Resume
Gary Owen Fitzpatrick
PROFESSIONAL SPECIALTY
High-temperature direct energy conversion devices and systems
EDUCATION
BS, Physics, California Institute of Technology, Caltech , 1965
EXPERIENCE
1998 - Present: Board Member of International Thermionic Society
1992 - Present: Space Power, Inc. thermionic converter and development
1988 - 1992: President, Advanced Energy Technology, Inc. thermionic converters research and development Advanced Energy Technology, Inc. merged into Space Power, Inc.
1986: Stroke, Aphasia, MRI or Imaging Centers
1984 - 1986: Manager of thermionic technology programs at General Atomics, responsible for coordinated effort of Rasor Associates, Thermo Electron, and GA in the SP-100 Thermionic Technology Program. Work included technology impact assessment; UO2 fueled emitter analysis; fueled emitter capsule design, fabrication, and high temperature ceramic insulator development and testing for both out of-core and in-core systems.
1980 - 1984: Vice President and General Manager at Rasor Associates, Inc. responsible for direct energy conversion in both terrestrial and space power technologies.
1978 - 1980: Manager of DOE Advanced Thermionic Technology program, including theoretical analysis of plasma and surface physics, advanced component development, and insulator development.
1973 - 1978: Principal investigator responsible for design, development, and production of cylindrical thermionic converters for JPL advanced converter performance program.
1965 - 1973: General Atomics Responsible for electrical out-of-core testing, in-core testing, parasitic breakdown control of high temperature ceramic insulators and insulator coatings, both in vacuum and in cesium. Developed NDT techniques for testing thermal bonds in trilayer insulator structures.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
- Author or co-author of over 58 technical papers.
- Listed, American Men and Women of Science, Who's Who in West, Who's Who in Finance.
- Hatsopoulos Award, best paper - direct conversion, 1990 IECEC.
- Karl G. Hernquist Award, Goteborg, Sweden, 1993.
- Join November 21, 1960, Prof. J.(James) R. Musselman, American Judo and Jujitsu Federation
- Amateur Radio License, August 8, 1958, WV6BPS. Advanced, WA6YDP
Patents:
"Thermionic Converter", number 4,667,126, date of patent May 19, 1987.
"Distributed Electrical Leads for Thermionic Converter" file with application as S-47, 507, July 19, 1977
Application in Process: "Thermionic Converter with Transparent Collector" serial number 07/419,903, filed October 11, 1989.
Etc.
PUBLICATIONS AFTER THE STROKE
Thermionic Converters
1. "Transparent Thermionic Converters"
G.O. Fitzpatrick
Presented at the Thermionic Energy Conversion Specialist Conference, Eindhoven, University of Technology, Netherlands, October 1989
2. "Cascaded Thermionic Converters"
Fitzpatrick, G.O. and Daniel Allen
Nuclear Power Engineering in Space, Physics of Thermionic Energy Converters, Sukhumi, Georgia, November 1991
3. "Cascaded Thermionic Converters"
Fitzpatrick, G.O., Daniel Allen and J.B. McVey
Ninth Symposium Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion, Albuquerque, NM, January 1992
4. "Partial Radiation Insulated Diode (PRID) for Space Nuclear Power Systems"
Fitzpatrick, G.O., D.T. Allen, G.L. Hatch and J.B. McVey
27th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, San Diego, CA, August 1992
5. "Demonstration of Close-Spaced Thermionic Converters"
Fitzpatrick, G.O., J. Lawless, Y. Nikolaev, S. Yeremin, A. Klinkov, J. McVey
28th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, August 1993
6. "Magnetic Field Reduction on High-Current Unignited Mode Thermionic Converter"
G. Fitzpatrick, N. Britt, Space Power, Inc.
Not presented here.
