Professional Interests

I am primarily interested in methods of multi-physics numerical analysis and high performance computing, and in developing programs in those areas. I most often use CFD and FEA methods to analyze complex physical behavior. I have a long standing interest in wind power technology and have examined the entire wind power process from weather generated winds to machine performance. I spend considerable time working with external partners (industry, government, academia) to create strong collaborations for tech transfer from the Lab and also to form better teams as needed for challenging problems.

www.linkedin.com/in/womiller

Appointments

2014-present:    HPC Business development manager  (LLNL-Director’s Office)

2010-present:    Associate Program Leader for Wind & Solar Power (LLNL-Global Security)

2005-present:    Group Leader, Thermal Fluids (LLNL-Engineering)

1996-present:    Engineering Analyst (LLNL-Engineering)

1994-1996:        Wind Turbine Aeromechanical Engineer (Kenetech Windpower)

1990-1994:        Aerospace Engineer (NASA Ames)

1986-1990:        NASA Graduate Student Research Fellow (NASA Ames & Duke University)

1986-1990:        Research Associate in Rotor Aerodynamics (Duke University)

Professional Preparation

UCLA                                   Technical Management Program (2006)

LLNL                                    Engineering Emerging Leadership Program (2005)

LLNL                                    Project Management in the R&D Environment (2001)

National Research Council     NASA Ames Research Associate (1992-1994)

Patents

7064337   Radiation Detection System for Portable Gamma Ray Spectroscopy

Professional Memberships

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Duke University, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering (1990)

Duke University, M.S., Mechanical Engineering (1986)

University of Idaho, B.S., Mechanical Engineering (1984)

Refereed Publications

Bulaevskaya, V, Wharton, S., Miller, W.O., & Qualley, G., “Power Curve Modeling in Complex Terrain Using Statistical Models,” J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 7, 013103 (2015).

Gundling, C., Sitaraman, J., Roget, B., Gopalan, H., Miller, W. O., Mirocha, J., “Application and validation of incrementally complex models for wind turbine aerodynamics, Part 2: Effects of turbulent inflow on an isolated wind turbine including a method for mesoscale-microscale model coupling,” Wind Energy (in press).

Gopalan, H., Gundling, C., Brown, K., Roget, B., Sitaraman, J., Mirocha, J., Miller, W. O., “A Coupled Mesoscale-Microscale Framework for Wind Resource Estimation and Farm Aerodynamics,” Journal of Wind Engineering & Industrial Aerodynamics (in press).

Kim, S., Lorente, S., Bejan, A., Miller, W., Morse, J., “The emergence of vascular design in three dimensions,” J. Appl. Physics, Vol. 103 (12), June 2008.

Goldsten, J.O., Rhodes, E.A., Boynton, W.V., Feldman, W.C., Lawrence, D.J., Trombka, J.I., Smith, D.M., Evans, L.G., White, J., Madden, N.W., Berg, P.C., Murphy, G.A., Gurnee, R.S., Strohbehn, K., Williams, B.D., Schaefer, E.D., Monaco, C.A.; Cork, C.P., Eckels, D., Miller, W.O., Burks, M.T., Hagler, L.B., DeTeresa, S.J., Witte, M.C., “The MESSENGER gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer,” Space Sci. Rev., Vol 131(1-4), 339-391, Aug 2007.

Miller, W. O. and Bliss, D. B., "Direct periodic solutions of rotor free wake calculations," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 38 (2), April, 1993.

Bliss, D. B. and Miller, W. O., "Efficient free wake calculations using analytical/numerical matching," Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 38 (2), April, 1993.

Miller, W. O., "Analytical/numerical matching and periodic inversion: two advances in free wake analysis," Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, December, 1990.

Miller, W. O., “Mesh generation on curved surfaces using a dynamic node placement technique,” M.S. thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, December, 1986.

Invited Talks

Miller, W. O., “The Future of Renewable Energy,” California Renewable Energy and Storage Technology Conference, Cal State Northridge, May 2013

Miller, W. O., "Enabling constructal theory as a predictive tool for global security challenges," Constructal human dynamics, security and sustainability – NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Evora, Portugal, 2008.

Book Chapters

Miller, W. O., "Developing constructal theory as a tool for global security and sustainability," Constructal Human Dynamics, Security and Sustainability, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series E: Human and Societal Dynamics, Vol. 50, pp. 49-60,  IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2008.

Conference Proceedings & Presentations

H. Gopalan, D. Chandar, C. Gundling, J. Sitaraman, W. Henshaw, J. Mirocha, S. Wharton, W. Miller, J. Newman, P. Klein, “Evaluation of the Effect of Realistic and Synthetic Inflow on the Power and Loading Pattern of Wind Turbines,” AIAA SciTech 2014 (accepted).

W. O. Miller, “Mesoscale to Turbine: Aspects and Techniques of Multi-scale Wind Resource Modeling, International Conference on Future Technologies for Wind Energy,” Laramie WY, Oct 2013.

W. O. Miller, “Dynamic Power Curves and the LLNL Wind Power Program,” EWEA Power Curve Working Group, Brande Denmark, May 2013.

Bulaevskaya, V., Wharton, S., Simpson, M., Lucas, D., Miller, W. O., “Statistical Analysis and Modeling for Wind Power Forecasting,” Statistical Society of Canada Annual Meeting, May, 2013

Burks, M., Cork C., Eckels, D., Hull, E., Madden, N.W., Miller, W. O., Goldsten, J., Rhodes, Williams, B., “Thermal design and performance of the gamma-ray spectrometer for the MESSENGER spacecraft,” 2004 IEEE NSS/MIC/SNPS and RTSD, Rome, Oct 2004.

Miller, W.O., Darnell, I.M., Burke, M.W., Robbins, C.L., “Defining the envelope for sonic IR: detection limits and damage limits,” Themosense XXV, SPIE Vol. 5073, pp. 406-416, Orlando, FL, 2003.

Miller, W.O., Philips, N.R., Burke, M.W., Robbins, C.L., “Quantifying flaw characteristics from IR NDE data,” Themosense XXV, SPIE Vol. 5073, pp. 417-425, Orlando, FL, 2003.

Miller, W.O., “An evaluation of sonic IR for NDE at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,” Themosense XXIII, SPIE Vol. 4360, pp. 534-545, Orlando, FL, 2001.

Miller, W. O., "A parallel Poisson solver using an integro-differential approach For subdomain decoupling," AIAA 93-3308, Proceedings of the AIAA 11th Computational Fluid Dynamics Conference, Orlando, FL, July, 1993.

Miller, W. O., "A fast adaptive resolution method for efficient free wake calculations," Proceedings of the 49th Annual Forum of the American Helicopter Society, St. Louis, MO, May, 1993.

Bliss, D. B. and Miller, W. O., "Vortex filament calculations by analytical/numerical matching with comparison to other methods," AIAA 89-1962, Presented at the AIAA 9th Computational Fluid Dynamics Conference, Buffalo, NY, June, 1989.

2011       DOE: Secretary of Energy Achievement Award (BP Oil Spill Response Team)

2010       LLNL: Director’s Institutional Award (BP Oil Spill Response Team)

2005       LLNL: Directorate Recognition Award (Technical Excellence)

2003       LLNL: Directorate Recognition Award (RadScout Radiation Detector Design Team)

2002       LLNL: Directorate Recognition Award (Technical Excellence)