David Nelson

I lead simulation, heat delivery, and materials engineering teams at Rondo Energy. Let me know if you want to join us and decarbonize industrial heat!

At the request of Tesla's VP of Materials, I created a team to fill the gap between materials science and design engineering. We took on high-value projects (>$30M/yr) that required innovation in materials, process, and design to be successful.

I managed the Drive Systems Engineering team at Tesla. We designed the motors, gearboxes, and mounts for all our vehicles. In addition to design, we had two labs for prototype builds and testing in support of development. During my tenure, the team grew from ~30 to ~50 fantastic engineers, technicians, and managers.

I took on the additional responsibility for our drive systems test team. This team creates novel test equipment and setups specific to electric motors, gearboxes, and lubrication systems.

I managed the mechanical design team for Tesla's traction motors. The team is responsible for stator and rotor designs that are power dense, durable, reliable, affordable, and mass-manufacturable. We also developed new technology that leads the industry.

I led design of mechanical, electromagnetic, and thermal components on one of Apple's special projects teams.

I managed a team of engineers responsible for modeling, prediction, and verification of motor and gearbox performance and efficiency. We also tackled high profile reliability and warranty projects.

I was responsible for the thermal performance and mechanical efficiency of the Model S motor and gearbox. In addition, I innovated a new rotor manufacturing method and Tesla's first motor oil-cooling system.

Transonic Combustion was a startup innovating a supercritical fuel injection system to enable higher efficiency gasoline engines. I was responsible for all aspects of fluid, thermal, and structural analysis of our advanced fuel injection system. We built our own combustion bomb complete with shadowgraphy and high-speed imaging for CFD validation. That was cool.

This GM site was responsible for design and validation of electric traction systems for hybrid, electric and fuel cell powered vehicles. I analyzed inverters, motors, and power converters for thermal performance and was the sustaining engineer for the power inverter in the fuel-cell Chevy Equinox pilot fleet.

Daat develops and markets innovative engineering applications for modeling fluid flow and heat transfer. Daat's flagship product, Coolit is a CFD software of choice for electronics cooling applications.

I co-founded a tech incubator with my mentor, Dr. Robert C. Dean, Jr. We used SBIR grants and profits from contract R&D to fund internally generated ventures. I was intimately involved with all aspects of a small business including sales proposals, human resources, rent negotiation, supplier relations, intellectual property management…etc. As Project Engineer, I managed and performed primary engineering for projects in high-pressure water jets, high-speed dental drills, advanced prosthetic limbs, physical rehabilitation devices, and sprayed metal coatings systems. From 2000-2002, I was the entrepreneur of a novel, high-pressure water jet technology for industrial surface preparation. I invented and tested solutions that overcame fundamental technical barriers and authored the subsequent patent application. I performed hands-on market research by reviewing industry literature, attending trade shows, visiting job-sites, and interviewing customers. I co-authored a business plan to solicit private investment and authored a SBIR grant application.

Synergy Research was a contract R&D engineering firm. I worked on xerographic imaging systems, plasma-arc metal cutting torches, and high-pressure water jets.