Peri Sabhapathy

PERI SABHAPATHY, Ph.D., P.E.

Ph: (248) 756-6628
Email: Sabhapathy@gmail.com

Citizenship: USA

CAREER SUMMARY
“Work Smarter and Harder”
• A Mechanical/ Fluid/ Thermal Engineering Specialist with a strong fundamental and applied
engineering and technical knowledge, skills and an extensive professional experience.

• Expertise and demonstrated ability in product design, heat transfer, fluid flow, thermal
management, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), heat
exchangers, HVAC, magnetic analysis, project management, automotive engineering, and
electronics and engine cooling, design and analysis of oil field equipment & processes etc.

• A highly responsible and a dedicated team player, and a Professional Engineer who can add
value to the bottom line through vision and innovation, and exceptional design, development,
testing, research, analytical and problem solving skills.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1. WEATHERFORD INTERNATIONAL (WFT), Houston, TX 77041 Feb. 2013-Feb. 2016
Provider of equipment and services used in the drilling, evaluation, completion, production and
intervention of oil and natural gas wells.

Staff Engineer
Responsible for leading the CFD and heat transfer analyses of WFT’s equipment and processes.
• Carried out the fluid flow, heat transfer and magnetic simulations of Weatherford’s equipment
and helped improve the product design.
• Developed and implemented methods and processes such as erosion modeling to predict
and increase equipment life.
• Led the CFD engineers and co-ordinated the required analyses with the Product Line and
Engineering Departments.

2. GAMESA WIND USA, Chesapeake, VA 23320 Nov. 2010-Nov. 2012
Manufacturer of onshore and offshore wind turbines for global market.

Senior Mechanical Engineer
Responsible for leading the mechanical design of the cooling and thermal management system
and its components and sub-systems for the company’s new 5 MW offshore wind turbine.
• Carried out trade-off studies to identify the best system configuration.
• Collaborated with internal customers & suppliers, and led and completed the detailed design.

3. OCEANEERING SPACE SYSTEMS, Houston, TX 77058 Oct. 2009-Oct. 2010
Provider of engineered services and products to the offshore oil and gas industry, and also a major
contractor to NASA Johnson Space Center.

Senior Thermal Engineer
Responsible for the thermal design and analysis of next generation spacesuits for NASA’s
Constellation Space Program (Manned mission to International Space Station, Moon and Mars)

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• Planned and carried out the thermal modeling & analyses based on the system requirements
and verifications.
• Supported the design engineers with product specification, trade-off studies, designs etc.

4. ACH LLC, SHELDON RD PLANT (Ford/Visteon), Plymouth, MI 48170 Oct. 2005- May 2009
Tier 1 supplier of automotive climate control components and systems (owned by Ford Motor Co.).

Product Design Engineer/CAE Analyst
Responsible for structural, acoustics and thermal analyses of vehicle air handling subsystem and
its components (plastic housing, electric motor, blower wheel, gears, doors, seals etc.). Evaluate
and test the thermal performance and sizing of radiators, heater cores, evaporators & heat sinks.
• Analyzed and optimized the current and forward model designs of the air handling subsystem
and its components, recommended design changes & helped to meet the performance specs.
• Solved a number of air handling subsystem structural, thermal and acoustic issues
encountered in service and in assembly plants.
• Collaborated with other engineers to solve manufacturing issues (e.g.: resolved a heater core
manufacturing issue using Six Sigma principles and reduced the scrap rate and thus cost).

5. VISTEON CORP (Powertrain Division), Van Buren Township, MI 48111 June 2000-Oct. 2005
Tier 1 supplier of automotive climate, electronic, powertrain and interior components & systems.

