Curriculum Vitae of Marc T. Thompson, Ph.D.

(Note: for an up-to-date C.V., contact Dr. Thompson directly)

 

THOMPSON CONSULTING HOME PAGE  

 

Marc T. Thompson, Ph.D.

Thompson Consulting, Inc.

9 Jacob Gates Road

Harvard, Massachusetts 01451

Email: marctt@aol.com

Phone: 978-456-7722

Fax: 240-414-2655

Website: http://members.aol.com/marctt/index.htm

 

EDUCATION

 

University

Degree

Field

Date

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

S.B.

Electrical Eng.  

June, 1985

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

S.M.

Electrical Eng.

Sept., 1992

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Electrical Engineer

Electrical Eng.

Sept., 1994

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ph.D.

Electrical Eng.

May, 1997

 

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

 

Dr. Marc Thompson specializes in custom R/D, analysis, and failure investigations into multi-disciplinary electrical, magnetic, and electronic systems.

 

Dr. Thompson is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  At W.P.I., Dr. Thompson teaches 2 different graduate design courses. The first, “Analog Circuits and Intuition” develops intuitive and "back of the envelope" methods for analog circuit, power electronics, magnetic, thermal and system analysis. Dr. Thompson also teaches “Power Electronics,” focusing on intuitive methods for designing power electronics systems.  He also teaches seminars in analog, power quality, power electronics, electomechanics, electric motors, rotating machinery, and power distribution for high-tech companies.

 

He has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, teaching electric motors and magnetic design.

 

He was also Senior Managing Engineer at Exponent, an engineering consulting company, focusing on failure analysis of electronic components and systems.  Dr. Thompson has held several engineering positions with companies including Polaroid Corporation and video manufacturer For-A Corporation.

 

Dr. Thompson is author of a textbook entitled Intuitive Analog Circuit Design, published in 2006 by Elsevier Science/Newnes.  Another text entitled Power Quality in Electronic Systems, co-authored with Dr. Alexander Kusko, will be available from McGraw-Hill in early 2007.

 

Dr. Thompson has 7 U.S. patents and is a Firefighter with the Harvard, Massachusetts Fire Department.



PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

President, Thompson Consulting, Inc., 1995-present

Custom research and prototype development consulting firm specializing in advanced analog design, control systems, power electronics, switching power supplies, DC/DC converters, magnetic design, eddy-current brakes, magnetic suspensions and Maglev.  Failure investigations related to power systems, consumer electronics, and electronic equipment.  Some related design projects are:

·                    Development of a miniature, implantable, transcutaneous medical power supply using planar magnetics and variable airgap, including implantable lithium ion battery charger and motor driver

·                    Synchronous buck converter current source for driving semiconductor diode lasers for medical device application

·                    Control loop design for DC-AC inverter driven by photovoltaics

·                    Design of neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent-magnet eddy-current brakes for roller coaster and other braking application

·                    Design and analysis of permanent magnet Halbach arrays for magnetic levitation

·                    Design, analysis and finite-element analysis (FEA) of high frequency planar induction heating coils

·                    Design, analysis and FEA of microelectronic resonant actuator scanner (MEMS)

·                    Re-design of electromagnets for automated pick-and-place machines to reduce false picks

·                    Re-design for higher efficiency, noise reduction and cost reduction of multiple-output flyback switching power supplies

·                    Assessment of accuracy of magnetic sensing methods for robotic applications

·                    Contract monitoring consultant for U.S. Department of Transportation on electromagnetic aircraft launch (EMALS), Maglev and linear motor technologies

·                    Design of high-efficiency switching power supply for laser driving application

·                    Design of high-precision, low noise analog temperature control loop for optical switching application

·                    ESD audit and protection schemes for gallium arsenide semiconductor diode manufacturing facility

·                    Analysis and design of high-precision differential pressure sensor module

·                    Comparative study and analysis of electrodynamic (EDS) and electromagnetic (EMS) Maglev suspension technologies worldwide

·                    Analysis of magnetic catheter alignment system

·                    Design of 50 kVA inverter switch

·                    Mechanical and magnetic design for satellite levitated flywheel energy storage system

·                    Low-noise microphone amplifier design

·                    High frequency low noise oscillator design for driving amorphous magnetic fibers

·                    SBIR review panelist for National Science Foundation

·                    Assisted in design of low voltage power grid for electric power co-generation project

·                    Troubleshooting on thermal/overvoltage issues in high power medical pump device

·                    Design (analytical and finite element analysis) of magnetically-driven miniature compressor

·                    Failure analysis related to toy automobile motor driver overheating

·                    Risk analysis related to halogen light bulbs

·                    Study of "acoustic shriek" in portable telephone handset

·                    Study of failure phenomena in fluorescent electronic lamp ballasts

·                    Re-design of mass spectrometer high voltage RF power supply

·                    Design of battery-powered medium voltage power supply for piezoelectric application

·                    Design of low-noise current drivers for high power semiconductor diode lasers

·                    2003-2006: part-time consultant at Exponent, an engineering and scientific consulting firm.

 

Adjunct Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

1998-present

In charge of EE523, Power Electronics, a graduate subject covering power electronics, switching power supplies, rectifiers and inverters, power devices, high frequency DC/DC converters, thermal and magnetic design; and EE529, Analog Circuits and Intuition, a graduate subject covering intuitive methods in analog circuit design including CMOS and bipolar transistor amplifiers and transistor switching circuits, operational amplifier analysis, analog building blocks including current mirrors, bandgap voltage references, phase-locked loops, and mechanical and thermal circuit analogies.   Also in charge of graduate-level Electromechanics (covering magnetics, transformer design, electromechanical energy conversion, and motor/generator design) and graduate-level Power Distribution covering elements of industrial and residential power distribution systems.

 

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

 

Doctoral Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993-1997

·                    Research areas: Magnetic levitation using superconducting magnets (Maglev); Maglev control systems; electromechanical actuator design; induction heating; properties of ferrofluids; scaling laws for magnetic design. 

·                    Ph.D. thesis:  High Temperature Superconducting Magnetic Suspension for Maglev, supervised by Prof. Richard D. Thornton at the Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems.  Work includes mechanical and electrical design and analysis of a superconducting magnetic suspension with active magnetic secondary suspension for ride-quality control.  Designed and built active vertical control system.  Built 2-meter diameter, 1000 RPM composite test wheel and one degree-of-freedom air bearing for vertical Maglev dynamics studies.

 

Master's Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1990-1992

·                    M.S. Thesis: High Power Laser Diode Driver with Plural Feedback Loops, supervised by Prof. Martin Schlecht at the Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems.  1.2 Watt, 2 Ampere, 20 nanosecond laser driver based on power converter technology with microstrip laser cable.  Research funded by Polaroid Corporation, received patent based on system concept.

 

PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE

 

Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993-1997

Research Assistant in the Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems, focusing on magnetic design and Maglev.  Teaching Assistant for course number 6.101, Introductory Analog Systems Laboratory.  In 6.101 was responsible for generating homework assignments and solutions, supervising laboratory work, and giving bi-weekly lectures.

 

Senior Engineer, Polaroid Corporation, 1990-1993

Advanced Engineer, Polaroid Corporation, 1987-1990

Designed electronics systems including motor drivers, video frame stores, phase-locked loops, high-speed video amplifiers, and high-speed laser diode drivers.  Received several patents based on laser diode driver work.

 

R/D Engineer, For-A Corporation of America, 1985-1987

Designed professional broadcast video equipment including NTSC and PAL encoders and decoders and PAL frame stores.

 

LEGAL/EXPERT WITNESS WORK

 

Have done work on IP and product liability cases.  Have written expert witness reports, given depositions and testified at trial.  References are available on request.

