Lead Thermal Mechanical Engineer

Thermal/CFD Expert with 11+ years of experience in thermal-fluid analysis, simulation and validation for advanced energy and aerospace systems. Expertise in heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and conjugate heat transfer. ANÜ acceptable.

• Computational Fluid Dynamics6 J.
• Maschinenbauingenieur
• Projektleiter Maschinenbau
• Teamleiter
• Thermodynamik6 J.

Executive Summary

Thermal Systems Expert with 11+ years of experience delivering mission-critical cooling solutions for high-performance engineering pioneers (Lilium, Rimac, GE/Alstom). Specialist in the aerothermal integration of propulsion systems, EV battery thermal management, and "Hot Path" component design. Proven track record of bridging first-principles analytical modeling with high-fidelity CFD to drive hardware through to V&V and certification.

Core Expertise

• System-Level Strategy: Defining thermal requirements, cooling concepts, and trade-off studies for eVTOL and Hypercar powertrains.
• High-Fidelity Simulation: Expert-level 3D CFD, Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT), and Multiphase modeling (StarCCM+, ANSYS Fluent/CFX).
• Multi-Fidelity Coupling: Integration of 1D system models (MATLAB Simscape, OpenModelica) with 3D component analysis for transient mission profiles.
• Thermal Design for Additive manufacturing: Lead Inventor of patented 3D-printed cooling geometries for extreme environments (Gas Turbines).
• Testing & Validation: Scaling simulation models based on open-bench and system-level test data evaluation.
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Selected Project Highlights

eVTOL Propulsion & Aerothermal Integration (Lilium)
• The Challenge: Thermal management of high-power density electric motors and propulsion vectoring systems (PVS) within strict weight and aerodynamic constraints.
• The Solution: Led the thermal strategy, capturing requirements and performing 1D/3D CHT trade-offs for cooling concepts.
• Result: Delivered 3 Technical Design Specifications and several Engineering Notes supporting flight-test hardware validation and certification.
High-Performance EV Powertrain Development (Rimac Automobili)
• The Challenge: Cooling 1MW+ battery systems and power electronics for the Rimac Nevera and global Tier-1 OEMs.
• The Solution: Scaled and led a 10-person Thermal Team; performed thermo-electrical and thermo-mechanical coupling to ensure peak performance under track conditions.
• Result: Successful integration of advanced cooling and lubrication systems for Porsche, Hyundai, and Koenigsegg projects.
Patented Turbine Cooling Innovation (General Electric)
• The Challenge: Improving gas turbine efficiency while managing extreme thermal loads in the combustor.
• The Solution: Developed 3D-printed burner front plates using advanced CHT and aerodynamic modeling.
• Result: Lead Inventor of patented hardware that increased efficiency and decreased manufacturing costs/emissions.
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Technical Toolbox

• CFD/CHT: StarCCM+, ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, CFX, ICEM, Fluent Meshing.
• 1D Systems: MATLAB Simscape, Flowmaster, OpenModelica, Dymola.
• Thermal/Structural: ANSYS Workbench, SC03 (Thermal/Elastic problems).
• CAD/PLM: CATIA v5, Solidworks, SpaceClaim.
• Languages: English (Full Professional), Croatian (Native), German (A1/A2 - Progressing).
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Consultancy Model (DACH Region)

• Availability: 100% (Flexible Hybrid: 75% Remote / 25% Onsite).
• Logistics: Located in Zagreb; <1h flight to Munich/Stuttgart/Zurich for onsite integration, design reviews, and test support.

StarCCM+, Ansys FLUENT, OpenFOAM, ICEM, MATLAB, Simulink/Simscape, OpenModelica, Excel