Consultant
PRINCIPAL INDUSTRIES SERVED
- Automotive
- Transportation
EDUCATION
This expert earned a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette IN.
EXPERTISE AND SERVICES
Mechanical and Control Systems Expert Consultant ResumeThis expert specializes in digital electronic control systems with special interests in system design, hardware components, software development, and application of analog, digital, and hybrid simulation techniques to electronic control systems.
Specialization includes military applications of the commercial electric drive, engine, transmission and controls, and vehicle dynamic simulations. Further specialization includes FEMA, fully modulated transmission digital control development, ISO 9000 quality procedure for electronic transmission control system development, validation of systems, electronics, sensors and actuators, and software.
This associate's experience includes system, electrical, mechanical, and software design of an electric propulsion system. Furthermore expertise includes electric motor/generator/controls vendor coordination, system development from proposal phase, system concept and detail design, hardware design and procurement. Other areas of expertise include algorithm development and extensive simulations, software/hardware integration, laboratory validation, test stand development of controls and transmission, and final checkout and development during vehicle testing.
This associate offers expertise specific to system engineering, component design and development, specifications, and vendor coordination. Other areas of experience include pilot program, failure analysis, reliability growth program, performance evaluation, and customer and OEM contacts. This expert also has a background in service coordination, field engineering support, sales and application engineering coordination and support, manufacturing support and coordination.
This expert is knowledgeable in areas including components including sensors, fuel controls, electronic controls and actuators, and simulations including analog. Other areas are digital and hybrid techniques, studies including optimal control, reliability assessment, and performance assessment. This expert has further experience in mission evaluation, life cycle costs and control algorithm development, closed loop control algorithms for interacting pieces of variable geometry of turbine engines, digital, analog and hybrid simulation.
Additional areas of expertise include electronics design, control system design, performance evaluation, and laboratory validation. This expert also specializes in vehicle testing, electronic, hydraulic and mechanical components. Other specialties include simulations including liftoff, earth orbit, translunar flight, lunar orbit, lunar decent and landing, lunar accent and orbit, transearth flight and reentry, and missile guidance systems.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Consultant, Kevin Kennedy Associates Inc.
Providing project management, mechanical engineering, control systems consulting, failure analysis, forensic engineering, and related expertise to a wide variety of clients
Mechanical Engineer, Control Systems Consultant, General Motors Allison Transmission Division, Allison Electric Drive (AED) team
Tracked potential military programs and writing proposals for military applications of the commercial electric drive. Wrote 3 proposals and won 2 contracts for a total value of $5,000,000. Helped develop electric drive applications programs and manuals patterned after the transmission tools
Mechanical Engineer, Control Systems Consultant, General Motors Allison Transmission Division, Military Transmission Engineering
Developed engine, transmission and controls, and vehicle dynamic simulations written in Matrix-X simulation language. Developed transmission dynamic simulators with the actual control hardware in the loop using the Opal-RT operating system. Developed simplified AAAV simulation and simulators. Developed Crusaider simulation delivered to power pack integrator for power pack SIL.
Link-Belt Construction Equipment Company
Performed an FEMA on a special remote shift selector installation for an Allison MD3066 Automatic Transmission. Special digital encoding to prevent "unacceptable" failure modes was simplified to reduce the number of signals on the slip ring. An acceptable system was determined by proper placement of the signals on the slip ring.
Agco Gima Transmission Subsidiary (France)
Reviewed transmission digital controls to determine the effects of problem remedies on production resumption. Production was successfully resumed after several hardware and software changes were made. Developed software structure for next generation control for full power shift of direction change. System required valve development and extensive algorithm development. System is in production while shift algorithm development continues to reduced shift quality variation. Laid out program for expanded hitch control.
Clark Equipment Company, Clark-Hurth Components Division
Wrote hardware and software specification for transmission control. Development of fully modulated transmission digital control for cycling transmission. Worked with European Controls Development and trained personnel.
General Motors, Allison Transmission Division
Technical manager on electric drive program
Design Manager of Electric Drive Propulsion System, Allison Transmission Division, General Motors
Team leader of 20-25 engineers responsible for the system, electrical, mechanical, and software design of an electric propulsion system for tracked vehicles. Included extensive work with electric motor/generator/controls vendor and coordination with vehicle prime contractor.
