy Storage Systems Integration Engineer, Vehicle Engineering Center, (Milford, MI), 2006 - 2008

• Responsible for integrating energy-storage systems (ESS) into the vehicle environment for GM's 2-mode strong hybrid programs.
• Develop responsibilities for new and previously undefined role in hybrid integration group.
• Lead a cross-function group in integrating the ESS and addressing issues. (cross-functional group includes members from battery test lab, vehicle controls, NVH, thermal, ESS-design, fuel-economy/emissions and vehicle program team leadership).
• Determine proper usage conditions that meet vehicle team's design objectives as well as insuring product life.
• Develop test-plan and perform on-vehicle testing on roads and dynamometers.

Cobasys, LLC., Orion, MI, Manager - Transportation Systems Team, 2005 - 2006

• Responsible for managing the transportation system team of a manufacturer for Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV).
• Led a group of over 30 team members; including Program Managers, Systems Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, CAD Designers and Technicians - established individual's yearly objectives and assigned day-to-day assignments.
• Managed a range of programs including OEM HEV production programs, medium and heavy-duty HEV programs and early prototype development programs.
• Worked with cross-functional teams integrating members from test lab, quality, manufacturing, module design, control systems design and quality.
• Established group's goals & objectives for design, development, testing and validation.

Manager - Technical Sales, 2005 - 2005

• Responsible for working with sales team to develop solutions for potential customers.
• Worked with sales managers and potential customers on potential business opportunities.
• Responsible for communicating the customer's requirements to the engineering team and developed an applicable solution.

General Motors, 2000 - 2005

Design Release Engineer, Vehicle Engineering Center, Warren, MI, 2003 - 2005

• Responsible for developing and bringing to production an Energy Storage System (ESS) for GM's AHS2 Strong Hybrid Program.
• Led initial ESS design prior to program initiation; working with multiple groups, to identify a complete set of requirements. Requirements spanned multiple disciplines; such as vehicle power and energy needs, customer-practical packaging, thermal, electronics, software, life and warranty, environmental requirements and durability.
• Led ESS design from concept initiation into the production program phase. Coordinated ESS design with multiple groups in 2 organizations to ensure successful design.

GM Powertrain - Allison Electric Drives, Indianapolis, IN, 2000 - 2003

Energy Storage Systems Lead Engineer, 2000 - 2003

• Responsible for two main tasks relating to energy-storage for Allison Electric Drives; Design Release Engineer (DRE) for a production program and overseeing a lab to research and test multiple energy storage technologies and manufacturers.

Design Release Engineer - Hybrid Electric Vehicle Programs, 2001 - 2003

• Responsible for the design and development of a production energy storage system.
• Worked with a Japanese company through the design process - developed and implemented new methods of communication between GM and the Japanese company.
• Program successfully produced vehicle-ready hardware (design validation system) in less than 6 months from start of contract and a fully validated system in 16 months.
• Initiated division's change in technology choice.
• Led engineering team to develop complete specification (involved cross-functional engineering team from software, mechanical, electrical and service).
• Worked with engineering team as well as interfaced with multiple internal groups (quality, purchasing, business, sales, applications) during product development to ensure successful product.
• Built proof-of-concept system from over-the-counter parts and custom electronics (developed in-house) -system was driving on a vehicle 2 months after approval was given.

Battery Research & Development - Hybrid Electric Vehicle Programs, 2000 - 2003

• Developed a research lab and testing philosophy/direction for energy storage research and development. Started with 4 inactive test-channels in 2000, grew lab and activities to a total of 16 test-channels running 9 long-term life-cycle tests and multiple shorter experiments.
• Initiated test program to identify key driving parameters to achieve desired life.
• Developed testing philosophy to include meeting the program's short-term needs as well as investigative testing to look at future solutions.
• Designed new monitoring electronics.
• Developed custom test-scripts.
• Tested multiple technologies and manufacturers.

Lockheed Martin Control Systems, Binghamton, NY, 1995 - 2000

Battery Research & Development - Hybrid Electric Vehicle Programs, 1997 - 2000

• Managed the research effort to study batteries in a Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (HEV).
• Developed and ran tests to evaluate battery parameters that were critical to program success.
• Developed tasks, schedules, and budgets for the research effort and monitored these tasks to see that they were accomplished within the budget given.
• Identified future direction for the research program in order to maintain technical advantage over competitors.

Circuit Designer - Hybrid Electric Vehicle Programs, 1996 - 1997

• Analog and power circuit designer in the HEV program.
• Designed electronics for the battery management system in an HEV system.
• Developed initial test procedure for 1st iteration of the original electronics (thorough evaluation).
• Performed stress and tolerance analysis of the circuitry.
• Developed test procedures for technicians to test future production cycles.

Systems Engineer - Aircraft Controls, 1995 - 1996

• Performed systems engineering functions for two aircraft control systems.
• Worked on a team that wrote a failure analysis memo for an aircraft control system.
• Wrote software specifications for a subcontractor and tested subcontractors software after delivery.
• Designed 'motherboard' circuit card for an aircraft control system.
• Developed solutions to customer's requests for improvements in current aircraft system.

Engineering Leadership Development Program , 1995 - 1997

• Hired into the Lockheed Martin Engineering Leadership Development Program (formerly General Electric's Edison Program).
• This program trained participants in both their technical skills as well as 'soft-skills' needed to be successful leaders.
• Participants took on 3 different job and program responsibilities in a 2-year period for a diversified technical background. Also included 3 week-long seminars that focused on management skills (negotiating, team-building, diversity, etc.)

Honors & Publications

Credentials

Software Tools

• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Project)
• MathCAD
• MATLAB/Simulink
• LabView
• C/C++

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• Society of Automotive Engineers

Publications

• Author of electric industry product reports, tutorials, conference papers, educational text and presentations related to EV batteries, and alternative energy.

Education

• M.S. Electrical Engineering, Purdue University (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN
• B.S. Electrical Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY