Dr. J. Keith Nelson B.Sc.(Eng), Ph.D., C.Eng., FIET
Professor Emeritus
THE FIRST TEXT
ON NANODIELECTRICS
- Mailing Address:
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering Department
Troy, NY 12180-3590
- Telephone:
- (518) 374-3862 (Schenectady Office)
- Fax (by arrangement):
- (518) 276-6261
- Email:
- nelsoj@rpi.edu
- Courses previously taught in the Electric Power proram:
- EPOW-4030
- EPE Laboratory
- EPOW-4850
- Electric Power Engineering Design
- EPOW-6850
- Electric and Magnetic Fields in EPE
- EPOW-6900
- Seminar in EPE
Background
Dr. Nelson was the Philip Sporn Professor of Electric
Power Engineering at Rensselaer until 2009, having served as Head of the Department of Electric Power Engineering from 1987 to 2001. Previously he had been Manager of High
Field Technology Programs at the General Electric Corporate Research
and Development Center in Schenectady, NY, after serving as a faculty
member at the University of London in the UK. His early career and training
had been in the utility industry with Eastern Electricity in the UK. He holds degrees from the University of
London and is a Fellow both of the IEEE and
the IET.
Keith Nelson has been very active in the Institute
of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and is past President of
the
IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical
Insulation Society. He was elected as a Director of the IEEE in 2010. He has acted extensively
as an industrial consultant to numerous
organizations and is an evaluator for the Acceditation Board for
Engineering and Technology (ABET)..
Dr. Nelson has been the recipient of many awards from professional
organizations
such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology {formally the
IEE} (UK), the Institute of
Electrical and Electronic Engineers (US), the Edison Electric
Institute,
the Royal Society, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
In 2007, he was awarded the "Outstanding Professor Award" by the
Rensselaer Engineering School, and more recently (2017), The Maquis Lifetime Achievement Award.
A full Curriculum Vitae is available. A pictorial portrait may also be viewed to
depict his life and times.
Research Interests
The primary area of interest involves the physical phenomena of power
system
equipment. This embraces dielectric phenomena and high voltage
technology,
physical electronics, gas physics, and, more recently, the application
of superconductivity to power apparatus and the development of
nanodielectrics. As an experimentalist, Dr.
Nelson
is particularly interested in the development of computer-based
diagnostic
instrumentation for power plant (currently transformers and
generators).
Acoustic and optical methods; as well as artificial intelligence are
often
invoked in this arena. Computer numerical modeling of the physical
processes
involved is often an important element in this work. The involvement in
high-voltage and transient phenomena also includes a strong interest in
electrostatics. Interest has centered both on the understanding and
mitigation
of unwanted electrostatic effects (e.g. streaming electrification) and also on the utilization of
electrostatics
for such things as precipitators.
Research Specializations
- Streaming Electrification and ECT in liquids
- Generator Insulation Diagnostics
- Ultrasonic interrogation of insulating structures
- Artificial intelligence applied to partial discharge analysis
- Development and application of nanodielctrics
- Superconducting quench phenomena
- Distributed generation and islanding issues
- Large scale computer modeling in connection with these activities.
Since 2002, most of Professor Nelson's research activity has centered on the development of nanodielectrics as a new class of insulating materials. This activity is encapsulated in a new book entitled "Dielectric Polymer Nanocomposites" which was published by "Springer-Verlag" in early 2010.
Selected References
Dr. Nelson has over 250 technical papers, patents and book chapters
published.
A full reference list is available, but a few representative
examples over many years are given below:
- Nelson J.K., Salvage B. and Sharpley W.A., "Electric strength of
transformer
oil for large electrode areas", Proc. IEE, Vol 118, 1971, p 338.
- McGrath P.B., and Nelson J.K., "Optical studies of pre-breakdown
events
in liquid dielectrics", Proc IEE, Vol 124, 1977, p 183.
- Sabuni H. and Nelson J.K., "The electric strength of
co-polymers", J.
Mats.
Sci., Vol 12, 1977, p 2435.
- Nelson J.K. and Rakowski R.T., "Synchronous vacuum interruption",
Proc
IEE, Vol 126, 1979, p 182.
