To pursue a career utilizing my Mechanical Engineering education, computer skills and intensive experience with testing and analysis of automotive systems. These skills will impact the development of quiet, powerful and efficient vehicles. I seek to gain valuable experience in the design and development of vehicle systems to prepare me to work my way up into management.
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Thesis: Modeling and Refinement of a Tube-In-Shell Heat Exchanger
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Specialty classes: Engine Design,
Chassis Design, Transmission Design and Vehicle Project
· Creation of custom dynamometer-control and data-acquisition software using LabVIEW 5.1, SCXI data acquisition hardware and a Digalog 1022A dynamometer controller to run automated tests.
· Project Engineer for Dyno Operations, working on Harley-Davidson durability and Bosch siloxane.
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Completion of
computational-fluid-dynamics thesis using IDEAS, HyperMesh, TGrid and Fluent.
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Systems development of 2002-2005 dual- and tri-zone
air-handling systems for Large & Luxury cars.
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Climate Control engineering support for AP3 prototype
buildup of Crown Victoria and Town Car.
· Completion of many 3-dimensional 2-fluid/1-solid computational-fluid-dynamics (CFD) simulations for Visteons Exhaust Heat Recovery System, prototype radiator fin louvers and a backpressure valve.
· Responsible for equipment calibration and coordination of repairs for Aluminum Operations - Radiator
· Leader for eight weekly FTPM meetings with plant labor to setup preventative maintenance schedules.
· Recorded road-load input and NVH data using transducers, accelerometers and anti-aliasing filters.
· Completion of modal analysis on Volvo VN rear cab wall, assisting with design of production brace.
· Creation of custom DaDisp programs to modify drive files for 6-axis chassis shaker.
· Final inspection and Failure Resolution engineer for VN-series 800,000-mile test track prototypes.
· Redesign of LabVIEW-based control software for Volvo VN chassis dyno.
· LABVIEW 5.1 Two years experience creating custom dynamometer-control and data-acquisition software using LabVIEW 5.1, SCXI data acquisition hardware and Digalog dynamometer controllers.
· SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT One year of experience working with Visteons plants and outside suppliers to meet system targets (noise, airflow, durability & cost) provided by our OEM customers.
· TRACK TESTING One year of experience recording and evaluating road load, ride and NVH data.
· CFD Two years of experience solving analytical CFD models using Fluent, TGrid and HyperMesh.
· FEA Four years of experience training using SDRC IDEAS and Pro/E for finite element analysis.
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Porsche Club of North America (PCNA) member, Firebirds
Car Club Autocross, Milan Dragway
Challenging Obstacles and Experiences
Below are details of three challenges I have faced and the various solutions that I have implemented in order to meet those challenges.
Experience 1: What was the obstacle that you faced?
I was assigned to create a custom dynamometer-control and data-acquisition software using LabVIEW 5.1, SCXI data acquisition hardware and a Digalog 1022A dynamometer controller. Formerly, the cell was FULLY MANUAL and was incapable of automated testing.
The program was to run automated tests, take data at defined points in time at specific sample rates and to do it all without needing supervision (implementation of safety and shutdown controls). It also needed to be able to use a PID control loop to maintain torque values in tests by controlling the throttle and switch from torque to throttle modes automatically.
Experience 1: What was the outcome of the situation?
I had some experience with LabVIEW, but not a lot of experience with the drivers and virtual instruments used for the National Instruments data acquisition system. I spent 10 hours a day for two weeks learning the various details of how the data acquisition system was controlled.
Finally I began to create the LabVIEW program and three weeks later, I had the program up and running, the torque-mode PIDs integrated and tuned and all of our customer's automated tests written. I had come in three weeks ahead of schedule with a program that extended the capability of the dynamometer test cell while maintaining the ability to manually control the dynamometer systems.
Experience 2: What was the obstacle that you faced?
As my graduation thesis for GMI/Kettering University, I was asked to analyze and refine the fluid flow within an Exhaust Gas Recirculation cooler for one of our customers.
I was to use computational-fluid-dynamics (IDEAS, HyperMesh, TGrid and Fluent) to visualize flow patterns and determine possible improvements.
Experience 2: What was the outcome of the situation?
I put together 3-dimensional 2-fluid/1-solid models in IDEAS, meshed them, refined the meshes and brought them into TGrid & then Fluent.
After looking at how the coolant and exhaust flowed through the cooler, I made refined models with an improved flow pattern. Prototypes were built which demonstrated a 9% improvement in heat transfer performance and lower pressure drop, successfully meeting our customer's performance target.
Experience 3: What was the obstacle that you faced?
At Volvo Heavy Truck, we had an NVH problem within the passenger compartment that created a very loud "booming" at 65-70mph.
An acoustics engineer and I were assigned to analyze the noise and to design a solution.
Experience 3: What was the outcome of the situation?
We acquisitioned modal analysis equipment and took several measurements on the back wall. We found a resonance just below the rear window at the frequency noted in the NVH complaints.
We designed a brace that reinforced the structure and took additional measurements to determine its contribution. The new brace reduced the interior noise level by 5dB, eliminating the noise spike at 65-70mph. We then refined the brace for manufacturability and it is now in production on Volvo VN-series trucks.