J. Michael Cutbirth
Orlando,FL
Summary
Dynamic engineering leader with extensive experience at Mainstream Engineering Corporation, bringing research program oversight, budget and schedule tracking, and customer interaction across technical projects. Proven track record in securing over $27 million in research funding while managing teams, projects, and proposal development. Skilled in experimental methods, test planning, and comprehensive reporting in high-stakes environments.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Mechanics Technology Group Lead
Mainstream Engineering Corporation
Rockledge, FL
01.2006 - 01.2018
- Oversaw research on robotic-arm additive manufacturing, custom test hardware, cyclone separators, and advanced diesel engines, and reverse engineered hard-to-source parts for the Defense Logistics Agency to enhance supply chain efficiency.
- Created group goals, increased revenue through authoring proposals for government and industry research targeting a current annual goal of $6 million, supervised engineers, and directed research programs that included budget and schedule generation/tracking along with customer interaction.
- Conducted routine maintenance on equipment to ensure optimal performance.
- Collaborated with team members to troubleshoot complex mechanical problems and diagnose and repair mechanical issues in various engineering systems.
Test Director
Mainstream Engineering Corporation
Rockledge, FL
01.2011
- Oversaw the Tricon Refrigerated Container System (TRCS) through First Article Testing (FAT) and the Improved Environmental Control Unit (IECU) through Product Qualification Testing (PQT).
- Developed System Requirements Specifications (SRS) for numerous programs including the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL-MD) thermal management system (TMS), Silent Enclosure Cooler (SEC), and the High-Capacity Mission Critical Enclosure (MCE) TMS.
- Participated in system design review (SDR), preliminary design review (PDR), and critical design review (CDR) to ensure design integrity and compliance with requirements.
- Developed test plans, fabricated test setups, organized test facilities and schedules, managed engineers and technicians, performed root cause analysis, and authored comprehensive test and failure analysis reports to document findings and guide future improvements.
Thermal Controls Technology Group Lead
Mainstream Engineering Corporation
Rockledge, FL
01.2007 - 01.2011
- Led research on high heat flux electronic cooling and aviation- and space-based thermal management, including refrigeration systems and two-phase and single-phase pumped loops.
- Established group goals and authored proposals for government and industry research, supervising engineers and managing research programs, including budget and schedule tracking and customer interactions.
- Led team meetings to discuss project updates and next steps.
- Coordinated workflow among team members for efficient task completion and trained new employees on company policies and procedures.
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
Mainstream Engineering Corporation
Rockledge, FL
01.2006
- Developed thermal management components including jet-impingement and cavitation-enhanced microchannel cold-plates for GaN-based MMIC arrays, refrigerant-cooled high-current conductor cables for electromagnetic railguns, and oscillating heat pipe thermal spreaders for infrared emitter arrays to improve thermal performance and reliability.
- Developed novel test hardware including multi-insult apparatus for accelerated corrosion testing across various conditions (elevated and ultra-low temperatures, solar, mechanical stress cycling) and polymer bonded composite self-heating systems, along with a smart initiator for high-speed test track events, enhancing testing capabilities for advanced small-arms ammunition.
- Authored or co-authored proposals for government and industry research and development through the Small Business Initiative Research program and Broad Agency Announcements resulting in 36 Phase I awards and 22 Phase II awards worth more than $27.2 million.
Operations Engineer
Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division
Memphis, TN
01.2000 - 01.2006
- Maintained Secret Clearance while pursuing Top-Secret Clearance.
- Served as Lead Test Engineer at William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel and managed testing operations, including supervising technicians, collecting critical test data, and generating comprehensive reports for applied research, surface ship and submarine propulsion, and high Reynolds number boundary conditions.
- Calibrated test equipment including load cells, pressure transducers, hot wire anemometers, and laser Doppler velocimeter to ensure accuracy and reliability in testing.
- Developed additional pressure measurement capability consisting of static pressure tap arrays, solenoid-controlled manifolds, and LabView-based data acquisition and served as laser safety officer and controlled classified and secret data handling processes to maintain compliance and safety standards.