Product Design Engineer (Mechanical Design and Electronics Packaging)
Responsible for mechanical and thermal design of all the mechanical and electro-mechanical
components (housings, brackets, PCBs, connectors, wiring etc.) of vehicle feature control
electronic modules (ECUs) such as Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) ECU and Intake
Manifold Tuning Valve (IMTV). Create performance specifications, manufacturing assembly
process flows, BOMs and failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). Evaluate and select
suppliers, obtain cost estimates and procure components. Plan and perform developmental
testing and evaluate the results.
• Designed and developed the next generation of housings and assemblies for EPAS and
IMTV ECUs using DFMA principles that reduced the assembly time, lowered the
manufacturing cost, and met the functional objectives, performance specifications and cost
and weight targets.
• Analyzed the thermal performance of 12V integrated starter generator and ECUs such as
variable assisted power steering module, and recommended design changes to meet specs.
• Supported the company’s ECU business pursuit by evaluating mechanical design and
packaging options, creating BOMs and obtaining cost estimates.
• Supported company’s people development effort by mentoring new engineers, and advanced
technology development effort by evaluating new ECU technologies.

Product Design Engineer (HEV Powertrain-Thermal & Mechanical Design)
Responsible for mechanical & thermal design, & packaging of hybrid electric vehicle powertrain
cooling system (i.e. cooling of electrical motor, electronic components and transmission).
• Designed and developed an innovative thermal management method for Visteon’s high
voltage, hybrid electric powertrain system. Carried out flow and thermal analyses. Created
engineering specifications and bill of materials (BOMs), and obtained cost estimates.

6. YAZAKI NORTH AMERICA, Canton, MI 48187 March 1999-June 2000
Tier 1 supplier of automotive wire harnesses, and electronic components and systems.

Senior Engineer
Responsible for thermal design, testing and analysis of automotive electrical and electronic
components and systems.

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• Led the simulation group and ensured that the group met its goals and objectives.
• Supported the company’s business pursuits with thermal design and analyses of ECUs (e.g.
helped to secure an ECU business worth about $16 million/year from an OEM).

7. KAYEX CORPORATION, A Unit of SPX Corporation, Rochester, NY 14624 Sep.1996- Dec.1998
Manufacturer of silicon crystal growing furnaces for the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries.

Senior Scientist
Responsible for developing methods, procedures and solutions to simulate, predict and control
the flow, heat and mass transfer processes in the entire silicon crystal grower for growing high
quality, large diameter (6” to 12”) silicon crystals consistently with and without a magnetic field.
• Optimized the hot zone design of silicon crystal growers for in-house as well as for
customers (e.g. helped one customer to improve the productivity about 15% while reducing
the power requirement 25% and argon consumption 50%).
• Secured new business by promoting the company’s crystal growers and engineering
services through video and conference presentations, and interaction with customers.

8. THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, VANCOUVER, CANADA June1986- Aug. 1996
Research Associate/Senior Research Associate
• Wrote technical proposals and helped to secure financial support (about $100K-200K/year)
from industries (e.g. Cominco, Weyerhaeuser) and government agencies (e.g. DOE, USA).
• Managed and completed the research projects (e.g. flow and thermal analysis of silicon and
GaAs single crystal growth; continuous casting of steel, and airflow optimization in Kraft
recovery boiler to increase boiler efficiency and to lower pollution from pulp & paper mill).
• Developed an important part of an all-purpose CFD and heat transfer code that is being used
and marketed by Process Simulations Ltd., an engineering consulting company involved in
thermal analysis of industrial systems (PSL was spun-off from the research at our group).
• Supervised graduate students, research engineers and Post-Doctoral Fellows.

EDUCATION
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 1985
M.Tech., Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India 1980
B.E. (Hons.), Mechanical Engineering, University of Madras, Chennai, India 1978

MEMBERSHIPS / AFFILIATIONS
Member, Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, Olympia, WA Active
Member, Society of Automotive Engineers Active
Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers 1986-2000

SPECIAL SKILLS AND EXPERTISE
• Fundamental and applied engineering knowledge and expertise in all areas of mechanical
engineering, and, in particular, in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat
exchangers, mechanical design, magnetic analysis, and analytical and computational methods
• Prior industrial experience in automotive (HEV powertrain & engine cooling, electronic modules,
climate control, etc.), aerospace, wind energy, electronics materials processing and pulp & paper
• Engineering product design, research and development, testing and analysis
• Expertise and extensive experience with
o Commercial CFD and heat transfer software such as FLUENT, ICEPAK and Maxwell (I
have written CFD and heat transfer codes, and also played a major part in developing an
all-purpose CFD and heat transfer software that is currently used by a consulting
company to improve industrial processes involving fluid flow and heat transfer)
o Commercial FEA software (Altair HYPERWORKS; MSC NASTRAN & PATRAN)

