David J Mitchell

Bio

Dr. Mitchell has been performing research and development of harsh environment materials, including ceramics, ceramic matrix composites, coatings, and advanced sensor and electronic materials for more than 20 years at companies such as GE Global Research, Boeing Research and Development, Siemens Energy, Pratt & Whitney and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He has been an industry leader, responsible for bringing high-risk, high-payoff technologies from incubation to full scale field testing and production in the aerospace, aero-engine and power generation industries. He has more than 50 issued US and international patents. Dr. Mitchell was a 2019 Strategic Hire at ORNL. He is in the Materials Processing Group of the Materials Science and Technology Division, where he is building new research laboratories, advanced manufacturing capability, and a research team to create the next generation of ultra-high temperature, harsh environment ceramic, composite and heterogeneous materials for use in aerospace, aero-engine, nuclear and advanced energy applications.

Areas of Expertise

• Effective leader, directing interdisciplinary, international, agile development teams
• Extensive knowledge of materials processing-microstructure-properties relationships
• Mentoring, training and educating university interns, junior colleagues and customers
• Designing and building new lean research and development laboratory facilities
• Developing new technologies and winning external government-funded programs
• Commercializing novel technologies, materials and processes
• Writing peer-reviewed reports for internal and government-funded development programs
• Internal and external communication, presentation and networking

Education

• Ph.D. University of Florida, MSE and ORNL High Temperature Materials Laboratory (HTML) Graduate Research Fellow
• B.S.   University of Florida, Materials Science and Engineering

Professional Experience

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Senior R&D Materials Scientist (2019 – Present)
• Pratt & Whitney, Senior Expert CMC Scientist (2018 – 2019)
• Siemens Energy, Fellow, Technical Expert, CMC Materials Team Lead (2005 – 2018)
• Boeing Research and Development, Principal Materials Scientist (2003 – 2005)
• GE Global Research, Principal Materials Scientist, Technology Team Lead (2000 – 2003)

Honors and Awards

• National Academy of Engineering, Frontiers of Engineering young scientist award
• Invited speaker for the University of Central Florida MSE Distinguished Seminar Series
• Distinguished Lecture for American Society for Materials, ASM Central Florida Chapter
• Recognized as Siemens Technical Expert in advanced materials, sensors and coatings
• Session Chair, US Advanced Ceramics Association conference on advanced sensors
• GE Power Systems Engineering Award for Outstanding Achievement – CMC Engine Test
• Six-Sigma Green Belt Certification – GE and Siemens
• High Temperature Materials Laboratory Graduate Research Fellowship, ORNL

Publications

• Kane KA, Pint BA, Mitchell D, Haynes JA. Oxidation of ultrahigh temperature ceramics: kinetics, mechanisms, and applications. Journal of the European Ceramic Society. 2021 May.
• Peng J, Jolly B, Mitchell DJ, Haynes JA, Shin D. Computational thermodynamic study of SiC chemical vapor deposition from MTS‐H2. Journal of the American Ceramic Society. 2021 Jul;104(7):3726-37.
• Mitchell D, Kulkarni A, Roesch E, Subramanian R, Burns A, Brogan J, Greenlaw R, Lostetter A, Schupbach M, Fraley J, Waits R. Development and F-Class Industrial Gas Turbine Engine Testing of Smart Components With Direct-Write Embedded Sensors and High Temperature Wireless Telemetry. In Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air 2008 Jan 1 (Vol. 43123, pp. 381-388).
• Mitchell DJ, Mecholsky Jr JJ, Adair JH. All-steel and Si3N4-steel hybrid rolling contact fatigue under contaminated conditions. Wear. 2000 Apr 1;239(2):176-88.
• Mitchell DJ, Mecholsky Jr JJ, Adair JH. Effects of Particulate Debris Morphology on the Rolling Wear Behavior of All‐Steel and Si3N4‐Steel Bearing Element Couples. In 23rd Annual Conference on Composites, Advanced Ceramics, Materials, and Structures: B: Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings 1999 Jan 1 (pp. 123-132).
• Mitchell DJ, Sabia R, Whitney ED, Adair JH. Characterizing the performance of advanced rolling element materials. In Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference on Composites, Advanced Ceramics, Materials, and Structures—B: Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings 1997 Jan 1 (Vol. 18, pp. 85-92).
• Sabia R, Mitchell DJ, Adair JH. Effects of Oil Degradation on Friction and Wear Properties of Silicon Nitride/Steel Sliding Couples. In Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference on Composites, Advanced Ceramics, Materials, and Structures—B: Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings 1997 Jan 1 (Vol. 18, pp. 361-368).