Supervisor, Military Electronic Controls, Allison Transmission Division, General Motors
Direct supervision of 8-12 systems engineers and technical direction of team of 20 total systems, software, and hardware engineers responsible for the digital control system design for track vehicle transmissions. All aspects of system development from proposal phase, system concept and detail design, hardware design and procurement, algorithm development and extensive simulations, software/hardware integration, laboratory validation, test stand development of controls and transmission, to final checkout and development during vehicle testing. Hardware included the digital processor, sensors, actuators and hydraulic systems.
Supervisor, Allison Transmission Electronic Control Design and Development, Allison Transmission Division, General Motors
Supervised 12 engineers responsible for getting ATD's first electronic transmission controls into production. Major aspects included system engineering, component design and development, specifications, vendor coordination, pilot program, failure analysis, reliability growth program, performance evaluation, customer and OEM contacts, service coordination, field engineering support, sales and application engineering coordination and support, and manufacturing support and coordination.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
Supervisor, IR&D Systems, Allison Transmission Division, General Motors
Supervised 5 engineers responsible for the system design and testing of the first electronic controls for ATD's transmissions. Also provided system support for the engine electronic control development.
Program Manager, Advanced Turbine Engine Controls, Allison Gas Turbine, General Motors
Technical leader of 3 engineers doing all the system and computer studies for AGT's Technology Demonstrator Variable Geometry Engines. Coordinated efforts with vendors building components including sensors, fuel controls, electronic controls and actuators. Simulations including analog, digital and hybrid techniques with the latter being used for "real time" checkout of hardware at the vendors. Wrote successful proposals for over $3MM worth of government funding for the above studies which included optimal control, reliability assessment, performance assessment, mission evaluation, life cycle costs and control algorithm development.
Control Engineer, Allison Gas Turbine, General Motors
Developed closed loop control algorithms for 5 interacting pieces of variable geometry of a turbine engine (inlet, compressor, fuel, turbine and nozzle) that was stable over the entire flight envelope and provided optimal performance (SFC vs. Thrust). The system was designed using classical frequency response techniques and evaluated on digital simulations. The control strategies developed here became the basis for AGT's GMA 200 Demonstrator Engine Controls.
Group Head, Main Battle Tank Gun/Turret Drive, Delco Electronics, General Motors
Second level supervisor of 20-25 engineers responsible for the design, development and testing of the MBT fire control system with specific responsibility for the gun and turret stabilization control systems and the gunner's primary sight. Efforts included digital, analog and hybrid simulation, electronics design, control system design, vendor coordination, performance evaluation, laboratory validation, and vehicle testing. Because of the high accuracy requirements of the fire control system, in investigation of critical resonance's expanded to the transmission, suspension system, turret bearings, and gun tube. The group had responsibility for electronic, hydraulic and mechanical components.
Supervisor, MBT Stabilization Systems, Delco Electronics, General Motors
Supervised 7 engineers with systems design responsibility for MBT gun and turret stabilization system. Was also used by the technical director to troubleshoot critical mechanical problems on other parts of the fire control system.
Senior Project Engineer, Delco Electronics, General Motors
Wrote the digital simulations for the Apollo space missions used to verify the guidance equations and inertial guidance hardware for Apollo earth and lunar flights. Simulations included liftoff, earth orbit, translunar flight, lunar orbit, lunar decent and landing, lunar accent and orbit, transearth flight and reentry. During this time, also taught evening Systems Engineering courses "in-house" for UWM and on campus for Marquette.
lst Lt. assigned to Research and Development, U.S. Army Laboratory, U.S. Chemical Center
Staff Engineer & Consultant, Bendix Corporation, Mishawaka, Indiana
Served as Staff Engineer during summers and consultant during school sessions for stability and performance analysis of THYPHON missile guidance system. This involved theoretical and digital computer analysis verified with digital and analog computer simulations. Also taught digital control and nonlinear control courses "in-house".
Staff Scientist, California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Division, Pasadena, CA
Served as Staff Scientist involved with study of control of processes with long time delays (5 minutes) to be used in unmanned exploration of planets with direct control from Earth.
PUBLICATIONS
Logic Valve for a Transmission Control
Transfer Mechanisms Used in Automation
Sinusoidal Signal Stabilization
Effect of Extra Sinusoidal Inputs to Non-Linear Systems
Stability of Sample-Data Systems with Saturation
Road Map to Adaptive Optimal Control
Evaluating Potential VCE Control Modes with Respect to Performance, Stability, and Engine Life
Digital Electronic Controls for Detroit Diesel Allison
Digital Electronic Controls for Detroit Diesel Allison Heavy Hauling Transmissions
From Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Hybrid Electric Drive to Military Wheeled Vehicles