Applied Physical Electronics L.C. has never been a company looking to expand beyond a point where we lose our company culture and values- so new hires are critical decisions made only when the time is right. That makes the addition of two new APELC personnel extremely note-worth and exciting!
Dr. Thomas Holt- Director of Pulsed Power
Dr. Thomas Holt came to work for APELC back in February and is actually a former employee from a decade ago. Following his Master’s degree from Texas Tech University (TTU), Thomas worked for the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington DC from 2003-2005. During this time he worked with the Mercury radiography source, operated several other pulsed power machines, and performed simulation in support of these efforts. He then returned to TTU to complete his PhD in electrical engineering, specializing in pulsed power. His dissertation detailed the design process of a multi-stage helical flux compression generator (HFCG) that could be used for driving higher-impedance (>1 Ohm) loads.
It was after his PhD that Dr. Holt initially came to work for APELC from 2008-2013. His responsibilities included project management, CAD design, electrical design, high-voltage design, simulation, supply chain management, project management, task delegation, data interpretation and evaluation, and proposal writing. During his first tenure with APELC, he contributed to the design of several technologies that have led to sales or been incorporated into products including Marx generator peaking circuits and quick disconnect high-voltage cable connectors.
In 2013 Thomas accepted a position working at Sandia National Laboratories (2013-2022). He began working at Sandia as a technical basis test engineer on the B61-12 life extension program and helped lead electromagnetic qualification activities for the B61-12. Qualification activities included quantifying the shielding effectiveness of the B61-12 and providing evidence that the weapon system functioned through electromagnetic environments during all stages of weapon life. Tests were designed for the following environments: continuous and pulsed electromagnetic radiation, high-altitude electromagnetic pulse, nearby lightning, and electrostatic discharge. His responsibilities required familiarity with electromagnetic susceptibility, MIL-STD-464, 461, 2169, IEEE STD 299, 299.1, and ISO 61000-4 series. His other responsibilities included requirements traceability, environment derivation, test plan preparation, unit under test design, data processing and evaluation, test facility coordination, safety case preparation, design agency coordination, and report preparation.
Following a 5-year stint as a tech basis test engineer, he then switched roles and served as the lead electrical engineer on several subsystems of the 2-MV electron-beam injector, a major part of the ASD Scorpius accelerator. He served as the lead for the technical maturation experiment demonstrating vacuum breakdown reliability. The primary objective was to ensure the selected vacuum breakdown design level would result in reliable operation of the SNL Injector. He also served as simulation lead for electrostatics design work. His additional responsibilities included acting as the electrical engineering lead on four major work packages: Cathode Stalk, Anode Stalk, Diode Chamber, and Impedance Matching Resistors.
Desiring a move back to Texas, Thomas rejoined the APELC team in early 2022. He is now the Director of Pulsed Power and lead Project Manager on all new pulsed power endeavors. With his keen eye for detail and incredible engineering expertise, Dr. Holt’s hire brings the potential for a whole new level of maturation in APELC’s pulsed power systems.
Jason A. Tuttle- Manufacturing Engineering Technologist
Our ISO 9001:2015 certification was APELC’s initial commitment to the maturation of our manufacturing and quality control process. In doing so, we began to realize the need to have an individual who could work with both engineering and fabrication departments (machinists and technicians) to help streamline our manufacturing process. The individual would need to have a suite of talents and experience that covered the realms of both engineering and manufacturing, along with the ability to help out with CAD work and some software development.
Jason Tuttle was hired Spring of 2022 and brings all of this experience and more to APELC. Mr. Tuttle holds an Associate’s Degree of Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University in Idaho. During his prior roles with Idaho National Laboratory, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Applied Materials, and Amazon Robotics, Jason honed his abilities in multiple CAD and software packages, as well as gaining experience in testing and manufacturing. APELC looks forward to working with Jason in efforts to increase the quality and reliability of APELC products, as well as reducing costs and lead-times for both company and customer.