Twelfth Symposium Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jan. 8 -12, 1995
7. "Close-Spaced Thermionic Converters with Active Spacing Control and Heat-Pipe Isothermal Emitters", pp. 920
G. Fitzpatrick, J. Koester, J. Change, and E. Britt, Space Power, Inc., J. McVey, Consultant
31st Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Washington, DC, August 11-16 1996
8. "Maximum Thermionic Energy Conversion Efficiency Based on the Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes" pp. 957
B. Moyzhes, Consultant G.O. Fitzpatrick Space Power, Inc
31st Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Washington, DC, August 11-16, 1996
9. "Updated Perspective on the Potential for Thermionic Conversion to Meet 21st Century Energy Needs" pp. 1045
Gary O. Fitzpatrick and Edward J. Britt; Boris Moyzhes, Consultant
32nd Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, August 1997
System Studies
10. "SAVTEC Thermionic Converter with an SP-100 Heat Source"
Fitzpatrick, G.O. and R.C. Dahlberg
Sixth Symposium Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion, Albuquerque, NM, January 1989
11. "Transparent Thermionic Converters and the STAR-C Nuclear Power System"
Fitzpatrick, G.O. and D.T. Allen
Anniversary Specialist Conference on Nuclear Power Engineering in Space" Obninsk, USSR, May 1990
12. "Thermionic Converter: Normal and Transparent Collectors"
Fitzpatrick, G.O. and D.T. Allen
Twenty-Fifth Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Reno, Nev., August 1990
13. "The STAR-C Nuclear Power System with High-Efficiency Transparent Thermionic Converters"
D.T. Allen, G.O. Fitzpatrick and D.M. Ernst
Eighth Symposium Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion, Albuquerque, NM, January 1991
14. "New Thermionic Converter for Out-of-Core Space Reactor Power Systems"
Fitzpatrick, G.O., D.T. Allen, G.L. Hatch, J.B. McVey and H.S. Bloomfield
27th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, San Diego, CA, August 1992
15. "Cascaded Thermionic Converters Applied to Space Nuclear Power Systems"
Fitzpatrick, G.O. and D.T. Allen
11th Symposium Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion, Albuquerque, NM, January 1994
PUBLICATIONS BEFORE THE STROKE
Thermionic Converters
1. "The Test of a Thermionic Converter with a Graphite Sorption Cesium Reservoir,"
Yates, M.K. and G.O. Fitzpatrick, General Atomics, GA-9526, March 1970
2. "Long-Term Operation of Out-of-Pile Thermionic Converters,"
Yates, M.K., G.O. Fitzpatrick and J. Kay
Thermionic Conversion Specialist Conference, Miami Beach, Florida, October 1970
3. "Advanced Converter Development,"
Fitzpatrick, G.O., N.S. Rasor, E.J. Britt, and L.K. Hansen
Presented at the Thermionic Conversion Specialist Meeting, Eindhoven, Netherland, September 1975
4. "A Test Facility for High Current Thermionic Converters, Including Initial Converter Test Results,"
G.O. Fitzpatrick, L.L. Begg, E.J. Britt, and N.S. Rasor
C00-2263-10, NSR 2-10, World Electrotechnical Conference, Moscow, USSR, July 1977
5. "Development of Very Large Thermionic Converters for Central Electric Power Plant,"
Fitzpatrick, G.O., L. L. Begg, E.J. Britt and N.S. Rasor
World Electrotechnical Conference, Moscow, USSR, July 1977
6. "Low Cost Cylindrical Converter for Measuring Lead Efficiencies,"
Hatch, G.L., L. Nakata, E J. Britt, G.O. Fitzpatrick
14th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, August 1979
7. "ZEPO" - The World's Largest Thermionic Converter,"
Begg, L.L., and G.O. Fitzpatrick
14th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, August 1979
8. "Novel Converter Configurations for THX Development,"
Begg, L.L., M.S. Smith, B. Carlsmith, E.J. Britt and G.O. Fitzpatrick
IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science, May 1980
9. "High Temperature Cogeneration Combustor Design,"
Britt, E.J., R.S. Dick, G.O. Fitzpatrick and D.C. Johnson
IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science, 1981
10. "Design of Series-Parallel Connected Thermionic Converter Arrays,"
McVey, J.B., E.J. Britt and G.O. Fitzpatrick
16th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, August 1981
11. "High Performance, Close-Spaced Thermionic Converters"
R.S. Dick, R. S., J.R. McVey, G.O. Fitzpatrick and E.J. Britt
18th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Orlando, Florida, August 1983
12. "Design and Testing of a Combustion-Heated Nineteen-Converters SAVTEC Array,"
Nyren T., M. Korringa, J. McVey, T. Sahines and G.O. Fitzpatrick
19th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, San Francisco, California, August 1984
Advanced Materials
13. "Cesium Sorption in Materials for Thermionic Converters,"
Yates, M.K. and G.O. Fitzpatrick
Thermionic Electrical Power Generation Symposium, Stresa, Italy, May 1968
14. "Cesium Sorption in Materials for Integral Reservoirs,"
Yates, M.K. and G.O. Fitzpatrick, GA-8771
Thermionic Conversion Specialist Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, October 1968
15. "Cesium Sorption in Materials for Thermionic Converters,"
Fitzpatrick, G.O. and M.K. Yates
GA-8574, Vol., 2, April 1970
System Studies: Space
16. "Thermionics and its Application to the SPS,"
Fitzpatrick, G.O. and E.J. Britt
3rd NASA Conference on Radiation Energy Conversion, AMES Research Center, Moffett Field, California, January 1978
17. "Power Coupling Alternatives for the NEP Thermionic Power System,"