Patents

• WO2020068109  Modular cooling arrangement for cooling airfoil components in a gas turbine
• WO2020068114  Ring seal formed by ceramic-based rhomboid body for a gas turbine engine
• WO2020018090  Hybrid components having an intermediate ceramic fiber material
• WO2019112662  Wall structure with three dimensional interface between metal and CMC
• WO2018236510  CMC ring segment with assembled rails
• EP 3515649  Surface roughening of CMC and coated CMC
• EP 3321023  Surface roughening of CMC and coated CMC
• US 10,422,239 Seal assembly in a gas turbine engine
• US 10,208,612 Gas turbine sealing band arrangement having an underlap seal
• US 9,808,889  Gas turbine including sealing band and anti-rotation device
• US 9,350,319  Self-powered sensing and transmitting device and method of fabricating
• US 9,291,065  Gas turbine including bellyband seal anti-rotation device
• US 9,273,611  Method and apparatus for improved turbine bellyband rotor seal installation
• US 9,129,742  Gas turbine ultra-high temperature circuit coupling open core transformer
• US 9,071,888  Instrumented component for wireless telemetry
• US 8,952,674  Voltage regulator circuitry operable in a high temperature environment
• US 8,803,703  Electronic circuitry for high-temperature environments  
• US 8,797,179  Instrumented component for wireless telemetry  
• US 8,766,720  Hybrid load differential amplifier operable in a high temperature environment
• US 8,742,944  Apparatus and method of monitoring operating parameters of a gas turbine  
• US 8,717,095  Chopper circuitry operable in a high temperature environment
• US 8,662,746  Turbine component instrumented to provide thermal measurements  
• US 8,629,783  Wireless telemetry circuitry for measuring strain in high-temperature
• US 8,599,082  Bracket assembly for a wireless telemetry component  
• US 8,564,449  Open circuit wear sensor for use with a conductive wear counterface  
• US 8,527,241  Wireless telemetry system for a turbine engine  
• US 8,525,036  Wireless telemetry electronic circuit board for high temperature environments  
• US 8,519,866  Wireless telemetry for instrumented component  
• US 8,515,711  Diagnostic system and method for monitoring operating conditions of a turbine
• US 8,458,899  Method for manufacturing a circuit for high temperature high g-force 
• US 8,357,454  Segmented thermal barrier coating (Laser Engraving TBCs)
• US 8,223,036  Wireless telemetry circuitry for measuring strain in high-temperature
• US 8,220,990  Wireless telemetry electronic circuit package for high temperature
• US 8,151,623  Sensor for quantifying widening reduction wear on a surface  
• US 8,132,467  Apparatus and method for monitoring wear of components  
• US 8,092,080  Wireless telemetry circuit for measuring temperature in high temperature
• US 8,076,587  Printed circuit board for harsh environments  
• US 8,033,722  Thermocouple for gas turbine environments  
• US 8,023,269  Wireless telemetry electronic circuit board for high temperature environments  
• US 8,004,423  Instrumented component for use in an operating environment  
• US 7,969,323  Instrumented component for combustion turbine engine
• US 7,449,254  Environmental Barrier Coating with Physical Barrier Layer for Silicon Materials
• US 7,434,670  Support Apparatus and Method for Ceramic Matrix Composite Turbine Shroud
• US 7,326,468  Thermal/environmental barrier coating for silicon-comprising materials
• US 7,117,983  Support apparatus and method for ceramic matrix composite turbine shroud
• US 7,115,327  Thermal/environmental barrier coating with transition layer for silicon materials
• US 7,115,326  Thermal/environmental barrier coating with transition layer for silicon materials 
• US 7,044,709  Methods and apparatus for coupling ceramic composite turbine components
• US 7,005,200  Method for manufacturing and articles for high temperature use
• US 6,969,555  Aluminate coating for a silicon containing substrate
• US 6,866,897  Method for manufacturing and articles for high temperature use
• US 6,844,075  Environmental barrier coating
• US 6,740,364  Method of depositing a compositionally-graded coating system

Publications