Penn State College of Engineering
Sven G. Bilén, Ph.D., P.E.
Head, SEDTAPP
Professor of Engineering Design,
Electrical Engineering, and
Aerospace Engineering
The Pennsylvania State University
 personal photo
Mailing
Address		 213 Hammond Bldg.
University Park, PA 16802
Office SEDTAPP: 213 Hammond Bldg.
E E:            313 E E East Bldg.
Phone SEDTAPP: +1 814 863-1526
E E:             +1 814 863-8684
Fax SEDTAPP: +1 814 863-7229
E E:             +1 814 865-8457
E-Mail sbilen@psu.edu
 

Also: Chief Technologist, Center for Space Research Programs (CSRP)
Director, Space Systems Engineering Certificate (SPSYS)

Research Interests | Education | Publications | Educational Affiliations | Research Affiliations | Professional Affiliations | Awards | Courses | Miscellany

Research Interests and Projects

  • Spacecraft-Plasma Interactions
  • Electrodynamic Tethers
    • Energy Harvesting for Aerospace Platforms
    • ProSEDS mission (canceled)
    • Momentum Exchange/Electrodynamic Reboost (MXER) mission
  • Plasma Probes and Measurement Techniques
  • Spacecraft Systems
  • Software-Defined Radio
  • Distributed Wireless Sensor Networks
  • Innovation in Engineering Design
  • Systems Engineering

Education

Ph.D., Electrical Engineering
1998, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

M.S.E., Electrical Engineering
1993, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

B.S., Electrical Engineering with honors in Electrical Engineering
1991, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

Recent Publications

Note, this is not a complete listing.  If you do not have access to these publications, please contact me for a reprint.

Bilén, Sven G., C. Russell Philbrick, Timothy F. Wheeler, John D. Mathews, Robert G. Melton, and David B. Spencer, “An overview of space science and engineering education at Penn State,” IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, vol. 21, no. 7, pp. S-23–S-27, 2006. Available here.

Éric Choinière, Sven G. Bilén, Brian E. Gilchrist, Keith R. Fuhrhop, and Alec D. Gallimore, “Experimental investigation of electron collection to solid and slotted tape probes in a high-speed flowing plasma,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 1310–1323, 2005. Available here.

Bilén, Sven G., Elizabeth C. Kisenwether, Sarah Rzasa, and John Wise, “Developing Students’ Entrepreneurial Skills and Mindset,” J. Engineering Education, vol. 94, no. 2, pp. 233–243, 2005.  Available here.

Bilén, Sven G., Richard F. Devon, Mark R. Henderson, and Hien Nguyen, “Global approaches to teaching global design: stakeholders, programmes, assessments,” World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 29–34, 2004.

Devon, R., S. G. Bilén, A. de Pennington, A. McKay, P. Serrafero, and J. Sanchez Sierra, “Integrated design: What knowledge is of most worth in engineering design education?” International Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 424–432, 2004.  Available here.

Gilchrist, Brian E., Sven G. Bilén, Éric Choinière, Alec D. Gallimore, and Timothy Smith, “Analysis of chamber simulations of long collecting probes in high-speed, dense plasma,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 2023–2034, October 2002.  Available here.

Bilén, Sven G., Matthew T. Domonkos, and Alec D. Gallimore, “Simulating ionospheric plasma with a hollow cathode in a large vacuum chamber,” Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 617–621, July–August 2001.  Available here.

Bilén, Sven G., and Brian E. Gilchrist, “Transient plasma sheath model for thin conductors excited by negative high voltages with application to electrodynamic tethers,” IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, vol. 26, no. 6, pp. 2058–2074, 2000.  Available here.

Domonkos, Matthew T., Alec D. Gallimore, and Sven G. Bilén, “A Hall probe diagnostic for low density plasma measurements,” Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 69, no. 6, pp. 2546–2549, 1998.  Available here.