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Texas
Austin, TX
01.1996 - 01.2000
- Modified low-speed wind tunnel for low turbulence flat plate boundary layer experiments to accommodate linear turbine vane array with varying turbulence intensity.
- Executed hydrodynamic and thermal experiments on film-cooled turbine vane to assess performance under varying conditions.
- Conducted diagnostics including 3-D velocity measurements using self-designed laser Doppler velocimeter, turbulence intensity and characteristic length scales using hot wire anemometry; visualized flow using smoke and particle-based surface tension effects; performed thermal analysis using temperature rakes and infrared thermography.
Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK
01.1994 - 01.1996
- Conducted thermal and hydrodynamic analysis of high heat flux heat exchanger for avionics cooling using poly-alpha-olefin (PAO) to enhance cooling efficiency.
- Facilitated discussion classes, provided office hours, and assessed homework/tests for undergraduate courses including Statics, Dynamics, and Introduction to Fluids to support student learning.
- Assisted faculty with research project planning and execution.
- Conducted literature reviews to support ongoing research initiatives.
- Facilitated classroom discussions and engaged students in learning activities.
Visiting Research Engineer
Air Force Office of Scientific Research
WPAPF, OH
01.1994
- Designed and fabricated mobile test facility for analyzing high heat flux heat exchanger.
Education
Ph.D. - Mechanical Engineering
University of Texas at Austin
01-2000
M.S. - Mechanical Engineering
Oklahoma State University
01-1996
B.S. - Mechanical Engineering
Oklahoma State University
01-1994
Skills
Personal Information
Title: TECHNOLOGY LEAD, SENIOR MECHANICAL ENGINEER, & TEST DIRECTOR
Publications
- The following is a list of peer reviewed publications covering research and development primarily prior to employment at Mainstream Engineering Corporation. During my current employment, I have authored or co-authored over 50 final reports submitted to the DoE, NSF, DLA, DTRA, NASA, and DoD of which several are archived with the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). Additional publications archived with DTIC or NASA include the following:
- 1. Park, J., Chesnakas, C., and Cutbirth, J., 2023, High Reynolds Number Turbulent Boundary Layer Measurements at the Large Cavitation Channel (LCC), DTIC NSWCDD-50-TR-2023.
- 2. Cutbirth, J., 2013, Non-Toxic, Non-Flammable, 80 C Phase Change Materials, NASA MSC-24460-1.
- 3. Cutbirth, J., 2012, Non-Toxic, Low-Freezing, Drop-In Replacement Heat Transfer Fluids, NASA MSC-24547-1.
- 4. Donnelly, M., Cutbirth, J., Rogers, E., Jessup, S., and Park, J., 2006, Hydrodynamic Performance of a Dual-slotted Circulation Control Wing of Low-aspect Ratio, DTIC NSWCDD-50-TR-2006.
- PEER REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
- 1. Haggerty, M., Emmons, M., Wagner, A., and J. Cutbirth, 2023, Cyclone Sub-Micron Particulate Separator, Proceedings of the 52nd International Conference on Environmental Systems, Calgary, Canada.
- 2. Markham, D., and Cutbirth, J., Performance of a Custom Asymmetric Screw Compressor, SAE Technical Paper 2016-01-1996, 2016.
- 3. Winkel, E., Cutbirth, J., Ceccio, S., Perlin, M., and D. Dowling, 2012, Turbulence Profiles from a Smooth Flat-Plate Turbulent Layer at High Reynolds Number, Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 40, pp. 140-149
- 4. Oweis, G., Winkel, E., Cutbirth, J., Ceccio, S., Perlin, M., and D. Dowling, 2010, The Mean Velocity Profile of a Smooth Flat-Plate Turbulent Boundary Layer at High Reynolds Number, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 665, pp. 357-381.
- 5. Winkel, E., Cutbirth, J., Perlin, M., Ceccio, S., and D. Dowling, 2006, High Reynolds Number Flat-Plate Turbulent Boundary Layer Measurements, Proceedings of 59th Annual American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics, Tampa, FL.
- 6. Etter, R., Cutbirth, J., Ceccio, S., Dowling, D., and M. Perlin, 2005, High Reynolds Number Experimentation in the US Navys William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel, Measurement Science and Technology, 16, pp. 1701-1709.