 

PATENTS

 

[1]          B. Santarelli and M. Thompson, U.S. Patent #5,123,023, "Laser Driver with Plural Feedback Loops," issued June 16, 1992

[2]          M. Thompson, U.S. Patent #5,444,728, "Laser Driver Circuit," issued August 22, 1995

[3]          W. T. Plummer, M. Thompson, D. S. Goodman and P. P. Clark, U.S. Patent #6,061,372,  “Two-Level Semiconductor Laser Driver,” issued May 9, 2000

[4]          E. M. Pribonic and M. Thompson, U.S. Patent #6,523,650, "Permanent Magnet Eddy Brake with Flux-Steering Poles," issued February 25, 2003

[5]          E. M. Pribonic and M. Thompson, U.S. Patent # 6,533,083, "Eddy Current Braking Apparatus,” issued March 18, 2003

[6]          E. M. Pribonic and M. Thompson, U.S. Patent # 6,918,469, "Curvilinear Eddy Current Braking Apparatus,” issued July 19, 2005

[7]          M. Thompson, U.S. Patent # 7,076,304, “Transcutaneous Power Supply,”  issued July 11, 2006

 

INDUSTRY COURSES

 

·        “Seminar on Analog Circuit Design,” Polaroid Corporation, 1999

·        “Analog Circuits and Intuitive Design Methods,” Allegro Microsystems, 2004

·        “Power Electronics,” Allegro Microsystems, 2004

·        “Power Quality in Electronic Systems,” IEEE Boston, 2005 (with Alexander Kusko)

·        Electromechanics,” NSTAR, 2005

·        “Power Distribution,” NSTAR, 2006

·        “Electromechanical Basics,” Naval Air Engineering Station, Lakehurst N.J., June 2006

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Textbooks

Intuitive Analog Circuit Design, Newnes publishing, 2006. ISBN: 0750677864

Power Quality in Electronic Systems, (with Alexander Kusko), to be published in 2007 by McGraw-Hill

 

Refereed journals

[1]          Marc T. Thompson and Martin F. Schlecht,Laser Diode Driver Based on Power Converter Technology,” IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, vol. 12, no. 1, Jan. 1997, pp. 46-52

[2]          “Simple Models and Measurements of Magnetically-Induced Heating Effects in Ferromagnetic Fluids,” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 34, no. 5, September 1998

[3]          Marc T. Thompson, Richard D. Thornton and Anthony Kondoleon, “Scale Model Flux-Canceling EDS Maglev Suspension --- Part I: Design and Modeling,” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 35, no. 3, May 1999, pp. 1956-1963

[4]          Marc T. Thompson and Richard D. Thornton, “Scale Model Flux-Canceling EDS Maglev Suspension --- Part II: Test Results and Scaling Laws,” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 35, no. 3, May 1999, pp. 1964-1975

[5]          "Eddy Current Magnetic Levitation --- Models and Experiments," IEEE Potentials, vol. 19, no. 1, Feb./March 2000, pp. 40-44

[6]          "Electrodynamic Magnetic Suspension --- Models, Scaling Laws and Experimental Results," IEEE Transactions on Education, vol. 43, no. 3, August 2000, pp. 336-342

 

Technical articles

[1]   Designing Video Circuits, Part 1 of 3,” Electronic System Design Magazine, October, 1988, pp. 67-74

[2]    Designing Video Circuits, Part 2," Electronic System Design Magazine, November, 1988, pp. 75-79

[3]    Designing Video Circuits, Part 3," Electronic System Design Magazine, December, 1988, pp. 47-51

[4]    Design Linear Circuits Using OCTC Calculations,” Electronic Design (Special Analog Issue), June 24, 1993, pp. 41-47

[5]    SCTC Analysis Estimates Low-Frequency -3-dB Point,” Electronic Design, October 1, 1993, pp. 65-68

[6]    Network Tricks Aid in OCTC,” Electronic Design, December 16, 1993, pp. 67-70

[7]    Tips for Designing High-Gain Amplifiers,” Electronic Design, May 16, 1994, pp. 83-90

[8]   "Guesstimating Inductance of Wire Loops," Newsletter of the IEEE Power Electronics Society, Volume 11, Number 2, April 1999, pp. 3