- Nelson J.K. and Hashad I.F.M., "Evidence for cavitation in
fluorocarbon
fluids subjected to alternating elctric fields", J. Phys. D., Vol 9,
1976,
p 203.
- Nelson J.K., "Additives for enhancing corona stabilization in
electronegative
gases", US Patent # 4410456, 1983
- Nelson J.K., "Breakdown strength of solids", Engineering
Dielectrics,
Vol
2A, Chapter 5, ASTM, 1983 (book)
- Salasoo L., Nelson J.K., and Schwabe R.J., "Simulation and
measurement
of corona for electrostatic pulse powered precipitators", J. Appl.
Phys.,
Vol 58, 1985, p 2949.
- Theodossiou G., Nelson J.K., Lee M.J. and Odell G.M., "The
influence of
elctrohydrodynamic motion of the breakdown of dielectric liquids", J.
Phys.
D., Vol 21, 1988, p 45.
- Nelson J.K. and Salasoo L., "Impact of pulse energization on
electrostatic
precipitator performance", Trans IEEE on Elect. Ins., Vol 22, 1987, p
657.
- Reckleff J.G., Nelson J.K., Musil R.J. and Wenger S.,
"Characterization
of fast rise-time transients when energizing large 13.2 kV motors",
Trans
IEEE on Pwr. Del., Vol PD-2, 1988, p 623.
- Nelson J.K. and Lee M.J., "Tandem chamber charge density
monitor",
Trans.
IEEE on Elect. Ins., Vol EI-25, 1990, p 399.
- Kim Y.J. and Nelson J.K., "Assessment of deterioration in
epoxy/mica
machine
insulation", Trans. IEEE on Elect. Ins., Vol EI-27, 1992, p 1026.
- Nelson J.K., "Dielectric fluids in motion", Electrical
Insulation,
IEEE,
Vol 10, 1994, p 16.
- Lee Y-S., Nelson J.K., Scarton H.A., Teng D. and Azizi-Ghannad
S., "An
acoustic diagnostic technique for use with electric machine
insulation",
Trans. IEEE on Diel. & Elect. Ins., Vol DEI-1, 1994, p 1994.
- Brubaker M.A. and Nelson J.K., "A parametric study of streaming
electrification in
a full-scale core-form transformer winding using a network-based
model",
IEEE Trans, Vol. PWD-15, 2000, pp 1188-92.
- Nelson J.K. and Hu Y., “Nanocomposite dielectrics - properties
and
implications”, J. Phys. D (Appl. Phys.), Vol 38, 2005 pp 213-222.
- Roy M., Nelson J.K., MacCrone R.K., Schadler L.S., Reed C.W.,
Keefe R.
and Zenger W., “Polymer nanocomposite dielectrics – the role of the
interface”, Trans. IEEE, Vol. DEI-12, 2005, pp 629-43 and p 1273.
- Schadler L.S., Nelson J.K., Calebrese C., Travelpiece A., and Schweickart D., "High temperature breakdown strength and voltage endurance characterization of nanofilled polyamideimide", Trans. IEEE, Vol. DEI-19, 2012, pp 2090-2101
- Wang Z., Nelson J.K., Schadler L.S., Hillborg H., and Zhao S., "Graphene oxide filled nanocomposite with novel electrical and dielectric properties" , Advanced Materials, Vol. 24, 2012, pp 3134-3137
- Virtanen S., Krentz T. M., Nelson J.K., Schadler L.S., Bell M., Benicewicz B., Hilborg H., and Zhoub S., "Dielectric Breakdown Strength of Epoxy Bimodal-Polymer-Brush-Grafted Core Functionalized Silica Nanocomposite", Trans. IEEE, Vol. DEI-21(2), 2014, pp 563-570
- Schadler L.S. and Nelson J.K. "Polymer Nanodielectrics - Short History and Future Perspective", J. App Phys., Vol. 128, Issue 12, 2020
Some Relevant WWW Sites
The following WWW linkages may provide additional useful information:
Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering Homepage | School
of Engineering | RPInfo
Last Modified: October, 2023
nelsoj@rpi.edu