Education:
1958 - B.S. Electrical Engineering, Syracuse University
1960 - M.S. Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1964 - Sc.D. Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

1960-1966, Department of Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Teaching Assistant, Instructor, Assistant Professor and Postdoctoral Fellow
Area of activity
Energy conversion, electromagnetic field theory, MHD, introductory and intermediate electric circuits, and introductory electronics. Research on MHD induction generators. Was the first to show that plasmas were incompatible with a practical MHD induction generator (1962)
1966-1975 Department of Energy Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago Circle,. Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, Associate Head, Assistant Professor
Area of activity
Eectrical energy conversion (electrical machinery) and direct energy conversion, thermodynamics and electromagnetics Research on MHD induction generators, and on linear induction motors for transportation systems, including the design, fabrication, and testing of a self-excited MHD induction generator using NaK. Carried out analytical studies in Berlin on MHD induction generator as part of a cooperative U.S.-German liquid-metal MHD program. Developed a new model for finite generator width that explained important experimental effects, and a comparison of several analytical models using experimental generator and data (as corrected for finite width). At Argonne National Lab carried out studies on possible MHD self-excitation effects in liquid-metal-cooled fast breeder reactors (LMFBRs), set the dimensions and basic design of the first 1000oF sodium-nitrogen MHD generator, and carried out two-phase conduction generator studies and code (model) development.
1975-1982 Argonne National Laboratory, Program Manager, Liquid-Metal MHD,.
Area of activity
Supervised all research and development work on liquid-metal MHD systems, including experimental and analytical studies on two-phase MHD generators, mixers, and separators. System and application studies, including central station and cogeneration plants, and coupling to solar, nuclear, and coal combustor heat sources.
1975-1982 Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Energy Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago Circle,
1982-present Purdue University Calumet, Head of Engineering Department, Full Professor, Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Environmental Programs,.
Area of activity
Electrical and mechanical engineering, computer engineering.

Patent:

• MHD Generating System, M. Petrick, E.S. Pierson, and F. Schreiner,

U.S. Patent No. 4, 200, 815, April 29, 198O

Main publications:

1. "A Magneto-hydrodynamic Power Converter," W. D. Jackson, E. S. Pierson, and D. A. East, Engineering Aspects of Magnetohydrodynamics, Columbia Univ. Press, 1962 (Proc. of the 2nd Symp. on Eng. Aspects of MHD, Philadelphia, PA, March 1961.
2. "Design Considerations for MHD Induction Generators," W. D. Jackson, E. S. Pierson, and R. P. Porter, Proc. of the Intnl. Symp. on MHD Elec. Power Generation, Paris, France, July 1964.
3. "Comparison of Some Excitation Schemes for a Jet MHD Induction Generator," I. R. Kirillov and E. S. Pierson, AIAA Journal, 9, pp. 570-77, April 1971.
4. "MHD Induction Machine with Internal Compensation for End Loss," Energy Conversion, 11, pp. 47-53, 1971.
5. "Liquid-Metal MHD for Central Stations," W. E. Amend, M. Petrick, and E. S. Pierson, Proc. of the American Power Conference, Chicago, May 1973.
6. "Electromagnetic Self-Excitation in the Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor," Nuclear Science & Engineering, 57, pp. 155-163, June 1975.
7. "Solar Powered Liquid-Metal MHD Power Systems," E. S. Pierson, H. Branover, G. Fabris, and C. B. Reed, ASME paper 79-WA/Sol-22, presented at the ASME Winter Annual Meeting, New York, December 1979; or Mechanical Engineering, 102, October 1980, pp. 32-37.
8. "Liquid-Metal MHD for Solar and Coal," E. S. Pierson, D. Cohen, S. J. Grammel, Proc. of the 7th Intnl. Conf. on MHD Elec. Power Generation, Boston, June 198O.
9. "Development of a Low Temperature Liquid-Metal MHD Small Scale Pilot Plant," H. Branover et al, Proc. of the 21st Symposium on Eng. Aspects of MHD., Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, June 1983.
10. "The Application of Liquid-Metal MHD to Renewable Energy Sources," G. F. Berry, M. Petrick, E. S. Pierson, and S. Sukoriansky, Proc. of the 25th Symposium on Eng. Aspects of MHD, Bethesda, MD, June 1987.
11. "Economic Analysis of Solar-Powered High-Temperature Liquid-Metal MHD Power Systems," E. S. Pierson and H. Herman, Argonne National Laboratory, January 1981.
12. "Liquid-Metal MHD for Space Power Systems," Special Conference on Prime Power for High-Energy Space Systems, Norfolk, VA, February 1982.
13. "Performance of Solar Thermal Systems with Liquid Metal MHD Conversion," E. S. Pierson et al, 4MHDSA-DOE-P/84/R1, HMJ Corporation, June 1984.
14. "OMACON Liquid-Metal MHD Natural-Gas-Fired Systems," E. S. Pierson and G. F. Berry, Proc. of the 24th Intersociety Energy Conversion Eng. Conf., Washington, D.C., August 1989.
15. "Performance Analysis of Seawater MHD Thruster Propulsion System in Test Loop," J.X. Bouillard et al, Proc. of the 28th Symposium on Eng. Aspects of MHD, Chicago, IL, June 1990.
16. "Engineering and Science Summer Program," Proc. of the American Power Conference, 54, Chicago, IL, April 1992.
17. "Transient Tests on an MHD Thruster," E. S. Pierson et al, presented at the Seventh Beer-Sheva International Seminar on MHD-Flows and Turbulence, Jerusalem, Israel, 1993.