Doug Nelson
Dr. Douglas Nelson is
a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), where he teaches courses
in Fuel Cell Systems, Hydrogen Energy Systems, Advanced Technology Vehicles,
and Vehicle Design.
Dr. Nelson functions
as the faculty advisor for the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT) of
Virginia Tech, an organization of approximately 50 students which designs
and builds hybrid electric and alternative-fueled vehicles for advanced
vehicle technology competitions. The HEVT team participated in the FutureCar
Challenge to build a low-emission, high-
fuel-economy family sedan and successfully demonstrated the
first university-built fuel cell hybrid vehicle at the 1999 FutureCar
Challenge, where it placed second overall. Based on that success, the
HEVT was selected to participate in subsequent Department
of Energy premier student engineering research competitions, including
FutureTruck, Challenge X and EcoCAR, which is currently
in process.
In addition, Dr. Nelson
is the co-director of the Dept. of Energy GATE Center for Automotive
Fuel Cell Systems, a multidisciplinary graduate automotive engineering
program focusing on technologies critical to the development of fuel-efficient/low-emission
vehicles.
Beyond the vital role
he plays in academia, Dr. Nelson consults for industry in the design
and simulation of hybrid and electric vehicles. His expertise includes
modeling, testing and validation of fuel cell, hybrid and electric vehicles
and well-to-wheels analysis of transportation fuels. In particular,
he deploys his extensive experience, modeling/simulation tools and capabilities,
in component sizing and selection to meet performance and energy efficiency
goals for vehicle design.
Dr. Nelson believes that
knowledge of component capacities and characteristics is critical for
matching systems, such as an electric traction drive, battery, and gearing
to a vehicle to get both good performance (acceleration, gradeability,
top speed, range) and efficient operation over a wide range of drive
cycles and driver demands. Nelson has a great deal of practical experience
with vehicle systems, modifications, safety, project timelines, budget
and costs, risk and the feasibility of success. All
of these components together have shown him just how hard it is to build
a good, reliable vehicle.
Summary of Electric
Vehicle Expertise:
- Design, testing, modeling,
simulation and component model validation for electric, hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles and systems, including:
- Electric traction drive motors
and inverters
- Battery and high voltage systems,
charging systems, safety
- Electric accessories, including
12/14 V DC/DC converters, air conditioning, power steering
- Vehicle integration and packaging
of systems, fuel storage, thermal systems, vehicle communication networks
- Vehicle characteristics, including
tires/rolling resistance, aero-drag, mass impacts, cargo capacity
- Vehicle drivetrain systems,
including gearing/transmissions, half shafts, brakes/ABS, regenerative
braking
- Driver interface and Vehicle
controls, performance and energy management strategies
- Fuel and electric energy use,
petroleum and greenhouse gas impact
Education, Professional Qualifications,
and Awards
Nelson received his BSME
degree in 1978 and MSME degree in 1979 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University. He received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical
Engineering from Arizona State University in 1986, where he worked on
research applied to open cycle solar absorption cooling systems.
Dr. Nelson is a registered
Professional Engineer in the state of Arizona. He is
a member of SAE International and ASME. He also
serves as a member of the International Technical Committee for the
Challenge Bibendum sustainable mobility event for advanced technology
vehicles. He received the Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award from SAE
International in 1996, the NSF FutureCar Faculty Advisor's Award in
1998, and NSF Outstanding Long-term Faculty Advisor Award in 2005.
Dr. Nelson's Role
Douglas Nelson's experience
puts him in an excellent position to evaluate claims of performance
and energy use for any particular vehicle technology. His presence
on the EV World and Associates team ensures that our clients are uniformly
well directed with respect to the entire range of important engineering
and design issues.