Manda, M.L., E.J. Britt and G.O. Fitzpatrick
JPL 955121, NSR 7-1, December 1978
18. "Collector Temperature Effects on the Performance of Advanced Thermionic Converters and Nuclear Electric Propulsion Systems,"
Dick, R.S., J. McVey, E.J. Britt and G.O. Fitzpatrick
15th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, August 1980
19. "Direct Conversion Nuclear Reactor Space Power Systems,"
Britt, E.J. and G.O. Fitzpatrick
17th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, August 1982
20. "SP-100 Thermionic Technology Program Status"
Holland, J.W., M.H. Horner, T.D. Gulden, F.N. Huffner, G.O. Fitzpatrick and E.J. Britt
Second Symposium Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion, Albuquerque, NM, January 1985
System Studies: Terrestrial
21. "Thermionic Topping of Electric Power Plants,"
E.J. Britt, G.O. Fitzpatrick and N.S. Rasor,
10th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Newark, Delaware, 1975
22. "Performance and Economics of a Modular Thermionic Topping System,"
Britt, E.J. and G.O. Fitzpatrick
Thermionic Conversion Specialists Meeting, Eindhoven, Netherlands, September 1975
23. "Thermionic Topping for Central Station Power Plants,"
E.J. Britt and G.O. Fitzpatrick
11th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Stateline, Nevada, September 1976
24. "Thermionic Central Station Power - The THX Approach,"
G.O. Fitzpatrick and E.J. Britt
Topical Report C00-2263-6, NSR 2-6, February 1977
25. "Increased Central Station Power Plant Efficiency with a Thermionic Topping System,"
Fitzpatrick, G.O., E.J. Britt and G. Carnasciali
12th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Washington, DC, September 1977
26. "Performance and Cost Evaluation for a Thermionic Topping Power Plant,"
G. Carnasciali, G.O. Fitzpatrick and E.J. Britt
ASME 77-WA/ENER-7 Meeting, November 1977
27. "Thermionic Energy Conversion for Solar Applications,"
E.J. Britt, G.O. Fitzpatrick and D. Jacobson
Solar Thermal Test Facilities Users Association, Golden, Colorado, April 1978
28. "Thermionic Power Plan Design Point Selection: The Economic Impact,"
G.O. Fitzpatrick and E.J. Britt
13th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, San Diego, CA, August 1978
29. "Increasing the Efficiency of Coal-Fired Steam Electric Plants with Thermionic Topping,"
O.S. Merrill, Division of Advanced Systems and Material Production, Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., M. Gunn, Division of Power Systems, Department of Energy, Washington DC, F.N. Huffman, Thermo Electron Corp., and G.O. Fitzpatrick, Rasor Associates, Inc., Fifth Energy Technology Conference, Washington DC, February 1978
30. "Terrestrial Thermionic Power Generation at Rasor Associates,"
G.O. Fitzpatrick and E.J. Britt
IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science, May 1980
31. "Electric Utility and Cogeneration Systems Applications of Thermionic Energy Conversion,"
R.S. Dick, E.J. Britt and G.O. Fitzpatrick
IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science, May 1980
32. "Thermionic Converters for Increased Performance in Gas Turbine Power Plants,"
G.O. Fitzpatrick, E.J. Britt, R.S. Dick, R.F. Lohneiss, R.A. Sederquist and S.J. Lehman
16th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, August 1981
33. "High Temperature Thermionic Cogeneration,"
G.O. Fitzpatrick
International Gas Research Conference, Los Angeles, CA, 1981
Reactor Development
34. "Long Term Operations of Inpile and Out-of-Pile Converters,"
Yates, M.K., G.O. Fitzpatrick, J. Kay and D.E. Schwarzer
GA-9527, Thermionic Conversion Specialist Conference, Carmel, California, October 1969
35. "Long Term Operations of In-Pile Thermionic Converters and Fuel Elements,"
Yates, M.K., G.O. Fitzpatrick, and D.E. Schwarzer
Thermionic Conversion Specialist Conference, Miami Beach, Florida, October 1970
36. "Investigations of Cesium Discharges in Thermionic Fuel Elements,"
Fitzpatrick, G.O., M.K. Yates and J. Chin
Thermionic Conversion Specialist Conference, Miami Beach, Florida, October 1970
37. "In-Pile Thermionic Testing at Gulf General Atomic January 1969 - April 1970,"
Yates, M.K., D.E. Schwarzer and G.O. Fitzpatrick,
GACD-11000, February 1971
38. "Electric Discharges in Cesium in the Sheath Region of Thermionic Fuel Elements,"
Fitzpatrick, G.O., M.K. Yates and J. Chin
GACD-10316, April 1971
39. "Thermionic Fuel Element Development Program Status,"
Yates, M.K., J.W. Holland, D.T. Allen, G.O. Fitzpatrick, J.C. Grebetz and M.H. Horner
Thermionic Conversion Specialist Conference, San Diego, CA, October 1971
40. "Thermionic Fuel Element Testing at Gulf General Atomic,"
Yates, M.K., D.E. Schwarzer and G.O. Fitzpatrick,
Third International Conference on Thermionic Electrical Power Generation, Jülich, Federal Republic of Germany, June 1972
41. "Equipment and Techniques for the Utilization of Neutron Radiography with Thermionic Fuel Elements,"
Schwarzer, D.E., and G.O. Fitzpatrick
General Atomics, GULF-GA-A12521, March 1973
Electronic
42. "EM Response of Shielded Cables: Numerical and Experimental Results,"
H.S. Cabayan, G.O. Fitzpatrick, and M.L. Robinson
INTELCOM RAD TECH, INTEL-RT 0001-078, IEEE G-AP Conference, Georgia, August 1974
43. "Shielding Effectiveness Studies for Satellite Cables,"
G.O. Fitzpatrick
Hughes Aircraft Company under Contract 04-701114-LR9, INTELCOM RAD TECH, INTEL-RT-6045-005, February 1, 1974