V. Kudriavtsev, Ph.D.
September 28th, 2007
Review of Relevant Experiences
Space Turbomachinery Semiconductor Automotive BioMedical Fuel Cells
Various Fields - Two
Commonalities
• Combination of hands-on approach to engineering
and testing with analytical tools for analysis, design
and measurements
semiconductor, aeropropulsion, biomed,
space systems, automotive, energy
• Complex multi-physics systems based on
interactions of fluids with other media and physical
fields (electrical, chemical, magnetic, structural,
thermal) in steady state and dynamic situations
Birds Eye View
Moscow Aviation Institute
College of Space Systems
Engineering
Spacecraft thermal design,
Rocket structures, heat
exchangers, natural convection
University of Akron, Ohio
Department of Mechanical
Engineering, NASA Lewis and
US Army Research Labs, Propulsion
Directorate
Brush Seals, Fluid Mechanics, CFD,
Oil Tunnel Laser Flow Visualization
B&C Engineering
Principal Investigator SBIR (I & II)
High RPM Test Bench; Hybrid
Floating Mechanical Seal Design &
Test
Watkins-Johnson Company
Core Engineering – Thermal and
Process Engineering, Sr. MTS
WJ1500, APNext -new
WJ3000, WJ 2000 HDP
WJ999/1000 upgrades CPIP
Military Service
Electrician – Maintenance &
Troubleshooting
CFD Research Corporation
Engineering Consulting &
Business Development
Multi-Physics, Semiconductor
Equipment (AMAT, LAM …
CFD CANADA
Fuel Cells (Ballard, HPower, Stuart
Energy, Hydrogenics, Global
Thermoelectric), Plasma Systems,
Ventilation and Air Conditioning,
Aerospace, Seals, MEMS, BioMed
Biosignetics Corp – Start-up
Computer-based diagnostic
system; sound-vibration data
acquisition and software based
analysis (real time & post)
System Engineering & Testing
Research/academic Product Development Engineering Consulting
ORVA SPACE Start-up
da Vinci Space Project
Hybrid rocket engine
Rocket & Space Capsule Structural
Engineering
System Engineering
4th State Technology – Start-up
Plasma Source Development
(Gen1-III)
LCD Etch Tool
Management
Project management
Moscow Aviation InstituteStudies:
Degree Engineer
(MS, BS) 1989
Dept. of Space Systems Engineering, co-op studies (1983-89)
Project: Nuclear Powered Hydrogen/Oxygen
Refueling Station
Emphasis on Systems Engineering, Conceptual
design, thermal design
Dept. of Space Engines, School of Engine Technology
Part-time, (1990-93)
PhD: Computational and Experimental Studies of
Brush Seals for Turbomachinery Applications
Military Service85-87
-high voltage/current (AC 3000V) barb wire electrical fences
-perimeter illumination system (incandescent lamps)
-diesel electric back-up power station & cooling system
-telephone system
-low voltage early warning – 21 strand detection intruder deterrent
systems, electrical bridge, charged 600V
-designed and built central control system
-11 certificates of invention (innovation)
Electrician, Line Maintenance & Repair at the rocket military plant,
rifle platoon
-fix things on the fly
-build things that do not break
and can not be broken
Moscow Aviation Institute
Department of Space Systems Engineering, Thermal
Engineering Group: 1983-85; 87-1990
Research Assistant, Engineer, Research Scientist
• Thermal Design – Spacecrafts (radiation, natural and forced convection, conduction and thermal insulation)
• Heat exchangers
• Cryogenic liquid storage, empirical models for natural convection heat transfer, computational solution of Navier Stokes equations
Intense learning, emphasis on system level thermal
engineering
Akron, Ohio1990-94
Experimental pressure
measurements, laser flow
visualization – oil test channel
Development of computer code
(CFD) for hydraulic analysis of
brush seals and turbine
secondary flow systems cavities
with brush seals
NASA Lewis and Department of Army Sponsored study of Fluid
Flow in Brush Seals to benefit advanced aeropropulsion
]
Emphasis on complex fluid flows and fluid structure
interactions, experimental measurements of fluid
flows, CFD development
B&C Engineering94-95
NASA funded SBIR – Phases I and II – Hybrid Floating Brush Seal,
Principal investigator, Sr. Engineer
Designed, built and tested new type of compliant seal
for turbomachinery: combination of compliant brush
seal with a floating (self-lubricated) spiral groove
mechanical seal. Speeds 5000-12,000 RPM, 80 psig.
Seal was patented.
From the concept to the proof of feasibility in 6 months.
Seal build and tested. Test bed with instrumentation built
and tested. NASA milestones were met & Phase II was
granted.