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• Good knowledge of ANSYS Maxwell and, Thermal Desktop and SINDA/FLUINT.
• Working knowledge of other FEA software ABAQUS, ANSYS and LMS SYSNOISE.
• Working knowledge of mechanical design software (AutoCAD): Pro/E and CATIA V5.
• Good knowledge of Six-Sigma (I’m Green belt certified), GD&T, FMEA, DFMA, DOE and 8D.
• Good knowledge of Systems Engineering
• Excellent communication skills (Have written many proposals, memos and reports, and
published or presented more than 25 technical papers in refereed journals and in conferences).

A Partial List of Patents, and Peer Reviewed Technical Papers that I Have Authored/
Co-Authored and Published in Science/Engineering Journals
Patents:
1. One patent on Hybrid Electric Vehicle Powertrain Thermal Management System (2003).
2. One additional preliminary patent on HEV Thermal Management System and another
defensive publication (2002-2005).
3. Three patents on Wind Turbine Cooling System Design (already issued) (2011-2013).
4. Three additional patents on Wind Turbine Cooling System Design are in process with the
USPTO, European, Indian and Chinese patent offices (2011-2013).
5. One patent application submitted to USPTO and two patent disclosures are in process
for submission to the USPTO through Weatherford International (2015-2016).
Technical Papers:
1. “Multi-phase modeling of surface equipment in managed pressure drilling operations” Society
of Petroleum Engineers, SPE Technical Conf., Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2014.
2. “Analysis of water vapor condensation on space suit systems,” NASA, TFAWS, 2010.
3. “Determination of local heat transfer coefficients at the solid-liquid interface by heat
conduction analysis of the solidified region,” ASME J of Heat Transfer, Vol. 107, 1985.
4. “The effects of temperature-dependent viscosity and coefficient of thermal expansion on the
stability of laminar, natural convective flow along an isothermal, vertical surface,” Int. J. of
Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 29, No. 10, pp. 1521-1529, 1986.
5. “The effects of maximum density and temperature-dependent viscosity on the stability of
laminar free convection along a vertical Surface,” Int. Heat and Mass Transfer Conf.
Jerusalem, 1986.
6. “Ice formation over an isothermally cooled vertical circular cylinder in natural convection,”
ASME J. Heat Transfer, Vol. 111, No. 1, pp. 191-198, 1989.
“Transient thermal effects in an infinite tilted-pad slider bearing,” Tribology Transactions,
Vol 32, No. 1, pp. 47-53, 1989.
7. “Numerical analysis of heat transfer in LEC growth of GaAs,” J. of Crystal Growth, Vol. 97,
No. 1, pp. 125-135, 1989.
8. “Numerical study of free and forced convection in the LEC growth of GaAs,” J. Crystal
Growth, Vol. 94, pp. 522–526, 1989.
9. “Natural convection in liquid encapsulated Czochralski growth of gallium arsenide,” Can. J.
Chem. Eng., Vo. 68, No. 2, pp. 243-249, 1990.
10. “Numerical study of flow and heat transfer in. LEC growth of GaAs with an axial magnetic
field,” J. Crystal Growth, Vol. 104, 1990, pp. 371-388.
11. “Numerical study of Czochralski growth of silicon in an axi-symmetric magnetic field,” J.
Crystal Growth, Vol.113, pp.164, 1991.
12. “Numerical study of a Kraft recovery furnace,” CPPA, Montreal, p. A149, 1995.
13. “A numerical study of convection during THM growth of CdTe with ACRT,” J. Crystal
Growth, Vol. 180, 1997, pp. 566-577.
14. “Efficiency opportunities in hot-zones for silicon crystal growth,” American Crystal Growth
Conf., August 5, 1999 (invited).

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