Damon Weeks

Function: Research Engineer Associate

Biography:

Mr. Weeks joined CEM as a full time engineer in 1985.  He is Lead Electrical Engineer for the Electric Vehicle Program, where he assists with proposals, prepares and manages budgets and schedules, leads technical research efforts, directs CEM staff and consulting engineers, manages subcontractors and outside vendors, interfaces with sponsors, and provides technical guidance to undergraduate and graduate students.

He is currently involved in the development of a production control system for semi-active suspension vehicles. Recently, he leveraged his electric vehicle experience with instrumentation, control, and servo systems to assist in the axis drives systems designs for the both Hobby Ebberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) project and for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT main axis drives. On HETDEX, his participation included axis feedback sensor selection, amplifier selection, control software development, and system debug. On the GMT main axis drives feasibility study, he performed vender surveys and analysis which led to the selection of a custom linear PM type forcer head solution.

On CEM’s active suspension projects Mr. Weeks completes the majority of the modeling and design of control and power systems.  From the program’s conception, he had the primary responsibility for design, implementation, and testing of the controls and power electronics.  Electromagnetic suspension system demonstrations have included a full-scale M-1 tank single wheel test system, a military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), an Advanced Technology metropolitan Transit Bus (ATTB), 2.5-ton cargo capacity military truck (LMTV), and an off-road emergency vehicle.  He was awarded a patent on active suspension systems in 1999 based on this work.

Prior to his work on the HMMWV, the ATTB, and the LMTV, Mr. Weeks developed computer simulations that modeled electromagnetic performance of variable frequency alternators coupled to coaxial induction accelerator loads.  He was involved in design and optimization of these systems and their associated high power switching components.  During this period his projects included a Rising Frequency Generator, a Torpedo Launcher, and a Synchronous Passive Electromagnetic Accelerator (SPEAR) Coil gun. In addition, he developed, tested, and refined instrumentation techniques for solid state electromagnetic launcher switching systems.

Previously, while working on the Guided Electromagnetic Defensive Interceptor (GEDI) railgun program, he identified materials and structures as critical elements of electromagnetic railguns and was awarded his first patent in 1989 for the design and fabrication techniques of a “high performance electromagnetic railgun launcher.”  A specific milestone accomplished included developing laminated railgun insulators to achieve higher arc resistance, lower friction, and greater gun stiffness.  The combination of which produced a 22% increase in achievable railgun velocities. In addition, he developed computer models for plasma and solid armature rail guns to predict rail gun test performance. During this period he supervised the fabrication, construction, and testing of hyper velocity railguns and ultimately became the project engineer for the GEDI project.  During this research, he completed a Master of Science in Engineering thesis entitled “Analysis of Loss Models for Plasma Armature Rail guns.”

Mr. Weeks was initially employed by UT-CEM as a graduate research assistant (GRA) from 1984 to 1985.  As a GRA, he developed high power explosive switches.

Research Areas/Areas of Interest

Specialist, Electric Vehicle Technology Development

Active and semi-active suspensions

Vehicle dynamic modeling

Electromagnetic design and analysis

Power system design and analysis

Energy storage

Hybrid electric vehicles

Education

M.S. Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 1990

B.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 1984

Awards

Constant Force Suspension, Near Constant Force Suspension, and Associated Control Algorithms (with Joseph H. Beno, William F. Weldon, Don A. Bresie, and Andreas M. Guenin,), U.S. Patent No. 5,999,868, December 7, 1999.

High Performance Electromagnetic Railgun Launcher (with Raymond C. Zowarka, III, William F. Weldon, John H. Gully, Jim L. Upshaw, Mike L. Spann, and Dennis R. Peterson), U.S. Patent No. 4,884,489, December 5, 1989.