Jason McMacken

Thermal-Fluid Analysis and Design for Engineering Applications

San Diego, California, United States

About

Experience

  • Heat Transfer Engineer at Solar Turbines
    Dec 2025 - Present · 7 mos

  • Fluid Systems Engineer at Blue Origin
    May 2023 - Dec 2025 · 2 yrs 8 mos

    • Responsible Engineer (RE) for propellant fuel system for New Glenn upper stage • Derivation and verification of system requirements and concept of operations for vehicle life cycle with DOORS Next Gen (DNG) • Flow design, sizing, and analysis for vehicle propellant fuel subsystem using Creo, Aft Fathom and Thermal Desktop • Lead engineer for two pathfinder test campaigns and system qualification testing for upper stage pressurization system using high temperature decomposed monopropellant, and high-pressure cryogenic-temperature helium • Fluid/heat transfer analysis & design of two different additively manufactured heat exchangers using first principles in MATLAB, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in ANSYS Fluent/Workbench, and Thermal Desktop SINDA/FLUINT • Ensuring all vehicle and ground systems are designed and built in accordance with Space System Command Manual 91-710 and NASA STD 6016 • R&D prototyping and flight hardware manufacturing/vehicle integration • Two-phase fluid and thermal analysis for water and ammonia using MATLAB & Python • Post-testing model verification and calibration for performance predictions • Three test article anomaly investigations and root cause analysis

  • Aerospace Engineer at Paragon Space Development Corporation
    Jan 2019 - Jan 2023 · 4 yrs 1 mo

    • Principal Investigator (PI) on Ph II NASA SBIR for collapsible cryogenic propellant tank • Fluid and thermal analysis for air revitalization system and flow distribution ducting for NASA Habitation and Logistics Outpost using first principals in MATLAB, and CFD in ANSYS Fluent • Created, traced, and verified software requirements in Jama, linking to design, tests, and defects to ensure complete V&V • Fluid and thermal analysis & design for NASA Human Landing System (Dynetics Team) using first principals, and CFD in ANSYS Fluent • Thermal analysis (FEA in ANSYS Workbench and Thermal Desktop SINDA/FLUINT) & design (SolidWorks) of high energy containment system for US Navy • Hardware design and ice growth modeling for lunar water harvesting using SolidWorks and FENSAP-ICE

  • Graduate Research Assistant at Colorado School of Mines
    Jan 2018 - Feb 2019 · 1 yr 2 mos

    • Design & fabrication of 1/40th scaled model of a longwall coal mine • Analysis and validation of scaling parameters and fluid physics using CFD in ANSYS Fluent • Management of 3 graduate/undergraduate students in completion of quarterly deadlines • Design and manufacture of mechanical mining equipment with additive manufacturing • Communicate quarterly results and progress to client via reports and presentations

  • Schatz Energy Research Center (2 yrs 3 mos)
    • Research Engineer
      Dec 2016 - Jul 2017 · 8 mos

      • Electrical and performance testing of solar powered lighting products including solar panels, batteries, lights, and integrated circuits • Responsible for maintaining ISO 17025 accredited test lab • Managed 3 full-time lab staff and interns • Designed and fabricated electrical testing equipment for implementation of IEC 62257-9-5 • Developed and updated QA testing methods for future editions of IEC 62257-9-5 • Provided technical guidance to 4 test labs outside the US • Maintained rigorous testing schedules and managed communications with manufacturers

    • Research Assistant
      May 2015 - Dec 2016 · 1 yr 8 mos