Dr. David Hagen

David L. Hagen, PhD, is Chief Scientist with VAST Power Systems. He invented VAST’s breakthrough progressive and scalable combustors for gas turbines. He proposed the transformative Platform Technology combining Argonne National Lab’s reactive CFD modeling with Lawrence Livermore National Lab’s neural network data reduction. Two DOE HPC4Mfg modeling grants quantified that VAST’s ultraclean scalable combustion achieves emissions below California’s stringent 2 ppmvd NOx and CO limits, without catalysts. VAST power systems using this scalable combustor will likely qualify for Best Available Combustion Technology (BACT) etc., ensuring commercial priority in EPA non-attainment regions.

He was awarded 23 US patents, with 17 issued to VAST, and more pending. These are highly rated with over 1,500 forward citations to the 17 VAST patents.

With a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering Design, and a master’s degree in Physical Chemistry, from the University of Minnesota, on top of a Bachelor’s in Physics and Chemistry, David has extensive research training. He has applied that to a variety of energy areas from methanol fuel to flywheel energy storage, solar thermal power to biomass gasification, alluvial mining to coconut processing, and from ultra-precision instrumentation to software and patents. David’s broad spectrum of consulting includes cross-cultural projects from Mozambique to Papua New Guinea dealing with natural resources and power. website.vastpowersystems.com

• Extensive research and development on wet combustion, power systems, hydrocarbon recovery, etc., filing 27 patents.
• Broad experience in solar power, energy storage, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, and sustainable energy.
• Thoroughly reviewed methanol as a sustainable fuel.
• Wrote a detailed 330-page review of solar energy to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gases.
• Worked extensively on coconut food processing and energy use to increase tropical smallholder revenues by > 500%.
• Lived 21 years in Australia and India; speaks Nepali.
• American Society of Mechanical Engineering, Life Member
• Maquis Who’s Who Honored Listee 2023

Scholar Profile: David L. Hagen; ORCID ID: 0009-0006-6976-0886.