Ben Grimm Email & Phone Number

Devens, Massachusetts, United States

❖ Structural analysis functional manager for the SPARC Cryostat, Thermal Shield and current Feed systems + ARC Vacuum Vessel and Blanket Tank❖ Tailoring design criteria to the unique challenges faced by the nuclear fusion industry❖ Focused on building workflows and methods during the SPARC era that will enable rapid and robust development of ARC

Devens, Massachusetts, United States

❖ Structural analyst tasked with early concept development for the ARC Vacuum Vessel. Significant focus on requirements definition and parametric multi-physics FEA in a very amorphous and circular design space.❖ Secondary focus on the SPARC Cryostat which holds deep vacuum, must react immense seismic loads and contain provisions for meaningful motion under complex thermal gradients. Drove design changes related to the foundation interface, flexural decoupling, active/passive heating schemes, and neutron shielding.❖ Engineering mentor for a small but diverse group of analysts spread across multiple teams.

Greater Los Angeles, California, United States

❖ Focus split roughly 50/50 between dedicated Loads engineering work (see below) and managing a team tasked with hardware development support and prefight readiness for the Falcon and Dragon programs.❖ Primary point of contact for engineering changes impacting Falcon Loads related to performance improvements and operations, and modifications to both primary and secondary structure.❖ NRO Top Secret SCI security clearance (previously held DoD Secret).

Greater Los Angeles, California, United States

❖ Heavily involved in Coupled Loads Analysis (CLA) used to predict launch vehicle and payload structural responses during flight and ground operations. Results directly impact new hardware qualification, trajectory design and launch availability. Notable unclassified missions include Europa Clipper and Lunar Gateway (HALO-PPE).❖ Primary owner/maintainer of CLA models and configuration management for the Falcon family of launch vehicles.❖ Performed kinematic payload separation analysis for a variety of spacecraft and separation systems.❖ Drove multiple correlation studies for propulsion components modeled in Falcon Vibro-Acoustic Analysis (VAA).❖ Developed Fairing parachute deploy reconstruction methodology and techniques to assess pitch/yaw stability.

Greater Los Angeles, California, United States

[For consolidation purposes, this position captures internal promotions]❖ Cross-functional Vehicle Engineering analyst with responsibilities in the realms of Structural Analysis, Design Criteria/Reliability, Multi-Body Dynamics, Loads, Dynamic Environments and Certification (USAF, USSF, NASA).❖ Significant focus on end-to-end structural analysis of distributed plumbing systems including both frequency and time-domain dynamic analyses, derivation of quasistatic vehicle deformations and their impact, differential thermal strain analysis, stress spectra definitions and detailed strength, fatigue and fracture assessments.❖ Created LS-DYNA model and Monte Carlo of reentry parachute deployment for Falcon’s payload Fairing. Performed flight data validation and used analysis outputs to establish a survivable total load target, then drove a new parachute design, accompanying drop test program and reconfiguration of the flight sensor package.❖ Central developer of Falcon and Crew Dragon finite element models for CLA and VAA.❖ Developed standardized analysis and test methods for bonded secondary structures across SpaceX programs. Used genetic algorithms to downselect test parameters across a space containing millions of combinations.❖ Responsible engineer for the qualification of Falcon Stage 1 propellant feedlines and many bonded secondary structures, plus allowables campaigns for structural bonds and fluid systems components (e.g. formed flares).❖ Owner/developer of numerous analysis tools and APIs related to design-cycle plumbing and orbital weld sizing, bonded joints, plasticity correction, vehicle displacements, strain-life fatigue and FEM management.

Saint Louis, Mo

❖ Integrated product team member responsible for airframe structural integrity of various fighter jet aircraft.❖ Tasks included vendor and production nonconformance dispositions, F-15 new design/redesign analysis, T-45 and F-18 service life extension initiatives, F-15 full-scale fatigue test support, AV-8B aircraft battle damage assessments, F-15 retrofit programs (e.g. fly-by-wire upgrades) and USAF fleet support.❖ Lead analyst for the conversion of several substantial built-up sheet metal assemblies into complex monolithic machinings (over 3000 parts/fasteners consumed) as part of an F-15 internal R&D effort.

Columbus, Oh

❖ Member of a multidisciplinary team commissioned by the US Dept of Energy, NSF and Chrysler to develop a vehicle energy model and control algorithm used to optimize energy recovery within both conventional and hybrid vehicles.❖ Primary responsibilities included mathematical model development, calibration (via engine dyno, test vehicle) and optimization of coupled mechanical and thermal dynamic systems in the MATLAB/Simulink environment.❖ Thesis: "Modeling and Analysis of Crankshaft Energy Harvesting for Vehicle Fuel Economy Improvement."

Los Angeles, Ca

Columbus, Oh And Houston, Tx

❖ Designed and fabricated an apparatus to test effects of reduced gravity on the flammability of ISS materials.❖ Tested the experiment aboard NASA's Zero-G aircraft at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.

Seattle, Wa

Seattle, Wa

Wooster, Oh

Ms, Mechanical Engineering

Thesis: "Modeling and Analysis of Crankshaft Energy Harvesting for Vehicle Fuel Economy Improvement"

Bs, Mechanical Engineering

• Magna Cum Laude with Honors in Engineering • Minor in Economics