Gilchrist, B. E., C. Bonifazi, S. G. Bilén, W. J. Raitt, W. J. Burke, N. H. Stone, and J. P. Lebreton, “Enhanced electrodynamic tether currents due to electron emission from a neutral gas discharge: Results from the TSS-1R mission,” Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 437-440, 1998.  Available here.

Bilén, Sven G., Victor M. Agüero, Brian E. Gilchrist, and W. John Raitt, “Transient potential modification of large spacecraft due to electron emissions,” Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 655-661, 1997.  Available here.

Conference Publications

Sven G. Bilén and Richard F. Devon, “Innovative engineering design education,” 15th International Conference on Engineering Design, Melbourne, Australia, 14–18 August 2005.

Richard F. Devon, Sven G. Bilén, and Javier Sánchez Sierra, and Peter Olfs, “Teaching global engineering design,” 15th International Conference on Engineering Design, Melbourne, Australia, 14–18 August 2005.

S. G. Bilén, C.J. Valentino, M. M. Micci, and D. E. Clemens, “Numerical Electromagnetic Modeling of a Low-Power Microwave Electrothermal Thruster,” AIAA–2005–3699, 41st AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Tucson, AZ, 10–13 July 2005.  Download here.

Devon, Richard, Sven Bilén, Andras Gordon, and Hien Nguyen, “Informal graphics for conceptual design,” 2005 ASEE Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon, 13–15 June 2005.

Cipollo, P., B. S. Surrusco, and S. G. Bilén, “An electrically actuated pin-puller for space application using nickel–titanium memory alloy,” 18th Annual AIAA/Utah State University Conference on Small Satellites, 9–12 August 2004. (Authors supervised by candidate)

Bilén, Sven G., Charles L. Croskey, Robert Melton, David Spencer, Deborah Levin, and Michael M. Micci, “Students designing and building satellites: Penn State’s LionSat and the University Nanosat Program,” 2005 ASEE Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon, 13–15 June 2005.

Kern, Olivier and Sven G. Bilén, “Model of current collection to small breaches in electrodynamic tether insulation,” AIAA–2003–4947, 39th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Huntsville, AL, 20–23 July 2003.  Download here.

Choinière, É., B.E. Gilchrist, and S.G. Bilén, and K. Fuhrhop, “Measurement of cross-section geometry effects on electron collection to long probes in mesosonic flowing plasmas,” AIAA–2003–4950, 39th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Huntsville, AL, 20–23 July 2003.  Download here.

Fuhrhop, K., B.E. Gilchrist, S.G. Bilén, and N.R. Voronka, “System Analysis of the Expected Electrodynamic Tether Performance for the ProSEDS Mission,” AIAA–2003–5096, 39th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Huntsville, AL, 20–23 July 2003.  Download here.

Devon, R., S. G. Bilén, A. de Pennington, A. McKay, P. Serrafero, and J. Sanchez Sierra, “Integrated design: What knowledge is of most worth in engineering design education?”  Designing Engineering Education: Mudd Design Workshop IV, Harvey Mudd College, Los Angeles, 9–12 July 2003. Download here.

Educational Affiliations and Projects

Research Affiliations

Professional Affiliations

Awards

  • Lawrence J. Perez Memorial Student Advocate Award, 2008
  • Penn State Engineering Society Outstanding Advising Award, 2003
  • Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Excellence in Teaching, Electrical Engineering Department, 2002

Courses Teaching or Taught

In the News

Miscellany

Have trouble pronouncing my name, try this.

Bilén's Law of Conservation of Operable Systems

"Utan bilen stannar Sverige" <-- How cool is that?!

ElectroDynamic Applications, Inc.

Buzby Networks, LLC

Other companies I work or have worked with: Star-H Corporation, KCF Technologies, Tethers Unlimited (TUI)

More to come...

Last revised: October 15, 2011.

 Page maintained by: sbilen@psu.edu