Bio

EDUCATION:
1960 - B.S. Mechanical Engineering, M.I.T.
1966 - M.S. Aeronautics & Astronautics, Stanford
1970 - Ph.D. Aeronautics & Astronautics, Stanford

EXPERIENCE:
1960-1961 - Engine Design and Testing Engineer at Outboard Marine Corp.
1961-1967 – Engineer at Lockheed in the field of Aerospace Guidance and Control
1967-1968 – Engineer at Analytical Mechanics Associates
1968-1970 – Engineer, Systems Control, Inc. Parameter ID of aircraft models from flight data, automatic generation of approach paths for Air Traffic Control. Attended Stanford University specializing in control systems.
1971 – 1998 – Member of the Stanford Faculty in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department. His research has included spacecraft pointing, space tether dynamics and control, internal combustion engine control, the design of aerospace digital flight control systems, GPS-based attitude determination augmented with inertial sensors, and the use of GPS for air and land vehicle surveillance and navigation. He taught courses in aerospace control including radio and inertial navigation, optimization and digital implementations and is a coauthor of two of the leading control textbooks. He is also an author or coauthor on over 100 papers.
1998 – present – Emeritus faculty carrying out research in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford Univ. Recent focus of research is the use of GPS-based attitude determination augmented with inertial sensors, applications of the FAA’s WAAS for enhanced pilot displays, flight inspection of aircraft landing systems, and the use of WAAS and new displays to enable closer spacing of parallel runways.

SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS
AIAA (Fellow), ASME (Fellow), SAE, IEEE, ION

CONSULTANT TO: (over past several years)
Seagull Technology
Sequoia Instruments
Engine Control and Monitoring
Transparent Networks
Pratt and Whitney (Technical Advisory Committee)
Sensor Platforms

OTHER RECENT ACTIVITIES
Co-Founder, CEO, and Director of GyroSat Corp. 1999 – 2000
Director of Sequoia Instruments, 2001 – 2005
Aircraft owner and licensed instrument pilot
National Research Council Panel member for the review of NASA airspace activities, 2003
Board of Directors, Mechanics Bank, Richmond, CA., 2003 – 2015
Board of Directors, ExactBid, Inc. 2014-present.

Academic Appointments

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations

  • Committee member, International Committee on Airspace Standards and Calibration (ICASC) (1995 - Present)

Contact

  • Academic
    jdpowell@stanford.edu
    University - Emeritus faculty Department: Aeronautics and Astronautics Position: Emeritus Faculty, Acad Council
    • DURAND BLDG
    • Room 383
    • Stanford,  California  94305-4035 
    (650) 712-9017 (fax)

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 4035
  • Other Names:
    David Powell

All Publications

  • Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems Franklin, G. F., Powell, J. D., Emami-Naeini, A. Pearson. 2018
  • Design and Flight Test of a Cable Angle Feedback Flight Control System for the RASCAL JUH-60 Helicopter JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HELICOPTER SOCIETY Ivler, C. M., Powell, J. D., Tischler, M. B., Fletcher, J. W., Ott, C. 2014; 59 (4)

    View details for DOI 10.4050/JAHS.59.042008

    View details for Web of Science ID 000348432300009

  • Unaugmented GPS-Based Flight Inspection System IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON AEROSPACE AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS Kim, E., Walter, T., Powell, J. D. 2010; 46 (2): 717-724

    View details for DOI 10.1109/TAES.2010.5461646

    View details for Web of Science ID 000277499800016

  • Wide area augmentation system-based might inspection system JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT Kim, E., Walter, T., Powell, J. D. 2008; 45 (2): 614-621

    View details for DOI 10.2514/1.32531

    View details for Web of Science ID 000254761600029

  • Fault Detection and Elimination for Galileo-GPS Vertical Guidance 2007 National Technical Meeting of the Institute-of-Navigation Ene, A., Blanch, J., Powell, J. D. INST NAVIGATION. 2007: 1244–1254

    View details for Web of Science ID 000279780100129

  • A Reference Point-based Precise Relative Positioning Method Using a Single Frequency Receiver 2006 National Technical Meeting of the Institute-of-Navigation Kim, E., Walter, T., Powell, J. D. INST NAVIGATION. 2006: 283–292

    View details for Web of Science ID 000279767800025

  • Probability of midair collision during ultra closely spaced parallel approaches JOURNAL OF GUIDANCE CONTROL AND DYNAMICS Houck, S. W., Powell, J. D. 2003; 26 (5): 702-710

