Expert Details
Thermal-fluid Systems, Water Distribution with a Special Interest in Developing World Applications
ID: 729937
Colorado, USA
Expert witness: He carried out investigations of failure modes in the hydraulic system of a three story elevator.He predicted and experimentally verified the cooling of a chamber associated with a discharging pressurized gas.He predicted the scalar and vector properties of a gas ejector used for an efficient CO2 refrigerator using computational fluid mechanics.He analyzed relevant building codes associated with failures observed in hydronic heating systems.He evaluated the work of a consulting team charged with analyzing candidate high speed rail systems for the Colorado I-25 and I-70 transportation corridors.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1986 | Degree: Ph.D. | Subject: Mechanical Engineering | Institution: Purdue University |
| Year: 1983 | Degree: MS | Subject: Mechanical Engineering | Institution: Purdue University |
| Year: 1980 | Degree: BS | Subject: Mechanical Engineering | Institution: University of New Mexico |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 1986 to 2011 | Employer: Colorado School of Mines (CSM) | Title: Associate Professor | Department: Engineering |
Responsibilities:Was responsible for giving courses, advising graduate and undergraduate students, performing research and disseminating that research in the archival literature. He served as the Engineering Division Director. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1985 to 1986 | Employer: Center for Manufacturing Research, Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) | Title: Visiting Researcher | Department: Thermal Science Branch |
Responsibilities:He carried out experiments in the large laboratory scale Salt Gradient Solar Pond model. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1980 to 1982 | Employer: | Title: Summer Employee | Department: Heat Utilization |
Responsibilities:He worked with the heat utilization group on1. Analyzed dynamic fluid data from the Steam Generator Test Facility 2. Developed a database for thermodynamic equations of state for refrigerant alternatives 3. Maintained the Salt Gradient Solar Pond, while managing three summer employees and developing techniques for measuring vertical pond density |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1976 to 1978 | Employer: | Title: Engineering Coop Student | Department: |
Responsibilities:1. He supported the large block retort and cementatious retort experiments associated with the oil shale project2. He continued work with the oil shale project 3. He supported the Solar Energy Research Group. Devised, built and tested a steady state flowmeter used to measure flow and efficiency on inflatable cylindrical concentrating solar collectors. |
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Government Experience
| Years | Agency | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 1976 to 1978 | Agency: Lawrence Livermore Lab - ERDA | Role: Student Engineering Employee | Description: Engineering research lab work |
| Years: 1980 to 1982 | Agency: Argonne Nat'l Lab - DOE | Role: Summer Employee | Description: Engineering research lab work |
| Years: 1985 to 1986 | Agency: Solar Energy Research Institute - DOE | Role: Visiting Researcher | Description: Engineering research lab work - Ph.D. thesis work. |
International Experience
| Years | Country / Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Years: 2004 to 2011 | Country / Region: Honduras/Cortes | Summary: He initiated with students a potable water project for Colinas de Suiza, a village wherein 8000 people displaced by hurricane Mitch now reside. |
| Years: 2007 to 2008 | Country / Region: Uganda/Masaka | Summary: He led students through geophysical and land survey measurements for a potable water system for the Makondo Catholic parish located near Masaka. |
| Years: 2008 to 2009 | Country / Region: Uganda/Kampala/Gulu | Summary: He led students in the design and manufacture of several passive cooler box projects design to store malaria diagnostic kits to increase their longevity in hot environments. |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| ASME |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| 1. Engineering Advisory Committee - Fetzer Institute 2. Executive Director and Secretary on the Board of Village Science, a nonprofit to support science education in rural Laos and Honduras. |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| -CSM Faculty Senate Distinguished Lecture -Mondialogo Engineering Award, one of 21 globally. -SAE Faculty Advisor Award, one of 10 nationally. -Associate Technical Editor ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Solar Ponds and OTEC -SAE Ralph R. Teetor Award for Educators, one of 16 nationally -Voted Outstanding Faculty Member in the Engineering Department by the CSM Engineering Student Advisory Committee (EDSAC). -Outstanding Faculty Award from the December CSM Graduating Class |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| He has 40 refereed publications and co-authored a recent book on humanitarian engineering |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Expert has served as an expert witness in several cases. 1. Water damage from material failures of conventional and hydronic heating systems. 2. Fire injury from small lawn maintenance equipment. 3. Injury cause by hydraulic system failure in a three story elevator accident (deposed by the opposing counsel). |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| He has taught courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, engineering design, life cycle assessment and measurement systems. |
| Vendor Selection |
|---|
| For laboratory equipment at CSM. For laboratory equipment at the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi, UAE. |
| Marketing Experience |
|---|
| Expert produced 3 videos for marketing the Humanitarian engineering minor program at CSM, in addition to videos to illustrate work accomplished through the Fetzer Institute |
| Other Relevant Experience |
|---|
| Expert has developed skills in sustainable community development through experience on several water and humanitarian engineering projects in developing countries. |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Nearly fluent (second language) |
| English | Fluent (first language) |
Fields of Expertise
renewable energy system, conduction cooling, convective cooling, fluid flow, heat convection, heat transfer, passive cooling, electronic equipment thermal design, air-cooled condenser, air-cooled heat exchanger, convection heating, mechanical engineering measurement, cooling water, heat sink, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, energy-efficient conventional water pumping, energy-efficient solar water heating, energy-efficient water pumping, conventional refrigeration, conventional water pumping, steam, solar water heating, conduction, heatsink cooling, heat exchanger, heat exchanger application, evaporator, evaporative cooling, evaporation, cooling