[9]   "Sizing the MOSFET Gate Damping Resistor," Newsletter of the IEEE Power Electronics     Society, Volume 11, No. 4, October 1999, pp. 2

[10]           "Inductance Calculation Techniques --- Part I: Classical Methods," Power Control and Intelligent Motion, vol. 25, no. 12, December 1999, pp. 40-45

[11]           "Inductance Calculation Techniques --- Part II: Approximations and Handbook Methods," Power Control and Intelligent Motion, website http://www.pcim.com

 

Conference publications

[1]   Anthony Kondoleon, Donald Seltzer, Richard D. Thornton, and Marc T. Thompson, “Development of a Large Scale High Speed Wheel Test Facility,”  Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Magnetic Suspension Technology, NASA Conference Publication 3336, part 2, pp. 523-534, Dec. 13-15, 1995

[2]   Marc T. Thompson and Richard D. Thornton, “Modeling of HTSC-Based Iron Core Flux-Canceling Electrodynamic Suspension for Maglev,” Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Magnetic Suspension Technology, NASA Conference Publication, 1997

[3]   Marc T. Thompson and Anthony Kondoleon, “Test Results from a Large Scale, High Speed EDS Maglev Wheel Test Facility,” Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Magnetic Suspension Technology, NASA Conference Publication, 1997

[4]   Richard D. Thornton and Marc T. Thompson, “Magnetically Based Ride Quality Control for an Electrodynamic Maglev Suspension,” Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Magnetic Suspension Technology, NASA Conference Publication, 1997

[5]   "Inductance Calculation Techniques --- Tutorial on Approximations, Handbook Methods and Scaling Laws," Proceedings of PCIM 2000, August 3-5, 2000, Boston

[6]   "Permanent Magnet Electrodynamic Brakes --- Design Principles and Scaling Laws," Online Symposium on Electrical Engineering, www.techonline.com, July 2001

[7]   "Inductance Calculation Techniques --- Approximations and Handbook Methods," Online Symposium on Electrical Engineering, www.techonline.com, July 2001

 

Technical Presentations

[1]          "Archival Storage of Digital Television Images,” Electronic Imaging, Boston, November 1987

[2]          "Psychophysics and Future Television Technology," Electronic Imaging, Boston, October, 1988

[3]          “System Design via Intuitive Methods and Back-of-the-Envelope Calculations,” Worcester Polytechnic Institute, October 22, 1997

[4]          “Modeling and Control of HTSC Flux-Canceling Electrodynamic Maglev Suspension,” IEEE Control System Society, March 10, 1998

[5]          T. Clark, A. Kondoleon, M. Thompson and R. Thornton, "Shaftless, Magnetically Levitated Flywheel Energy Storage System,” Aerospace Flywheel Workshop, Albuquerque NM, October 7-8, 1998

[6]          "Issues in Low Speed Maglev,” United States Department of Transportation Seminar, Volpe Center, Cambridge MA, August 17, 1999

[7]          "EMALS Enabling Technologies Overview," United States Department of Transportation, September 13, 1999

[8]          “Magnetic Levitation and Control,” Boston University Student IEEE, October 3, 2002

[9]          "Maglev Comparative Study," Lockheed Martin, Inc., January 20, 2003

[10]      “Permanent Magnet Brakes --- An Application Where Eddy Currents are Useful,” IEEE Magnetics Society, Boston section, September 24, 2003

 

OTHER

 

·                    Manuscript reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Education

·                    Manuscript reviewer for IEEE Spectrum

·                    Manuscript reviewer for IEEE Power Electronics Letters

 

ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIP

 

·                    Member of Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)

·                    Member of IEEE Power Electronics Society

·                    Member of IEEE Magnetics Society

·                    Member of IEEE Education Society

·                    Firefighter, Harvard Massachusetts Fire Department

 

Links

Home Page 

Curriculum Vitae 

Consulting Projects

Maglev Research at MIT  

Teaching at WPI  

Links

 

Copyright ©1998-2006, Marc T. Thompson

http://members.aol.com/marctt/CV/cv1.htm