Focus on aeropropulsion, air breathing jet engines,
lubrication and sealing, high pressure low pressure
zones, mechanical seals
Watkins Johnson Company1995-98
Atmospheric Pressure Thermal CVD – SiO2 deposition using
Silane, TEOS, Ozone – Sr. Member of Technical Stuff, Thermal and
Process Engineer, Core Engineering (300MM revenue)
WJ-999 and WJ-1000 – Continuous product
improvement – engineering upgrades;
from concept to completion, customer beta
testing; process optimization support;
advanced product characterization
WJ-3000 – High Density plasma deposition
tool, prototype development, concept
evaluation, beta site support
WJ-1500 – full product cycle, from the concept
to implementation, testing and customer sales
Advanced APCVD system that improved
uniformity x2 – designed new process
chamber configuration using CFD
Fast Heat-up upgrade, reduced heat-up from 5-7
hours to 45 minutes
Emphasis on chemical processing,
chemical reactions, product design and testing
CFDRC1998-00
West Coast Branch Manager – Principal Engineer, CFD based thermo-fluid
and process engineering consulting & software sales
Emphasis on working with customers, driving consulting and software
sales revenue; working in a branch, communication with headquarters
Semiconductor Equipment and Wafer
Processing Companies – Applied Materials,
Novellus, Gasonics, Mattson Technologies,
Tokyo Electron, Silicon Valley Group,
INTEL, Matshushita Panasonic, ALCATEL,
UNAXIS, LSI Logic, Torrex, Mattson, Samsung
Complex chemistry, plasma, electical and
electromagnetic fields, flow distribution
and delivery, chamber, injector and manifold
design optimization
Developed new vertical product – Virtual Reactor
VReactor and Virtual Process VProcess
Product manager for the new product – CFD-
PLASMA, from the concept to sales (99-2003) – 1.5
million revenue, 50+ licenses in industry, 100+
Universities
CFD CANADA & Fuel Cells2000-04
Wholly owned small business, emphasis on serving customers
worldwide and on Canadian Fuel Cell Development
Fuel Cell companies – Ballard,
HPower, Stuart Energy, Hydrogenics,
GlobalTE, Hyteon - CFD process simulation,
stack thermo-flow design and evaluation
Thermo-fluid Engineering Consulting
Developed new vertical demo product –
Virtual Stack Simulator
Plasma Software Product management –
worldwide operations for CFDRC
Consulting projects for automotive
applications – dynamic pressure fluctuations
in the exhaust, GM car paint booth
troubleshooting, car ventilation and air
conditioning
Principal Engineer and Managing director –offices Toronto & Montreal
Examples
ORVA Space – Canada
XPrize Cup, NM
Next to Rutan’s Space Ship I. Only Two teams were
approved for Space Launch. da Vinci Project and
Space Ship One.
Orva Space - Canada2001-05
Start-up – Commercial Space Tourism and X Prize competition
Chief Engineer, Team Leader- Engineering and R&D (18 reports)
From the drawing board, to manufacturing and
testing. Structural design, manufacturing
(carbon fiber composites), engine design and
flow delivery from 850 psi N2O tank, engine
firings, systems engineering, product
integration, sponsor presentations
Hands-on Engineering Management of large and diverse engineering
group working in a bootstrap mode, intense exposure to mass media
Biosignetics Corp2005-07
• Two software products with complete product cycle: from inception/design control stage to customer evaluation and subsequent sales. Developed within ISO and Good Manufacturingpractice guidance. Several versions released, dozens of licenses sold. FDA clearance secured. Patents and inventions filed.
• Field Tests and clinical data collection
• Searching for Venture funding, presentations to VCs, business plan competitions, Advanced Technology Program (ATP), etc.
VP Engineering, co-founder. Cardiovascular diagnosis using advanced
fluid mechanics, acoustics and signal processing.
Implementing your own vision and strategy in a bootstrap
mode
Engineering Assembly, Production and Test Facility
4th State Technology
Engineering Assembly and Test
Laboratory
4th State Technology2006
Project Manager and Chief Engineer (5 reports), report to President and CEO
Responsible for beta tool design, assembly,
testing and etch process verification
Responsible for atmospheric pressure plasma
source development (plasma torch,
plasmatron) – Three Generations in parallel
with beta tool design
All from concept to final hardware to meet benchmark milestones
and satisfy investors
Tool design to final test: 3 months
Three generations of plasma sources in 6
months; 3 plasma test installations built,
one full lab re-location, lab re-built from the
ground up.
Invented new way of plasma thermal
stabilization to meet reliability benchmarks.