- 7. Park, J., Cutbirth, J., and W. Brewer, 2005, Experimental Methods for Hydrodynamic Characterization of a Very Large Water Channel, Journal of Fluids Engineering, 127, pp. 1-5.
- 8. Park, J., Cutbirth, J., and W. Brewer, 2003, Hydrodynamic Performance of the Large Cavitation Channel (LCC), Proceedings of the 4th ASME-JSME Joint Fluids Engineering Conference, Honolulu, HI
- 9. Cutbirth, J., and D. Bogard, 2003, Effects of Coolant Density Ratio on Film Cooling Performance on a Vane, ASME Paper GT-2003-38582.
- 10. Bourgoyne, D., Hamel, J., Judge, C., Ceccio S., Dowling, D., and J. Cutbirth, 2002, Hydrofoil Near Wake Structures and Dynamics at High Reynolds Number, Proceedings of 24th Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics, Fukuoka, Japan.
- 11. Cutbirth, J., and D. Bogard, 2002, Thermal Field and Flow Visualization within the Stagnation Region of a Film Cooled Turbine Vane, Journal of Turbomachinery, 124, pp. 200-206.
- 12. Cutbirth, J., and D. Bogard, 2002, Evaluation of Pressure Side Film Cooling with Flow and Thermal Field Measurements, Part I: Showerhead Effects, Journal of Turbomachinery, 124, pp. 670-677.
- 13. Cutbirth, J., and D. Bogard, 2002, Evaluation of Pressure Side Film Cooling with Flow and Thermal Field Measurements, Part II: Turbulence Effects, Journal of Turbomachinery, 124, pp. 678-685.
- 14. Polanka, M., Cutbirth, J., and Bogard, D., 2002, Three Component Velocity Field Measurements in the Stagnation Region of a Film Cooled Turbine Vane, Journal of Turbomachinery, 124, pp. 445-452.
- 15. Ethridge, M., Cutbirth, J., and Bogard, D., 2001, Scaling of Performance for Varying Density Ratio Coolants on an Airfoil with Strong Curvature and Pressure Gradient, Journal of Turbomachinery, 123, pp. 231-237.
- 16. Polanka, M., Ethridge, M., Cutbirth, J., and Bogard, D., 2000, Effects of Showerhead Injection on Film Cooling Effectiveness for a Downstream Row of Holes, Proceedings of the 1998 ASME Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, Munich, Germany.
- 17. Ethridge, M., Cutbirth, J., and Bogard, D., 2000, Effects of Showerhead Cooling on Turbine Vane Suction Side Film Cooling Effectiveness, Proceedings of the 2000 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Orlando, FL.
- 18. Yuki, U., Bogard, D., and Cutbirth, J., 1998, Effect of Coolant Injection on Heat Transfer for a Simulated Turbine Airfoil Leading Edge, Proceedings of the 1998 ASME International Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and Exhibition, Stockholm, Sweden.
- 19. Cutbirth, J. and A. Ghajar, 1996, Thermal and Hydraulic Analysis of a High Flux Heat Exchanger, Thermal Management of Commercial and Military Electronics, eds. R. Schmidt et al., ASME HTD-Vol. 329, pp. 187-196.
- 20. Cutbirth, J. and A. Ghajar, 1996, Methodology for the Analysis of a Novel Heat Exchanger, AIAA Paper No. 96-1908.
Timeline
Test Director
Mainstream Engineering Corporation
01.2011
Thermal Controls Technology Group Lead
Mainstream Engineering Corporation
01.2007 - 01.2011
Mechanics Technology Group Lead
Mainstream Engineering Corporation
01.2006 - 01.2018
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
Mainstream Engineering Corporation
01.2006
Operations Engineer
Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division
01.2000 - 01.2006
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Texas
01.1996 - 01.2000
Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant
Oklahoma State University
01.1994 - 01.1996
Visiting Research Engineer
Air Force Office of Scientific Research
01.1994
Ph.D. - Mechanical Engineering
University of Texas at Austin
M.S. - Mechanical Engineering
Oklahoma State University
B.S. - Mechanical Engineering
Oklahoma State University