Ben Wolk Email & Phone Number

California, United States

San Jose, California, United States

*Lead simulation & analysis activities for Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD) programs for battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrids (PEV), and range-extended electric vehicles (REEV).*Responsible for setting DMD program efficiency improvement targets and ensuring measured results achieve those targets at steady-state and on drive cycles.*Lead the detailed quantification of motor and inverter losses, including JMAG FEA simulations of PWM-induced iron losses and AC copper losses.*Engage with all external customers to quantify the potential of DMD on their applications.*Develop system optimization schemes and quantify incremental impacts of technology and parameter changes to DMD performance.*Electric motor, inverter, vehicle, and battery data analysis for DMD programs

San Jose, California, United States

*System simulation lead for Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD) programs for battery electric vehicles (BEV)*Develop system optimization schemes and quantify incremental impacts of technology and parameter changes to DMD performance*Electric motor, inverter, and battery testing/data analysis for DMD programs*Develop and validate equivalent circuit models (ECMs) for tested batteries

San Jose, California, United States

*Model development and computational analysis for Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD) programs for battery electric vehicles (BEV)*Electric motor, inverter, and battery testing/data analysis for DMD programs*Engine model development and computational analysis for Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) programs, including DSF combined with electrification (eDSF), Diesel engines (dDSF/edDSF), and advanced combustion strategies such as Miller cycle (mDSF)

San Jose, California

*Developed and implemented DSF hybrid energy management strategy for optimal fuel economy, emissions, battery state of charge maintenance, and NVH acceptability in gasoline and diesel applications*Engine model development and computational analysis for Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) programs, including DSF combined with electrification (eDSF), advanced combustion strategies such as Miller cycle (mDSF), and Diesel engines (dDSF)

San Jose, Ca

*Identified previously unaccounted for physical phenomena impacting dynamic airflow in DSF using engine simulation and analysis*Engine model development and computational analysis for Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) programs, including DSF combined with electrification (eDSF) and advanced combustion strategies such as Miller cycle (mDSF)

Livermore, Ca

*Improved the understanding of how in-cylinder generated refromate impacts charge reactivity through both chemical and thermal effects, including how these effects vary with fuel type, using targeted detailed speciation measurements by gas chromatography and photoionization mass spectrometry.*Identified gas heating along streamer channels as the dominant mechanism leading to arc transition in multiple-pulse nanosecond discharges using pressure-rise calorimetry and optical diagnostics, including laser-induced fluorescence of atomic oxygen and filtered direct imaging.

Livermore, Ca

Assisted with metal engine experiments to maximize gasoline compression ignition engine efficiency.

Berkeley, Ca

*Developed a 254-species skeletal chemical mechanism for a novel certification gasoline surrogate, existing gasoline surrogate, and primary reference fuels that is used by numerous researchers performing simulations of gasoline internal combustion engine processes, including the University of Minnesota and General Motors R&D.

Berkeley, Ca

*Developed a 96-species reduced chemical mechanism for a 4-component gasoline surrogate that is used by numerous researchers performing simulations of gasoline internal combustion engine processes, including Argonne National Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and General Motors R&D.*Improved the understanding of how sequential auto-ignition in gasoline compression ignition engines depends on thermal and fuel concentration gradients, specifically through enhanced low-temperature heat release at higher pressures, using computational methods (CONVERGE CFD).*Identified an instability in microwave-enhanced ignition that leads to accelerated flame kernel development in laminar flames using high-speed schlieren imaging in a constant-volume vessel (documented in a well-cited Combustion & Flame paper). Identified flame anchoring effect for turbulent flames that reduced flame kernel quenching, helping to explain observations of extended air- and water-dilution tolerance in an ethanol-fueled CFR engine.

ME256: Combustion (Spring 2012, Spring 2013)

Berkeley, Ca

ME140: Combustion Processes (Fall 2011)

Berkeley, Ca

*Examined the effects of flue-gas re-circulation, swirl number and flow velocity on emissions and lean blow out using the low-swirl burner.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Mechanical Engineering

Master Of Science (M.S.), Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Mechanical Engineering, Highest Honors

Activities and Societies: UC Davis Club Baseball, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society