    View details for Web of Science ID 000185305200004

  • Observer-based air-fuel ratio control IEEE CONTROL SYSTEMS MAGAZINE Powell, J. D., Fekete, N. P., Chang, C. F. 1998; 18 (5): 72-83

    View details for Web of Science ID 000076345500006

  • Digital Control of Dynamic Systems Franklin, G. F., Powell, J. D., Workman, M. L. Elli-Kagle Press. 1998
  • On-line adaptive optimal combustor control IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY PADMANABHAN, K. T., Bowman, C. T., Powell, J. D. 1996; 4 (3): 217-229

    View details for Web of Science ID A1996UG99100002

  • Integration of wide area DGPS with local area kinematic DGPS IEEE 1996 Position Location and Navigation Symposium (PLANS 96) LAWRENCE, D., Evans, J., Chao, Y. C., Tsai, Y. J., Cohen, C., Walter, T., Enge, P., Powell, J. D., Parkinson, B. I E E E. 1996: 523–529

    View details for Web of Science ID A1996BF52A00077

  • Use of passive damping for a tethered artificial gravity spacecraft AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Conference Saeed, S. I., Powell, J. D. UNIVELT INC. 1996: 887–903

    View details for Web of Science ID A1996BF21S00057

  • The effect of GPS-based surveillance on aircraft separation standards IEEE 1996 Position Location and Navigation Symposium (PLANS 96) Gazit, R. Y., Powell, J. D. I E E E. 1996: 360–367

    View details for Web of Science ID A1996BF52A00054

  • Continuity improvements via inertial augmentation of GPS-based landing system IEEE 1996 Position Location and Navigation Symposium (PLANS 96) Ko, P. Y., Enge, P., Powell, J. D. I E E E. 1996: 153–160

    View details for Web of Science ID A1996BF52A00024

  • AIR-FUEL RATIO CONTROL IN SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES USING ESTIMATION THEORY IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY Chang, C. F., Fekete, N. P., Amstutz, A., Powell, J. D. 1995; 3 (1): 22-31

    View details for Web of Science ID A1995RA15100004

  • IDENTIFICATION AND AIR-FUEL RATIO CONTROL OF A SPARK-IGNITION ENGINE IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY Jones, V. K., AULT, B. A., Franklin, G. F., Powell, J. D. 1995; 3 (1): 14-21

    View details for Web of Science ID A1995RA15100003

  • Flight tests of a 3-D perspective-view glass-cockpit display for general aviation using GPS 8th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of the Institute-of-Navigation (ION GPS-95) Barrows, A., Enge, P., Parkinson, B., Powell, J. D. INST NAVIGATION. 1995: 1615–1622

    View details for Web of Science ID A1995BE72A00173

  • A bit of information on identification with a zirconia sensor 1995 American Control Conference Jones, V. K., Franklin, G. F., Powell, J. D. AMER AUTOMATIC CONTROL COUNCIL. 1995: 1657–1661

    View details for Web of Science ID A1995BD66H00351

  • Observed GPS signal continuity interruptions 8th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of the Institute-of-Navigation (ION GPS-95) COBB, H. S., LAWRENCE, D., Christie, J., Walter, T., Chao, Y. C., Powell, J. D., Parkinson, B. INST NAVIGATION. 1995: 793–795

    View details for Web of Science ID A1995BE72A00085

  • Maintaining GPS positioning in steep turns using two antennas 8th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of the Institute-of-Navigation (ION GPS-95) LAWRENCE, D., COBB, H. S., Cohen, C., Christie, J., Powell, J. D., Parkinson, B. INST NAVIGATION. 1995: 1451–1459

    View details for Web of Science ID A1995BE72A00155

  • Autolanding a 737 using GPS and integrity beacons AIAA/IEEE 14th Digital Avionics Systems Conference (14th DASC) Cohen, C. E., COBB, H. S., Lawrence, D. G., Pervan, B. S., Powell, J. D., Parkinson, B. W., Aubrey, G. J., Loewe, W., Ormiston, D., MCNALLY, B. D., Kaufmann, D. N., Wullschleger, V., Swider, R. I E E E. 1995: 474–482

    View details for Web of Science ID A1995BE61E00077

  • Precision landing tests with improved integrity beacon pseudolites 8th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of the Institute-of-Navigation (ION GPS-95) COBB, H. S., LAWRENCE, D., Pervan, B., Cohen, C., Powell, J. D., Parkinson, B. INST NAVIGATION. 1995: 827–833

    View details for Web of Science ID A1995BE72A00089

  • FLIGHT TRIALS OF THE WIDE AREA AUGMENTATION SYSTEM (WAAS) 7th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite-Division of the Institute-of-Navigation (ION GPS-94) Walter, T., Kee, C., Chao, Y. C., Tsai, Y. J., PELED, U., Ceva, J., Barrows, A., Abbot, E., Powell, J. D., Enge, P., Parkinson, B. INST NAVIGATION. 1994: 1537–1546

    View details for Web of Science ID A1994BC96F00169

  • TETHERED ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY SPACECRAFT DESIGN AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Conference KOWALSKY, C., Powell, J. D. UNIVELT INC. 1994: 645–664

    View details for Web of Science ID A1994BA73X00040

  • THRUSTERLESS VIBRATION CONTROL FOR TETHERED ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY SPACECRAFT AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Conference THORNBURG, S. L., Powell, J. D. UNIVELT INC. 1994: 839–857

    View details for Web of Science ID A1994BA73X00051

  • COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS FOR GPS-BASED SURVEILLANCE AND TCAS 7th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite-Division of the Institute-of-Navigation (ION GPS-94) Gazit, R., Powell, J. D. INST NAVIGATION. 1994: 923–932

    View details for Web of Science ID A1994BC96F00102

  • FLIGHT TEST RESULTS OF AUTOCOUPLED APPROACHES USING GPS AND INTEGRITY BEACONS 7th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite-Division of the Institute-of-Navigation (ION GPS-94) Cohen, C., LAWRENCE, D., Pervan, B., COBB, H. S., Barrows, A., Powell, J. D., Parkinson, B., Wullschleger, V., Kalinowski, S. INST NAVIGATION. 1994: 1145–1153

    View details for Web of Science ID A1994BC96F00127

  • AUTONOMOUS INTEGRITY MONITORING FOR GPS-BASED PRECISION LANDING USING GROUND-BASED INTEGRITY BEACON PSEUDOLITES 7th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite-Division of the Institute-of-Navigation (ION GPS-94) Pervan, B., Cohen, C., LAWRENCE, D., COBB, H. S., Powell, J. D., Parkinson, B. INST NAVIGATION. 1994: 609–618

    View details for Web of Science ID A1994BC96F00068

  • ENGINE CONTROL USING CYLINDER PRESSURE - PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE JOURNAL OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL-TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASME Powell, J. D. 1993; 115 (2B): 343-350

    View details for Web of Science ID A1993LH13200016

  • TETHER DAMPING IN SPACE JOURNAL OF GUIDANCE CONTROL AND DYNAMICS He, X. H., Powell, J. D. 1990; 13 (1): 104-112

    View details for Web of Science ID A1990CJ41000015

  • MULTIRATE DIGITAL-CONTROL SYSTEM-DESIGN IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON AUTOMATIC CONTROL Berg, M. C., Amit, N., Powell, J. D. 1988; 33 (12): 1139-1150

    View details for Web of Science ID A1988Q917800008

  • FUEL-AIR RATIO DETERMINATION FROM CYLINDER PRESSURE TIME HISTORIES JOURNAL OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL-TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASME Gilkey, J. C., Powell, J. D. 1985; 107 (4): 252-257

    View details for Web of Science ID A1985AWB1300007

  • COMPUTER-AIDED PROCEDURES FOR OPTIMIZATION OF ENGINE CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF VEHICLE DESIGN TENNANT, J. A., Cohen, A. I., Rao, H. S., Powell, J. D. 1983; 4 (3): 258-269

    View details for Web of Science ID A1983QV02300003

  • IMAGE MOTION COMPENSATION SYSTEM FOR THE SHUTTLE INFRARED TELESCOPE FACILITY AUTOMATICA LORELL, K. R., PARSONS, E. K., Powell, J. D. 1981; 17 (4): 555-562

    View details for Web of Science ID A1981MG31900001

  • SAMPLE RATE SELECTION FOR AIRCRAFT DIGITAL CONTROL AIAA JOURNAL Powell, J. D., Katz, P. 1975; 13 (8): 975-979

    View details for Web of Science ID A1975AY75800004

  • DESIGN METHOD FOR MINIMIZING SENSITIVITY TO PLANT PARAMETER VARIATIONS AIAA JOURNAL HADASS, Z., Powell, J. D. 1975; 13 (10): 1295-1303

    View details for Web of Science ID A1975BD53300011